11 (A)Do not speak against one another, (B)brothers and sisters. The one who speaks against a brother or sister, or (C)judges his brother or sister, speaks against (D)the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not (E)a doer of the law but a judge of it. 12 There is only one (F)Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is (G)able to save and to destroy; but (H)who are you, [a]judging your neighbor?

13 (I)Come now, you who say, “(J)Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 [b]Yet you do not know [c]what your life will be like tomorrow. (K)For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. 15 [d]Instead, you ought to say, “(L)If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you boast in your [e]arrogance; (M)all such boasting is evil. 17 So (N)for one who knows the [f]right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. James 4:12 Lit the one judging
  2. James 4:14 Lit Who do not
  3. James 4:14 Or what will happen tomorrow. What kind of life is yours?
  4. James 4:15 Lit Instead of your saying
  5. James 4:16 Or pretensions
  6. James 4:17 Or good

11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.(A) Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[a] or judges them(B) speaks against the law(C) and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it,(D) but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge,(E) the one who is able to save and destroy.(F) But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?(G)

Boasting About Tomorrow

13 Now listen,(H) you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”(I) 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.(J) 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will,(K) we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.(L) 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.(M)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. James 4:11 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family.