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But God gives all the more grace; therefore it says,

“God opposes the proud
    but gives grace to the humble.”(A)

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.(B) Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.(C) Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.(D)

Warning against Judging Another

11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers and sisters. Whoever speaks evil against another or judges another speaks evil against the law and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.(E) 12 There is one lawgiver and judge[a] who is able to save and to destroy. So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor?(F)

Boasting about Tomorrow

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.”(G) 14 Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.(H) 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.”(I) 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. 17 Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it commits sin.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. 4.12 Other ancient authorities lack and judge

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”[a](A)

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,(B) and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.(C) Wash your hands,(D) you sinners, and purify your hearts,(E) you double-minded.(F) Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.(G) 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.(H)

11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.(I) Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[b] or judges them(J) speaks against the law(K) and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it,(L) but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge,(M) the one who is able to save and destroy.(N) But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?(O)

Boasting About Tomorrow

13 Now listen,(P) you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”(Q) 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.(R) 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will,(S) we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.(T) 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.(U)

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Footnotes

  1. James 4:6 Prov. 3:34
  2. 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.