James 3:13-4:17

Christian Standard Bible

The Wisdom from Above

¹³ Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom.^{(A) 14} But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth.^{(B) 15} Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.^{(C) 16} For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.^{(D) 18} And the fruit of righteousness^(E) is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.

Proud or Humble

4 What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from your passions^(F) that wage war within you?^{[a] 2} You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war.^[b] You do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.^(G)

⁴ You adulterous people!^[c] Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God.^{(H) 5} Or do you think it’s without reason that the Scripture says: The spirit he made to dwell in us envies intensely?^[d](I)

⁶ But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says:

⁷ Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.^{(K) 8} Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.^{(L) 9} Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.^{(M) 10} Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

¹¹ Don’t criticize one another, brothers and sisters. Anyone who defames or judges a fellow believer^[f] defames and judges the law. If you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.^{(N) 12} There is one lawgiver and judge^[g] who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?^(O)

Our Will and God’s Will

¹³ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.”^{(P) 14} Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.^(Q)

¹⁵ Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.^{(R) 17} So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it.^(S)