Proud or Humble

4 What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from your passions^(A) 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.^(B)

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.^{(C) 5} Or do you think it’s without reason that the Scripture says: The spirit he made to dwell in us envies intensely?^[d](D)

⁶ But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says:

⁷ Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.^{(F) 8} Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.^{(G) 9} Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.^{(H) 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.^{(I) 12} There is one lawgiver and judge^[g] who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?^(J)

Waiting for the Lord

⁷ Therefore, brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.^{(A) 8} You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.^(B)

⁹ Brothers and sisters, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!^(C)

¹⁰ Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience. ¹¹ See, we count as blessed those who have endured.^[a] You have heard of Job’s endurance^(D) and have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about—the Lord is compassionate and merciful.^(E)

¹³ For you were called^(A) to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity^[a] for the flesh, but serve one another through love. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled^(B) in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.^{[b](C) 15} But if you bite and devour^(D) one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

Warnings from Jesus

⁴² “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away^(A) —it would be better for him if a heavy millstone^(B) were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

⁴³ “And if your hand causes you to fall away, cut it off.^(C) It is better for you to enter life maimed^(D) than to have two hands and go to hell, the unquenchable fire.^{[a](E) 45} And if your foot causes you to fall away, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame^(F) than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.^{[b] 47} And if your eye causes you to fall away, gouge it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God^(G) with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown^(H) into hell,^{(I) 48} where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.^{[c] 49} For everyone will be salted with fire.^{[d][e](J) 50} Salt is good, but if the salt should lose its flavor, how can you season it?^(K) Have salt^(L) among yourselves, and be at peace^(M) with one another.”

⁹ “The Lord of Armies says this: ‘Make fair decisions.^(A) Show faithful love and compassion^(B) to one another. ¹⁰ Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the resident alien or the poor,^(C) and do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’^(D)