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不可與世俗為友

你們中間的衝突是哪裏來的?爭執是哪裏來的?不是從你們肢體中交戰着的私慾來的嗎? 你們貪戀,得不着就殺人;你們嫉妒,不能得手就起爭執和衝突;你們得不着,是因為你們不求。 你們求也得不着,是因為你們妄求,為了要浪費在你們的宴樂中。 你們這些淫亂的人哪,豈不知道與世俗為友就是與 神為敵嗎?所以,凡想要與世俗為友的,就是與 神為敵了。 經上說:「 神愛安置在我們裏面的靈,愛到嫉妒的地步。」[a]你們以為這話是徒然的嗎? 但是他賜更多的恩典,正如經上說:

「 神抵擋驕傲的人,
但賜恩給謙卑的人。」

所以,要順服 神。要抵擋魔鬼,魔鬼就必逃避你們; 要親近 神, 神就必親近你們。有罪的人哪,要潔淨你們的手!心懷二意的人哪,要清潔你們的心! 你們要愁苦,悲哀,哭泣;要將歡笑變為悲哀,歡樂變為愁悶。 10 要在主面前謙卑,他就使你們高升。

不可評斷弟兄

11 弟兄們,不可彼此詆毀。詆毀弟兄或評斷弟兄的人,就是詆毀律法,評斷律法;你若評斷律法,就不是遵行律法,而是評斷者了。 12 立法者和審判者只有一位;他就是那能拯救人也能毀滅人的。你是誰,竟敢評斷你的鄰舍!

警戒自誇

13 注意!有人說:「今天或明天我們要往某城去,在那裏住一年,做買賣賺錢。」 14 其實明天如何,你們還不知道。你們的生命是甚麼呢?你們[b]原來是一片雲霧,出現片刻就不見了。 15 你們倒應當說:「主若願意,我們就能活着,也可以做這事或那事。」 16 現今你們竟然狂傲自誇;凡這樣的自誇都是邪惡的。 17 所以,人若知道該行善而不去行,這就是他的罪了。

Footnotes

  1. 4.5 「 神愛…的地步。」或譯「 神會嫉妒地愛戀他安置在我們裏面的靈。」
  2. 4.14 有古卷是「它」。

Submit Yourselves to God

What causes fights and quarrels(A) among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle(B) within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill.(C) You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive,(D) because you ask with wrong motives,(E) that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

You adulterous(F) people,[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world(G) means enmity against God?(H) Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.(I) Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[b]?(J) But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

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

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,(L) and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.(M) Wash your hands,(N) you sinners, and purify your hearts,(O) you double-minded.(P) Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.(Q) 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.(R)

11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.(S) Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[d] or judges them(T) speaks against the law(U) and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it,(V) but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge,(W) the one who is able to save and destroy.(X) But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?(Y)

Boasting About Tomorrow

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

Footnotes

  1. James 4:4 An allusion to covenant unfaithfulness; see Hosea 3:1.
  2. James 4:5 Or that the spirit he caused to dwell in us envies intensely; or that the Spirit he caused to dwell in us longs jealously
  3. James 4:6 Prov. 3:34
  4. 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.

Pride Promotes Strife

Where do [a]wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure (A)that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and [b]war. [c]Yet you do not have because you do not ask. (B)You ask and do not receive, (C)because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. [d]Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that (D)friendship with the world is enmity with God? (E)Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, (F)“The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:

(G)“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”

Humility Cures Worldliness

Therefore submit to God. (H)Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (I)Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (J)Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and (K)purify your hearts, you double-minded. (L)Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 (M)Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Do Not Judge a Brother

11 (N)Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother (O)and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one [e]Lawgiver, (P)who is able to save and to destroy. (Q)Who[f] are you to judge [g]another?

Do Not Boast About Tomorrow

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow [h]we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? (R)It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, (S)“If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. (T)All such boasting is evil.

17 Therefore, (U)to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Footnotes

  1. James 4:1 battles
  2. James 4:2 battle
  3. James 4:2 NU, M omit Yet
  4. James 4:4 NU omits Adulterers and
  5. James 4:12 NU adds and Judge
  6. James 4:12 NU, M But who
  7. James 4:12 NU a neighbor
  8. James 4:13 M let us

Warning Against Worldliness

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions[a] are (A)at war within you?[b] You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask (B)wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (C)You adulterous people![c] Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? (D)Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit (E)that he has made to dwell in us”? But (F)he gives more grace. Therefore it says, (G)“God opposes the proud but (H)gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. (I)Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (J)Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (K)Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and (L)purify your hearts, (M)you double-minded. (N)Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 (O)Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

11 (P)Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.[d] The one who speaks against a brother or (Q)judges his brother, 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. 12 There is only (R)one lawgiver and (S)judge, he who is able to save and (T)to destroy. But (U)who are you to judge your neighbor?

Boasting About Tomorrow

13 Come now, you who say, (V)“Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For (W)you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, (X)“If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. (Y)All such boasting is evil. 17 (Z)So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Footnotes

  1. James 4:1 Greek pleasures; also verse 3
  2. James 4:1 Greek in your members
  3. James 4:4 Or You adulteresses!
  4. James 4:11 Or brothers and sisters