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From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Whence come wars and whence come fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your pleasures that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and [a]covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your pleasures. Ye [b]adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God. Or think ye that the scripture [c]speaketh in vain? [d]Doth the spirit which [e]he made to dwell in us long unto envying? But he giveth [f]more grace. Wherefore the scripture saith, [g]God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you.

11 Speak not one against another, brethren. He that speaketh against a brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 One only is the lawgiver and judge, even he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy neighbor?

13 Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain: 14 whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 [h]For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that. 16 But now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil. 17 To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Footnotes

  1. James 4:2 Greek are jealous.
  2. James 4:4 That is, who break your marriage vow to God.
  3. James 4:5 Or, saith in vain,
  4. James 4:5 Or, The Spirit which he made to dwell in us he yearneth for even unto jealous envy. Compare Jer. 3:14; Hos. 2:19f. Or, That Spirit which he made to dwell in us yearneth for us even unto jealous envy.
  5. James 4:5 Some ancient authorities read dwelleth in us.
  6. James 4:6 Greek a greater grace.
  7. James 4:6 Prov. 3:34.
  8. James 4:15 Greek Instead of your saying.

L'amicizia del mondo è inimicizia verso Dio

(A)Da dove vengono le guerre e le contese tra di voi? Non derivano forse dalle passioni che si agitano nelle vostre membra? Voi bramate e non avete; voi uccidete e invidiate e non potete ottenere; voi litigate e fate la guerra; non avete, perché non domandate; domandate e non ricevete, perché domandate male per spendere nei vostri piaceri.

O gente adultera, non sapete che l'amicizia del mondo è inimicizia verso Dio? Chi dunque vuol essere amico del mondo si rende nemico di Dio. Oppure pensate che la Scrittura dichiari invano che: «Lo Spirito che egli ha fatto abitare in noi ci brama fino alla gelosia»[a]? Anzi, egli ci accorda una grazia maggiore; perciò la Scrittura dice:
«Dio resiste ai superbi
e dà grazia agli umili»[b].

Sottomettetevi dunque a Dio; ma resistete al *diavolo, ed egli fuggirà da voi. Avvicinatevi a Dio, ed egli si avvicinerà a voi. Pulite le vostre mani, o peccatori; e purificate i vostri cuori, o doppi d'animo! Siate afflitti, fate cordoglio e piangete! Sia il vostro riso convertito in lutto, e la vostra allegria in tristezza! 10 Umiliatevi davanti al Signore, ed egli v'innalzerà.

11 Non sparlate gli uni degli altri, fratelli. Chi dice male del fratello, o chi giudica il fratello, parla male della legge e giudica la legge. Ora, se tu giudichi la legge, non sei uno che la mette in pratica, ma un giudice. 12 Uno soltanto è legislatore e giudice, colui che può salvare e perdere; ma tu chi sei, che giudichi il tuo prossimo?

Condanna dei trafficanti e dei ricchi oppressori

13 (B)E ora a voi che dite: «Oggi o domani andremo nella tale città, vi staremo un anno, trafficheremo e guadagneremo»; 14 mentre non sapete quel che succederà domani! Che cos'è infatti la vostra vita? Siete un vapore che appare per un istante e poi svanisce. 15 Dovreste dire invece: «Se Dio vuole, saremo in vita e faremo questo o quest'altro». 16 Invece voi vi vantate con la vostra arroganza. Un tale vanto è cattivo. 17 Chi dunque sa fare il bene e non lo fa, commette peccato.

Footnotes

  1. Giacomo 4:5 Oppure pensate che… fino alla gelosia»? Altri traducono: ovvero pensate voi che la Scrittura dica invano: "Lo Spirito ch'Egli ha fatto abitare in noi appetisce ad invidia?" o ancora: pensate voi che la Scrittura parli invano? Lo Spirito ch'Egli ha fatto abitare in noi ci brama fino alla gelosia. Ma dà una tanto maggior grazia, ecc.
  2. Giacomo 4:6 +Pr 3:34.

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Proud or Humble

What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from the cravings(A) that are at war within you?[a] You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires.(B)

Adulteresses![b][c] Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy.(C) Or do you think it’s without reason the Scripture says that the Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously?[d](D)

But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says:

God resists the proud,
but gives grace to the humble.(E)[e]

Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.(F) Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people!(G) Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow.(H) 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

11 Don’t criticize one another, brothers. He who criticizes a brother or judges his brother criticizes the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.(I) 12 There is one lawgiver and judge[f] who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?(J)

Our Will and His 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.”(K) 14 You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes.(L)

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.(M) 17 So it is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn’t do it.(N)

Footnotes

  1. James 4:1 Lit war in your members
  2. James 4:4 Other mss read Adulterers and adulteresses
  3. James 4:4 Or Unfaithful people!
  4. James 4:5 Or He who caused the Spirit to live in us yearns jealously, or the spirit He caused to live in us yearns jealously, or He jealously yearns for the Spirit He made to live in us
  5. James 4:6 Pr 3:34
  6. James 4:12 Other mss omit and judge