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¶ Where do the wars and disputes come from among you? Is it not from here, that is to say, of your lusts which fight in your members?

Ye covet and have not; ye murder, and have envy and cannot obtain; ye fight and war and have not that which ye desire because ye ask not.

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

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore that desires to be a friend of the world, makes himself the enemy of God.

Do ye think that the scripture says in vain, The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy?

But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says, God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble.

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

Draw near to God, and he will draw near 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 ¶ Murmur not against one another, brethren. He that speaks evil of his brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law; but if thou judge the law, thou art not a keeper of the law, but a judge.

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

13 Come now, ye that say, Today and tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain;

14 and ye do not know what shall be tomorrow. For what is your life? Certainly it is a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

15 Ye ought to say instead, If the Lord wills, and if we live, we shall do this or that.

16 But now ye boast in your arrogance; all such glory is evil.

17 Therefore sin is still in the one that knows to do good and does not do it.

Guerras y conflictos

¿De dónde vienen las guerras y los conflictos[a] entre vosotros(A)? ¿No vienen de vuestras pasiones[b] que combaten en vuestros miembros(B)? Codiciáis y no tenéis, por eso cometéis homicidio(C). Sois envidiosos y no podéis obtener, por eso combatís[c] y hacéis guerra. No tenéis, porque no pedís. Pedís y no recibís(D), porque pedís con malos propósitos[d], para gastarlo en vuestros placeres. ¡Oh almas adúlteras[e](E)! ¿No sabéis que la amistad del mundo(F) es enemistad hacia Dios(G)? Por tanto, el que quiere ser amigo del mundo, se constituye enemigo de Dios(H). ¿O pensáis que la Escritura dice en vano(I): El celosamente anhela[f] el Espíritu(J) que ha hecho morar en nosotros[g]? Pero Él da mayor gracia(K). Por eso dice: Dios resiste a los soberbios pero da gracia a los humildes(L). Por tanto, someteos a Dios(M). Resistid, pues, al diablo y huirá de vosotros(N). Acercaos a Dios, y Él se acercará a vosotros(O). Limpiad vuestras manos(P), pecadores; y vosotros de doble ánimo[h](Q), purificad vuestros corazones(R). Afligíos, lamentad y llorad(S); que vuestra risa se torne en llanto[i] y vuestro gozo en tristeza. 10 Humillaos en la presencia del Señor(T) y Él os exaltará.

11 Hermanos(U), no habléis mal los unos de los otros(V). El que habla mal de un hermano o juzga a su hermano(W), habla mal de la ley(X) y juzga a la ley; pero si tú juzgas a la ley, no eres cumplidor de la ley(Y), sino juez de ella. 12 Solo hay un dador de la ley y juez(Z), que es poderoso para salvar y para destruir(AA); pero tú, ¿quién eres que juzgas a tu prójimo(AB)?

La incertidumbre de la vida

13 Oíd[j] ahora(AC), los que decís: Hoy o mañana iremos a tal o cual ciudad(AD) y pasaremos allá un año, haremos negocio y tendremos ganancia. 14 Sin embargo, no sabéis[k] cómo será vuestra vida mañana[l]. Solo sois un vapor que aparece por un poco de tiempo y luego se desvanece(AE). 15 Más bien, debierais decir[m]: Si el Señor quiere(AF), viviremos y haremos esto o aquello. 16 Pero ahora os jactáis en vuestra arrogancia[n]; toda jactancia semejante es mala(AG). 17 A aquel, pues, que sabe hacer lo bueno[o] y no lo hace(AH), le es pecado.

Footnotes

  1. Santiago 4:1 Lit., ¿De dónde guerras, y de dónde conflictos
  2. Santiago 4:1 Lit., ¿No de aquí, de vuestros placeres
  3. Santiago 4:2 O, tenéis pleitos
  4. Santiago 4:3 Lit., malvadamente
  5. Santiago 4:4 O, infieles
  6. Santiago 4:5 Lit., anhela hasta los celos
  7. Santiago 4:5 O, El Espíritu que Él ha hecho morar en nosotros nos anhela celosamente
  8. Santiago 4:8 O, corazones divididos
  9. Santiago 4:9 O, gemido, o, lamento
  10. Santiago 4:13 Lit., Vamos
  11. Santiago 4:14 Lit., Los que no sabéis
  12. Santiago 4:14 Algunos mss. dicen: el mañana, pues, ¿qué es vuestra vida?
  13. Santiago 4:15 Lit., en lugar de decir
  14. Santiago 4:16 O, vuestras pretensiones
  15. Santiago 4:17 O, lo correcto

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.