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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.

¶ Come now, Oh ye rich, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

Your riches are rotten, and your garments are motheaten.

Your gold and silver is corrupted with rust; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you and shall completely eat your flesh, as fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped your fields (which you have kept back by fraud) cries out; and the cries of those who have reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of the hosts.

Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton; ye have refreshed your hearts, as in the day of slaughter of sacrifices.

Ye have condemned and murdered the just, and he does not resist you.

Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently until it receives the early and latter rain.

Be ye also patient and confirm your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draws near.

Complain not one against another, brethren, that ye not be condemned: behold, the judge stands before the door.

10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 Behold, we count blessed those who endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very merciful, and full of compassion.

12 ¶ But above all things, my brethren, do not swear by heaven or by the earth or by any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no, no; lest ye fall into condemnation.

13 Is anyone among you afflicted? let them pray. Is anyone happy? let them sing.

14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the congregation; {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} and let them pray for him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;

15 and the prayer of faith shall cause the one who is sick to be saved, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he shall be forgiven them.

16 Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be whole. The effectual prayer of the righteous is very powerful.

17 Elijah was a man subject to passions like unto ours, and he asked in prayer that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

19 Brethren, if any of you have erred from the truth, and someone should convert him;

20 let that one know, that whosoever causes the sinner to convert from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins.

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)

Warning to Rich Oppressors

Now listen,(AF) you rich people,(AG) weep and wail(AH) because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.(AI) Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.(AJ) Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers(AK) who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries(AL) of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.(AM) You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves(AN) in the day of slaughter.[e](AO) You have condemned and murdered(AP) the innocent one,(AQ) who was not opposing you.

Patience in Suffering

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming.(AR) See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting(AS) for the autumn and spring rains.(AT) You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming(AU) is near.(AV) Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters,(AW) or you will be judged. The Judge(AX) is standing at the door!(AY)

10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets(AZ) who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed(BA) those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance(BB) and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.(BC) The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.(BD)

12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.(BE)

The Prayer of Faith

13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.(BF) Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.(BG) 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders(BH) of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil(BI) in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith(BJ) will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins(BK) to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.(BL) The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.(BM)

17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are.(BN) He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.(BO) 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.(BP)

19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth(BQ) and someone should bring that person back,(BR) 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save(BS) them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.(BT)

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.
  5. James 5:5 Or yourselves as in a day of feasting