James 4:5-10

Expanded Bible

⁵Do you think the Scripture ·means nothing that says [or says for no reason], ·“The Spirit that God made to live in us wants us for himself alone”? [or “God yearns jealously for the spirit he has made to live in us”?; or “The spirit God placed within us tends to jealously desire things”?; ^Cfor God’s jealousy for his people see Ex. 20:5; 34:14; Zech. 8:2]. ⁶But God gives us even more grace, as ·the Scripture [^Lit; or he] says,

“God ·is against [opposes; resists] the proud,
but he gives grace to the humble [Prov. 3:34; 1 Pet. 5:5].”

⁷So ·give yourselves completely [submit] to God. ·Stand against [Resist] the devil [1 Pet. 5:9], and the devil will ·run [flee] from you. ⁸Come near to God, and God will come near to you. You sinners, ·clean sin out of your lives [^Lcleanse/purify your hands; ^Ca metaphor for cleaning up your behavior]. ·You who are trying to follow God and the world at the same time [^LYou double-minded ones], ·make your thinking pure [^Lpurify your hearts; ^Ca metaphor for cleaning up your interior life]. ⁹·Be sad [Lament], ·cry [mourn], and weep! Change your laughter into ·crying [mourning] and your joy into ·sadness [gloom; sorrow]. ¹⁰Humble yourself in the Lord’s presence, and he will ·honor you [^Lexalt you; lift you up; 1 Pet. 5:6].