Or do you think that the Scripture (A)says to no purpose, “[a]He [b]jealously desires (B)the Spirit whom He has made to dwell in us”?

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Footnotes

  1. James 4:5 Or The spirit which He has made to dwell in us lusts with envy
  2. James 4:5 Lit desires to jealousy

4-6 You’re cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn’t care? The proverb has it that “he’s a fiercely jealous lover.” And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you’ll find. It’s common knowledge that “God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.”

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Or do you think that in vain the scripture says, “The spirit which he caused to dwell in us desires jealously”?[a]

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Footnotes

  1. James 4:5 This translation takes “spirit” to be the capacity within people that produces a divided mind and conflicts regarding God; other translations take this to refer to the Holy Spirit: “He (God) jealously desires the Spirit which he caused to dwell in us”

Or do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose [a]that the [human] spirit which He has made to dwell in us lusts with envy?(A)

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Footnotes

  1. James 4:5 This verse is difficult to translate, and it seems that James is paraphrasing or generalizing a scriptural concept rather than quoting directly from the Old Testament.