Book of Common Prayer

¹³ If any be wise and learned among you, let him show the works of his good living in humility that is coupled with wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, do not be pleased, neither be liars against the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, and natural, and devilish. ¹⁶ For where envying and strife are, there is instability and all manner of evil works.

¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated – full of mercy and good fruits, without judging and without dissimulation. ¹⁸ Yea and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who maintain peace.

Conflict and fighting come from sensuality and covetousness. The friendship of the world is enmity before God. An exhortation to flee slander and the vanity of this life.

4 Where do conflict and fighting come from among you? Do they not come from the sensuality and covetousness that reign in your members? ² You lust, and have not. You envy, and have indignation, and cannot obtain. You fight and war, and have not because you ask not. ³ You ask and receive not because you ask amiss, even to consume it upon your pleasures.

⁴ You adulterers and women who break matrimony, do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity toward God? Whoever will be a friend of the world, is made the enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that the scripture says in vain, the Spirit that dwells in you resists envy, ⁶ but gives more grace?

⁷ Submit yourselves to God. And resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purge your hearts, ye wavering-minded. ⁹ Suffer afflictions: sorrow ye, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. ¹⁰ Cast yourselves down before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

¹¹ Do not backbite one another, brethren. He who speaks against his brother, and he who judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not an observer of the law, but a judge. ¹² There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you, to judge another man?

¹¹ And it so was that, as he journeyed to Jerusalem, he passed through Samaria and Galilee. ¹² And as he entered into a certain town, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off, ¹³ and put forth their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!

¹⁴ When he saw them, he said to them, Go and show yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass that as they went, they were cleansed. ¹⁵ And one of them, when he saw that he was cleansed, turned back again and with a loud voice praised God, ¹⁶ and fell down on his face at Jesus’ feet, and gave him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

¹⁷ And Jesus answered and said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the other nine? ¹⁸ There are not found any that returned again to give God praise, save only this stranger. ¹⁹ And he said to the man, Arise and go your way; your faith has made you whole.