Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
4 Whereof be battles and chidings among you? Whether not of your covetings, that fight in your members?
2 Ye covet, and ye have not; ye slay, and ye have envy, and ye be not able to get [ye slay, and have envy, and ye be not able to get]. Ye chide, and make battle; and ye have not, for that ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and ye receive not; for that ye ask evil, as ye show openly in your covetings.
4 Adulterers, know not ye, that the friendship of this world is enemy to God? Therefore whoever will be the friend of this world, is made the enemy of God.
5 Whether ye guess [Whether ween ye], that the scripture saith vainly, The spirit that dwelleth in you, coveteth to envy?
6 But he giveth the more grace [Forsooth he giveth more grace]; for which thing he saith, God withstandeth proud men, but to meek men he giveth grace.
7 Therefore be ye subject to God; but withstand ye the devil, and he shall flee from you.
8 Approach ye to God, and he shall approach to you. Ye sinners, cleanse ye the hands, and ye double in soul, purge ye the hearts.[a]
9 Be ye wretches, and wail ye [and weep ye]; your laughing be [it] turned into weeping, and [your] joy into sorrow of heart.
10 Be ye meeked in the sight of the Lord, and he shall enhance you.
11 My brethren, do not ye backbite each other. He that backbiteth his brother, either that deemeth his brother [or that deemeth his brother], backbiteth the law, and deemeth the law. And if thou deemest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a doomsman.
12 But one is maker of the law, and judge, that may destroy, and deliver [that may lose, and deliver]. And who art thou, that deemest thy neighbour?
13 Lo! now ye, that say, To day either to morrow [To day or to morrow] we shall go into that city, and there we shall dwell a year, and we shall make merchandise, and we shall make winning;
14 which know not [that know not], what is to you in the morrow. For what is your life? A smoke [A vapour, or smoke,] appearing at a little time, and afterward it shall be wasted.
15 Therefore that ye say, If the Lord will, and if we [shall] live, we shall do this thing, either that thing [or that thing].
16 And now ye make full out joy in your prides; every such joying is wicked.
17 Therefore it is sin to him, that knoweth to do good, and doeth not. [Therefore to a man knowing to do good, and not doing, sin is to him.]
5 Do now, ye rich men, weep ye, yelling in your wretchednesses that shall come to you.
2 Your riches be rotten, and your clothes be eaten of moths.
3 Your gold and silver hath rusted, and the rust of them shall be to you into witnessing, and shall eat your fleshes, as fire. Ye have treasured to you wrath in the last days.
4 Lo! the hire of your workmen, that reaped your fields, which is defrauded of you [which is frauded of you], crieth; and the cry of them hath entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts.
5 Ye have eaten on the earth, and in your lecheries ye have nourished your hearts. In the day of slaying
6 ye brought, and slew the just man, and he against-stood not you [and he withstood you not].
7 Therefore, brethren, be ye patient, till to the coming of the Lord. Lo! an earth-tiller abideth [the] precious fruit of the earth, patiently suffering, till he receive timeful and lateful fruit.
8 And be ye patient, and confirm ye your hearts, for the coming of the Lord shall approach. [And be ye patient, and confirm your hearts, for the coming of the Lord shall nigh.]
9 Brethren, do not ye be sorrowful each to other [Brethren, do not ye be scornful each to other], that ye be not deemed. Lo! the judge standeth nigh before the gate.
10 Brethren, take ye ensample of evil going out, and of long abiding, and travail [Brethren, take ye example of evil going out, and of long abiding of travail], and of patience, the prophets, that spake to you in the name of the Lord.
11 Lo! we bless them that suffered. Ye have heard the patience of Job, and ye saw the end of the Lord, for the Lord is merciful, and doing mercy.
12 Before all things, my brethren, do not ye swear, neither by heaven, neither by earth, neither by whatever other oath. But be your word Yea, yea, Nay, nay, that ye fall not under doom.
13 And if any of you is sorrowful [Soothly if any of you is sorrowful, or heavy], pray he with patient soul, and say he a psalm.
14 If any of you is sick, lead he in priests of the church, and pray they for him, and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord [anointing with oil in the name of the Lord];
15 and the prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord shall make him light[b]; and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven to him.
16 Therefore acknowledge ye each to other your sins, and pray ye each for other, that ye be saved [Therefore acknowledge ye one to another your sins, and pray ye for each other, that ye be saved]. For the continual prayer of a just man is much worth.
17 Elias was a deadly man like us [Elias was a man like to us passible, or able to suffer], and in prayer he prayed, that it should not rain on the earth, and it rained not three years and six months.
18 And again he prayed, and heaven gave rain, and the earth gave his fruit.
19 And, brethren, if any of you erreth from truth, and any converteth him, [Brethren, forsooth if any of you shall err from the truth, and any shall convert him,]
20 he oweth to know, that he that maketh a sinner to be turned from the error of his way, shall save the soul of him from death, and covereth the multitude of sins. [Amen.]
2001 by Terence P. Noble