Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Fights And Battles Come From Your Pursuit of Worldly Desires

4 From-what-source are fights and from-what-source are battles among you? Are they not from-here— from your pleasures waging-war in your body-parts? ² You desire and do not have; you^[a] murder. And you are jealous and are not able to obtain; you battle and fight. You do not have because of your not asking! ³ You ask and do not receive because you ask badly^[b], in order that you may spend it in connection with your pleasures. ⁴ Adulterous^[c] ones, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes-himself ^[d] an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture^[e] speaks vainly? He yearns jealously for the spirit^[f] which He made-to-dwell in us!

But God Gives Grace To The Humble. So Submit To God And Purify Your Hearts

⁶ But He gives greater grace. Therefore it says [in Prov 3:34], “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble”. ⁷ Therefore, submit to God, but resist the devil and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw-near to God and He will draw-near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded ones. ⁹ Be miserable^[g] and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection^[h]. ¹⁰ Humble-yourselves^[i] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.