Jas.4.1

Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves.

Jas.4.1

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?

Jas.4.1

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?

Jas.4.1

What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn't it the whole army of evil desires at war within you?

Jas.4.2

You lust for what you don't have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn't yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it. You wouldn't think of just asking God for it, would you?

Jas.4.2

You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.

Jas.4.2

You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

Jas.4.2

You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous for what others have, and you can't possess it, so you fight and quarrel to take it away from them. And yet the reason you don't have what you want is that you don't ask God for it.

Jas.4.3

And why not? Because you know you'd be asking for what you have no right to. You're spoiled children, each wanting your own way.

Jas.4.3

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Jas.4.3

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Jas.4.3

And even when you do ask, you don't get it because your whole motive is wrong--you want only what will give you pleasure.

Jas.4.4

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.

Jas.4.4

You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

Jas.4.4

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Jas.4.4

You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with this world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again, that if your aim is to enjoy this world, you can't be a friend of God.

Jas.4.5

And do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that "he's a fiercely jealous lover."

Jas.4.5

Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?

Jas.4.5

Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"?

Jas.4.5

What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the Holy Spirit, whom God has placed within us, jealously longs for us to be faithful?

Jas.4.6

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."

Jas.4.6

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

Jas.4.6

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

Jas.4.6

He gives us more and more strength to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble."

Jas.4.7

So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper.

Jas.4.7

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Jas.4.7

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Jas.4.7

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.

Jas.4.8

Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field.

Jas.4.8

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Jas.4.8

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Jas.4.8

Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites.

Jas.4.9

Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious.

Jas.4.9

Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.

Jas.4.9

Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

Jas.4.9

Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.

Jas.4.10

Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet.

Jas.4.10

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Jas.4.10

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Jas.4.10

When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.

Jas.4.11

Don't bad-mouth each other, friends. It's God's Word, his Message, his Royal Rule, that takes a beating in that kind of talk. You're supposed to be honoring the Message, not writing graffiti all over it.

Jas.4.11

Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.

Jas.4.11

Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.

Jas.4.11

Don't speak evil against each other, my dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize each other and condemn each other, then you are criticizing and condemning God's law. But you are not a judge who can decide whether the law is right or wrong. Your job is to obey it.

Jas.4.12

God is in charge of deciding human destiny. Who do you think you are to meddle in the destiny of others?

Jas.4.12

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor?

Jas.4.12

There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?

Jas.4.12

God alone, who made the law, can rightly judge among us. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to condemn your neighbor?

Jas.4.13

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, "Today--at the latest, tomorrow--we're off to such and such a city for the year. We're going to start a business and make a lot of money."

Jas.4.13

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money."

Jas.4.13

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";

Jas.4.13

Look here, you people who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit."

Jas.4.14

You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing.

Jas.4.14

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Jas.4.14

whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Jas.4.14

How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone.

Jas.4.15

Instead, make it a habit to say, "If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that."

Jas.4.15

Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."

Jas.4.15

Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."

Jas.4.15

What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that."

Jas.4.16

As it is, you are full of your grandiose selves. All such vaunting self-importance is evil.

Jas.4.16

As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.

Jas.4.16

But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

Jas.4.16

Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.

Jas.4.17

In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don't do it, that, for you, is evil.

Jas.4.17

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

Jas.4.17

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Jas.4.17

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.