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James 4

Where do the wars and fights among you come from? Don't they come from your cravings, at war inside you? You want and you haven't got. You kill and crave what others have but still can't get hold of it. You fight and you brawl. You haven't got, because you don't ask. You ask and you don't get, because you ask with the wrong motives, to sp

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Where fights come from

Where do the wars and fights among you come from? Don't they come from your cravings, at war inside you? You want and you haven't got. You kill and crave what others have but still can't get hold of it. You fight and you brawl. You haven't got, because you don't ask. You ask and you don't get, because you ask with the wrong motives, to spend it on your own pleasures. You adulterers and adulteresses. Don't you know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think the scripture says for nothing, The spirit that lives in us longs to envy? But he gives more grace. That is why it says, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Clean up your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you who are in two minds. Be sorry, mourn and weep. Turn your laughing into mourning and your joy into gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come of this, of what you want that fights in you? You want and haven't got. You kill and want to have and can't get. You fight and war, yet you haven't got, because you don't ask. You ask and don't get, because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on what you want. You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that being a friend of the world is enmity with God? So whoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do you think the scripture says for nothing: The spirit that lives in us longs to envy? But he gives more grace. So he says: God stands against the proud but gives grace to the lowly. So put yourselves under God. Stand against the devil, and he'll run from you. Come near to God, and he'll come near to you. Clean your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double minded. Be troubled and mourn and weep. Let your laughing be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness. Bring yourselves low in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

1

Where do the wars and fights among you come from? Don't they come from your cravings, at war inside you?

Plain English

Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come of this, of what you want that fights in you?

King James Version, 1611

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

2

You want and you haven't got. You kill and crave what others have but still can't get hold of it. You fight and you brawl. You haven't got, because you don't ask.

Plain English

You want and haven't got. You kill and want to have and can't get. You fight and war, yet you haven't got, because you don't ask.

King James Version, 1611

Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

3

You ask and you don't get, because you ask with the wrong motives, to spend it on your own pleasures.

Plain English

You ask and don't get, because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on what you want.

King James Version, 1611

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

4

You adulterers and adulteresses. Don't you know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Plain English

You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that being a friend of the world is enmity with God? So whoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

King James Version, 1611

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

5

Or do you think the scripture says for nothing, The spirit that lives in us longs to envy?

Plain English

Do you think the scripture says for nothing: The spirit that lives in us longs to envy?

King James Version, 1611

Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

6

But he gives more grace. That is why it says, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Plain English

But he gives more grace. So he says: God stands against the proud but gives grace to the lowly.

King James Version, 1611

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

7

So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Plain English

So put yourselves under God. Stand against the devil, and he'll run from you.

King James Version, 1611

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

8

Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Clean up your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you who are in two minds.

Plain English

Come near to God, and he'll come near to you. Clean your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double minded.

King James Version, 1611

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

9

Be sorry, mourn and weep. Turn your laughing into mourning and your joy into gloom.

Plain English

Be troubled and mourn and weep. Let your laughing be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness.

King James Version, 1611

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10

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

Plain English

Bring yourselves low in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.

King James Version, 1611

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Don't boast about tomorrow

Don't run each other down, brothers. The man who runs down his brother or judges him runs down the law and judges the law. And if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge over it. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge your neighbour? Now listen, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town, spend a year there, do business and make a profit. You don't even know what tomorrow holds. What is your life? You are a mist that shows up for a little while and then vanishes. What you ought to say is, If the Lord wants, we will live and do this or that. As it is, you boast about your plans. All such boasting is evil. So anyone who knows the right thing to do and doesn't do it — that is sin for him.

Don't speak evil of each other, brothers. The one who speaks evil of his brother and judges his brother speaks evil of the teaching and judges the teaching. But if you judge the teaching, you aren't a doer of the teaching but a judge. There's one lawgiver, who's able to save and to wreck. Who are you who judges another? Go to now, you who say: Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a town and stay there a year and buy and sell and get gain. When you don't know what'll be tomorrow. Because what's your life? It's a vapour that shows for a little time and then goes away. Instead you ought to say: If the Lord wants, we'll live and do this or that. But now you celebrate in your boastings. All boasting like that is evil. So to the one who knows to do good and doesn't do it, to him it's sin.

Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

11

Don't run each other down, brothers. The man who runs down his brother or judges him runs down the law and judges the law. And if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge over it.

Plain English

Don't speak evil of each other, brothers. The one who speaks evil of his brother and judges his brother speaks evil of the teaching and judges the teaching. But if you judge the teaching, you aren't a doer of the teaching but a judge.

King James Version, 1611

Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12

There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge your neighbour?

Plain English

There's one lawgiver, who's able to save and to wreck. Who are you who judges another?

King James Version, 1611

There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

13

Now listen, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town, spend a year there, do business and make a profit.

Plain English

Go to now, you who say: Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a town and stay there a year and buy and sell and get gain.

King James Version, 1611

Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

14

You don't even know what tomorrow holds. What is your life? You are a mist that shows up for a little while and then vanishes.

Plain English

When you don't know what'll be tomorrow. Because what's your life? It's a vapour that shows for a little time and then goes away.

King James Version, 1611

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

15

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

Plain English

Instead you ought to say: If the Lord wants, we'll live and do this or that.

King James Version, 1611

For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

16

As it is, you boast about your plans. All such boasting is evil.

Plain English

But now you celebrate in your boastings. All boasting like that is evil.

King James Version, 1611

But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

17

So anyone who knows the right thing to do and doesn't do it — that is sin for him.

Plain English

So to the one who knows to do good and doesn't do it, to him it's sin.

King James Version, 1611

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.