James 4

Things to Avoid

11What is the source of quarrels and 2conflicts among you? 3Is not the source your pleasures that wage 4war in your members? 2You lust and do not have; so you 5commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3You ask and 6do not receive, because you ask 7with wrong motives, so that you may spend it 8on your pleasures. 4You 9adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with 10the world is 11hostility toward God? 12Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5Or do you think that the Scripture 13speaks to no purpose: “14He 15jealously desires 16the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? 6But 17He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “18God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 719Submit therefore to God. 20Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 821Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. 22Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and 23purify your hearts, you 24double-minded. 925Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 1026Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

1127Do not speak against one another, 28brethren. He who speaks against a brother or 29judges his brother, speaks against 30the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not 31a doer of the law but a judge of it. 12There is only one 32Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is 33able to save and to destroy; but 34who are you who judge your neighbor?

1335Come now, you who say, “36Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 1437Yet you do not know 38what your life will be like tomorrow. 39You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 1540Instead, you ought to say, “41If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” 16But as it is, you boast in your 42arrogance; 43all such boasting is evil. 17Therefore, 44to one who knows the 45right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.