James 4

Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 Ref Whence `are' wars and fightings among you? not thence -- out of your passions, that are as soldiers in your members?

2 Ref ye desire, and ye have not; ye murder, and are zealous, and are not able to attain; ye fight and war, and ye have not, because of your not asking;

3 Ref ye ask, and ye receive not, because evilly ye ask, that in your pleasures ye may spend `it'.

4 Ref Adulterers and adulteresses! have ye not known that friendship of the world is enmity with God? whoever, then, may counsel to be a friend of the world, an enemy of God he is set.

5 Ref Do ye think that emptily the Writing saith, `To envy earnestly desireth the spirit that did dwell in us,'

6 Ref and greater grace he doth give, wherefore he saith, `God against proud ones doth set Himself up, and to lowly ones He doth give grace?'

7 Ref be subject, then, to God; stand up against the devil, and he will flee from you;

8 Ref draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you; cleanse hands, ye sinners! and purify hearts, ye two-souled!

9 Ref be exceeding afflicted, and mourn, and weep, let your laughter to mourning be turned, and the joy to heaviness;

10 Ref be made low before the Lord, and He shall exalt you.

11 Ref Speak not one against another, brethren; he who is speaking against a brother, and is judging his brother, doth speak against law, and doth judge law, and if law thou dost judge, thou art not a doer of law but a judge;

12 Ref one is the lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy; thou -- who art thou that dost judge the other?

13 Ref Go, now, ye who are saying, `To-day and to-morrow we will go on to such a city, and will pass there one year, and traffic, and make gain;'

14 Ref who do not know the thing of the morrow; for what is your life? for it is a vapour that is appearing for a little, and then is vanishing;

15 Ref instead of your saying, `If the Lord may will, we shall live, and do this or that;'

16 Ref and now ye glory in your pride; all such glorying is evil;

17 Ref to him, then, knowing to do good, and not doing, sin it is to him.

World English Bible (WEB)

1 Ref Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your pleasures that war in your members?

2 Ref You lust, and don't have. You kill, covet, and can't obtain. You fight and make war. You don't have, because you don't ask.

3 Ref You ask, and don't receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures.

4 Ref You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you 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.

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

6 Ref But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

7 Ref Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

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

9 Ref Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom.

10 Ref Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.

11 Ref Don't speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 Ref Only one is the lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge another?

13 Ref Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow let's go into this city, and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit."

14 Ref Whereas you don't know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15 Ref For you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that."

16 Ref But now you glory in your boasting. All such boasting is evil.

17 Ref To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

American Standard-ASV1901 (ASV)

1 Ref Whence `come' wars and whence `come' fightings among you? `come they' not hence, `even' of your pleasures that war in your members?

2 Ref Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not.

3 Ref Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend `it' in your pleasures.

4 Ref Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God.

5 Ref Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying?

6 Ref But he giveth more grace. Wherefore `the scripture' saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.

7 Ref Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8 Ref Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.

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

10 Ref Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you.

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

12 Ref One `only' is the lawgiver and judge, `even' he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy neighbor?

13 Ref Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain:

14 Ref whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

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

16 Ref But now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil.

17 Ref To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Chapter 4 of 5

Begin Your Journey of Faith

We all start at different points in our walk with Christ. No matter where you are, we're here to support you as you grow in faith.

Accept Jesus Christ as Your Savior

If you haven’t made the decision to follow Jesus yet, we want to walk with you as you discover the new life He offers.

Read "A Truly Free Gift"

What Guides Our Walk With Christ

Discover the biblical truths and core beliefs that shape how we live, serve, and walk faithfully with Christ each day.

Explore Our Beliefs

Join a Community of Believers

Don’t walk through life alone. Find others to connect with, whether in person or online, and grow together in Christ.

Discover Where We Meet