James 4:1–17

¹From what source are there wars and from what source are there fights among ​YOU? Are they not from this source, namely, from ​YOUR​ cravings for sensual pleasure that carry on a conflict in ​YOUR​ members?²YOU​ desire, and yet ​YOU​ do not have. YOU​ go on murdering and coveting, and yet ​YOU​ are not able to obtain. YOU​ go on fighting and waging war. YOU​ do not have because of ​YOUR​ not asking.³YOU​ do ask, and yet ​YOU​ do not receive, because ​YOU​ are asking for a wrong purpose, that ​YOU​ may expend [it] upon ​YOUR​ cravings for sensual pleasure.

⁴Adulteresses, do ​YOU​ not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.⁵Or does it seem to ​YOU​ that the scripture says to no purpose: “It is with a tendency to envy that the spirit which has taken up residence within us keeps longing”?⁶However, the undeserved kindness which he gives is greater. Hence it says: “God opposes the haughty ones, but he gives undeserved kindness to the humble ones.”

⁷Subject yourselves, therefore, to God; but oppose the Devil, and he will flee from ​YOU.⁸Draw close to God, and he will draw close to ​YOU. Cleanse ​YOUR​ hands, ​YOU​ sinners, and purify ​YOUR​ hearts, ​YOU​ indecisive ones.⁹Give way to misery and mourn and weep. Let ​YOUR​ laughter be turned into mourning, and [YOUR] joy into dejection.¹⁰Humble yourselves in the eyes of Jehovah, and he will exalt ​YOU.

¹¹Quit speaking against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother speaks against law and judges law. Now if you judge law, you are, not a doer of law, but a judge.¹²One there is that is lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But you, who are you to be judging [your] neighbor?

¹³Come, now, ​YOU​ who say: “Today or tomorrow we will journey to this city and will spend a year there, and we will engage in business and make profits,”¹⁴whereas ​YOU​ do not know what ​YOUR​ life will be tomorrow. For ​YOU​ are a mist appearing for a little while and then disappearing.¹⁵Instead, ​YOU​ ought to say: “If Jehovah wills, we shall live and also do this or that.”¹⁶But now ​YOU​ take pride in ​YOUR​ self‐assuming brags. All such taking of pride is wicked.¹⁷Therefore, if one knows how to do what is right and yet does not do it, it is a sin for him.