1 ¶ Where do the wars and disputes come from among you? From here that is to say, of your lusts which fight in your members?

What starts wars and fights among you? Is it not because you want many things and are fighting to have them?

2 Y e covet and have not; ye murder, and have envy and cannot obtain; ye fight and war and have not that which ye desire because ye ask not.

You want something you do not have, so you kill. You want something but cannot get it, so you fight for it. You do not get things because you do not ask for them.

3 Y e ask and receive not because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your pleasures.

Or if you do ask, you do not receive because your reasons for asking are wrong. You want these things only to please yourselves.

4 Y e adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore that desires to be a friend of the world, makes himself the enemy of God.

You are as wives and husbands who are not faithful in marriage and do sex sins. Do you not know that to love the sinful things of the world and to be a friend to them is to be against God? Yes, I say it again, if you are a friend of the world, you are against God.

5 D o ye think that the scripture says in vain, The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy?

Do you think the Holy Writings mean nothing when they said, “The Holy Spirit Whom God has given to live in us has a strong desire for us to be faithful to Him”?

6 B ut he gives greater grace. Therefore he says, God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble.

But He gives us more loving-favor. For the Holy Writings say, “God works against the proud but gives loving-favor to those who have no pride.”

7 S ubmit yourselves, therefore, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

So give yourselves to God. Stand against the devil and he will run away from you.

8 D raw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Come close to God and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners. Clean up your hearts, you who want to follow the sinful ways of the world and God at the same time.

9 B e afflicted and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness.

Be sorry for your sins and cry because of them. Be sad and do not laugh. Let your joy be turned to sorrow.

10 H umble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Let yourself be brought low before the Lord. Then He will lift you up and help you. Do Not Talk Against Each Other

11 ¶ Murmur not against one another, brethren. He that speaks evil of his brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law; but if thou judge the law, thou art not a keeper of the law, but a judge.

Christian brothers, do not talk against anyone or speak bad things about each other. If a person says bad things about his brother, he is speaking against him. And he will be speaking against God’s Law. If you say the Law is wrong, and do not obey it, you are saying you are better than the Law.

12 T here is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou to judge another?

Only God can say what is right or wrong. He made the Law. He can save or put to death. How can we say if our brother is right or wrong?

13 C ome now, ye that say, Today and tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain;

Listen! You who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this city and stay a year and make money.”

14 a nd ye do not know what shall be tomorrow. For what is your life? Certainly it is a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

You do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? It is like fog. You see it and soon it is gone.

15 Y e ought to say instead, If the Lord wills, and if we live, we shall do this or that.

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

16 B ut now ye boast in your arrogance; all such glory is evil.

But instead you are proud. You talk loud and big about yourselves. All such pride is sin.

17 T herefore sin is still in the one that knows to do good and does not do it.

If you know what is right to do but you do not do it, you sin.