James 4 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Draw Near to God

1 [fn]What ^G4159 is the source ^G4159 of quarrels ^G4171 and conflicts ^G3163 among ^G1722 you? [fn]Is not the source ^G1782 your pleasures ^G2237 that wage ^G4754 war ^G4754 in your members ^G3196?

2 You lust ^G1937 and do not have ^G2192, so you murder ^G5407. You are ^G2206 envious ^G2206 and cannot ^G1410 G3756 obtain ^G2013, so you fight ^G3164 and quarrel ^G4170. You do not have ^G2192 because ^G1223 you do not ask ^G154. 3 You ask ^G154 and do not receive ^G2983, because ^G1360 you ask ^G154 [fn]with wrong ^G2560 motives ^G2560, so ^G2443 that you may spend ^G1159 it [fn]on your pleasures ^G2237. 4 You adulteresses ^G3428, do you not know ^G6063 that friendship ^G5373 with the world ^G2889 is enmity ^G2189 toward God ^G2316? Therefore ^G3767, whoever ^G3739 G1437 wishes ^G1014 to be a friend ^G5384 of the world ^G2889 sets ^G2525 himself as an enemy ^G2190 of God ^G2316. 5 Or ^G2228 do you think ^G1380 that the Scripture ^G1124 speaks ^G3004 to ^G2761 no ^G2761 purpose ^G2761: “[fn]He [fn]jealously ^G5355 desires ^G1971 the Spirit ^G4151 which ^G3739 He has made ^G6052 to ^G6052 dwell ^G6052 in us”? 6 But He gives ^G1325 a greater ^G3173 grace ^G5485. Therefore ^G1352 it says ^G3004, “GOD ^G2316 IS OPPOSED ^G498 TO THE PROUD ^G5244, BUT GIVES ^G1325 GRACE ^G5485 TO THE HUMBLE ^G5011.” 7 Be subject ^G5293 therefore ^G3767 to God ^G2316. Resist ^G436 the devil ^G1228 and he will flee ^G5343 from you. 8 Draw ^G1448 near ^G1448 to God ^G2316 and He will draw ^G1448 near ^G1448 to you. Cleanse ^G2511 your hands ^G5495, you sinners ^G268, and purify ^G48 your hearts ^G2588, you double-minded ^G1374. 9 Be miserable ^G5003 and mourn ^G3996 and cry ^G2799. Let your laughter ^G1071 be turned ^G6060 into mourning ^G3997 and your joy ^G5479 to gloom ^G2726. 10 Humble ^G5013 yourselves in ^G1799 the ^G1799 presence ^G1799 of ^G1799 the Lord ^G2962, and He will exalt ^G5312 you.

11 Do not slander ^G2635 one ^G240 another ^G240, brothers ^G80. He who slanders a brother ^G80 or ^G2228 judges ^G2919 his brother ^G80, slanders ^G2635 the law ^G3551 and judges ^G2919 the law ^G3551; but if ^G1487 you judge ^G2919 the law ^G3551, you are not a doer ^G4163 of the law ^G3551 but a judge ^G2923 of it. 12 There is only one ^G1520 Lawgiver ^G3550 and Judge ^G2923, the One who is able ^G1410 to save ^G4982 and to destroy ^G622. But who ^G5101 are you who judge ^G2919 your neighbor ^G4139?

Life Is a Vapor

13 Come ^G33 now ^G3568, you who say ^G3004, “Today ^G4594 or ^G2228 tomorrow ^G839 we will go ^G4198 to such ^G3592 and such ^G3592 a city ^G4172, and spend ^G4160 a year ^G1763 there ^G1563 and engage ^G1710 in ^G1710 business ^G1710 and make ^G2770 a ^G2770 profit ^G2770.”

14 [fn]Yet ^G3748 you do not know ^G1987 [fn]what ^G4169 your life ^G2222 will be like tomorrow ^G839. You are a vapor ^G822 that appears ^G5316 for a little ^G3641 while ^G3641 and then ^G1899 vanishes ^G853 away ^G853. 15 [fn]Instead ^G473, you ought to say ^G3004, “If ^G1437 the Lord ^G2962 wills ^G2309, we will live ^G2198 and also ^G2532 do ^G4160 this ^G3778 or ^G2228 that.” 16 But as it is, you boast ^G2744 in your [fn]arrogance ^G212. All ^G3956 such ^G5108 boasting ^G2746 is evil ^G4190. 17 Therefore ^G3767, to one who knows ^G6063 to do ^G4160 the [fn]right ^G2570 thing ^G2570 and does ^G4160 not do ^G4160 it, to him it is sin ^G266.