Sign in for free

James 4

English Standard Version



1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions[1] are at war within you?[2] (Ro 7:23; 1Pe 2:11) 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (1Jo 5:14) 4 You adulterous people![3] Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (Isa 54:5; Jer 2:2; Mt 6:24; Joh 15:19; 1Jo 2:15) 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? (1Co 6:19; 2Co 6:16) 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (Pr 3:34; Isa 54:7; Mt 13:12; 1Pe 5:5) 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (Eph 4:27; Eph 6:11; 1Pe 5:8) 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (2Ch 15:2; Isa 1:16; Jer 4:14; La 3:57; Zec 1:3; Mal 3:7; Lu 15:20; Jas 1:8) 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. (Mt 5:4) 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (Isa 57:15; Mt 23:12; Lu 1:52; Jas 4:6) 11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.[4] The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. (Mt 7:1; 2Co 12:20; Jas 5:9; 1Pe 2:1) 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? (Isa 33:22; Mt 10:28; Ro 14:4; Jas 5:9) 



13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— (Pr 27:1; Lu 12:18) 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. (Job 7:7; Ps 102:3) 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” (Ac 18:21) 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. (1Co 5:6) 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (Lu 12:47; Joh 9:41; 2Pe 2:21) 

The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

James 4

New International Version



1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people,[1] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. (Ho 3:1) 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[2]? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.’ (Pr 3:34) 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. 11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[3] or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you – who are you to judge your neighbour? 



13 Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’ 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. 

Holy Bible, New International Version ® (Anglicised), NIV TM
Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The “New International Version” is a trademark registered in the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. The “NIV”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission.