1Whence come wars and whence come fightings among you ? come they not hence , even of your pleasures that war in your members ? 2Ye lust , and have not : ye kill , and covet , and cannot obtain : ye fight and war ; ye have not , because ye ask not . 3Ye ask, and receive not , because ye ask amiss , that ye may spend it in your pleasures .
Friendship with the World
4Ye 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 . 5Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain ? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying ? 6But he giveth more grace . Wherefore the scripture saith , God resisteth the proud , but giveth grace to the humble .
Humility and Grace
7Be subject therefore unto God ; but resist the devil , and he will flee from you . 8Draw nigh to God , and he will draw nigh to you . Cleanse your hands , ye sinners; and purify your hearts , ye doubleminded. 9Be afflicted , and mourn , and weep : let your laughter be turned to mourning , and your joy to heaviness . 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord , and he shall exalt you .
Judging Others
11Speak 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 . 12One only is the lawgiver and judge , even he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy neighbor ? 13Come 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 : 14whereas 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. 15For that ye ought to say , If the Lord will , we shall both live , and do this or that . 16But now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil . 17To him therefore that knoweth to do good , and doeth it not , to him it is sin.