The General Epistle of James

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 4 -

From whence are wars and contentions among you? Are they not hence, from your concupiscences, which war in your members?

You covet, and have not: you kill, and envy, and can not obtain. You contend and war, and you have not, because you ask not.

You ask, and receive not; because you ask amiss: that you may consume it on your concupiscences.

Adulterers, know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God.

Or do you think that the scripture saith in vain: To envy doth the spirit covet which dwelleth in you?

But he giveth greater grace. Wherefore he saith: God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Drawing Near to God

Be subject therefore to God, but resist the devil, and he will fly from you.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners: and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into sorrow.

Be humbled in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Detract not one another, my brethren. He that detracteth his brother, or he that judgeth his brother, detracteth the law, and judgeth the law. But if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

There is one lawgiver, and judge, that is able to destroy and to deliver.

Do Not Boast about Tomorrow

(Proverbs 27:1)

But who art thou that judgest thy neighbour? Behold, now you that say: Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and there we will spend a year, and will traffic, and make our gain.

Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow.

For what is your life? It is a vapour which appeareth for a little while, and afterwards shall vanish away. For that you should say: If the Lord will, and if we shall live, we will do this or that.

But now you rejoice in your arrogancies. All such rejoicing is wicked.

To him therefore who knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is sin.

Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don’t they come from your pleasures that war in your members?

You lust, and don’t have. You murder and covet, and can’t obtain. You fight and make war. You don’t have, because you don’t ask.

You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously”?

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”(a)

Drawing Near to God

Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Don’t speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.

Only one is the lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge another?

Do Not Boast about Tomorrow

(Proverbs 27:1)

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow let’s go into this city and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit.”

Yet you don’t know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

For you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that.”

But now you glory in your boasting. All such boasting is evil.

To him therefore who knows to do good and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin.

Footnotes

(a)4:6 ℘ Proverbs 3:34