CHAPTER 4
1 Whereof be battles and chidings among you? Whether not (out) of your covetings, that fight in your members? (Where do battles and arguments among you come from? Whether not from your lusts and your envies, that fight among your members?)
2 Ye covet, and ye have not; ye slay, and ye have envy, and ye may not get (or and ye cannot get). Ye chide, and make battle; and ye have not, for that ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and ye receive not; for that ye ask (with) evil (intent), as ye show openly in your covetings.
4 Adulterers, know not ye, that the friendship of this world is enemy to God? [+or that the friendship of this world is enmity to God?](or that friendship with this world, or love of or for this world, is enmity to God?) Therefore whoever will be the friend of this world, is made the enemy of God.
5 Whether ye guess, that the scripture saith vainly, (or Do ye think, that the Scripture saith emptily, or for no purpose), The spirit that dwelleth in you, coveteth to envy?
6 But he giveth the more grace; for which thing he saith, God withstandeth proud men, but to meek men he giveth grace, (or God opposeth the proud, but he giveth grace to the humble).
7 Therefore be ye subject to God; but withstand ye the devil, and he shall flee from you.
8 Nigh ye to God, and he shall nigh to you. Ye sinners, cleanse ye the hands, and ye double in soul [or and ye double of will], purge ye the hearts. (Come near to God, and he shall come near to you. Ye sinners, cleanse your hands, and ye of two minds, purge your hearts.)
9 Be ye wretches, and wail ye [or and weep ye]; your laughing be turned into weeping, and [your] joy into (the) sorrow of heart.
10 Be ye meeked in the sight of the Lord, and he shall enhance you. (Be ye humble before the Lord, and he shall raise you up.)
11 My brethren, do not ye backbite each other. He that backbiteth his brother, either that deemeth his brother, backbiteth the law, and deemeth the law. And if thou deemest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a doomsman. (My brothers, do not slander each other. He who slandereth his brother, or who judgeth his brother, slandereth the Law, and judgeth the Law. And if thou judgest the Law, thou art not a doer of the Law, but a judge.)
12 But one is maker of the law, and judge, that may lose and deliver. And who art thou, that deemest thy neighbour? (But there is One who is the Maker of the Law, and the Judge, who can destroy and save. And so who art thou, who judgest thy neighbour?)
13 Lo! now ye, that say, Today either tomorrow we shall go into that city, and there we shall dwell a year, and we shall make merchandise, and we shall make winning(s), (or and we shall have great success, and make great profits);
14 which know not, what is to you in the morrow. For what is your life? A smoke [or A vapour] appearing at a little time, and afterward it shall be wasted.
15 Therefore that ye say, If the Lord will, and if we live, we shall do this thing, either that thing. (And so ye should say, If the Lord desireth it, and if we live, we shall do this, or that.)
16 And now ye make full out joy in your prides; every such joying is wicked.
17 Therefore it is sin to him, that knoweth to do good, and doeth not.