1 No kurienes kari, no kurienes cīņas jūsu starpā? Vai ne no turienes, no kārībām, kas cīnās jūsu locekļos? 2 Jūs iekārojat, un jums nav; jūs slepkavojat un skaužat un nevarat iegūt; jūs cīnāties un karojat. Jums nav, tāpēc ka jūs nelūdzat Dievu. 3 Jūs lūdzat un nedabūjat, tāpēc ka ar ļaunām sirdīm lūdzat, lai to šķiestu savās kārībās. 4 Laulības pārkāpēju cilts, vai jūs nezināt, ka šīs pasaules draudzība ir Dieva ienaidība? Kas nu gribētu būt pasaules draugs, tas nostājas par Dieva ienaidnieku. 5 Jeb vai jums šķiet, ka raksti velti saka: uz skaudību nesas tas gars, kas mūsos mājo. - 6 Toties Viņš dod lielāku žēlastību; tādēļ raksti saka: Dievs stājas pretim lepniem, bet pazemīgiem dod žēlastību. - 7 Tad nu padodieties Dievam, stājieties pretim velnam, un viņš bēgs no jums; 8 tuvojieties Dievam, tad Viņš tuvosies jums. Šķīstījiet rokas, grēcinieki, un skaidrojiet, šaubīgie, sirdis! 9 Esiet nelaimīgi un vaimanājiet un raudiet, jūsu smiekli lai top pārvērsti vaidos un jūsu prieks skumjās. 10 Zemojieties Tā Kunga priekšā, tad Viņš jūs paaugstinās. 11 Neaprunājiet, brāļi, cits citu; kas savu brāli aprunā vai brāli tiesā, aprunā likumu un tiesā likumu; bet, ja tu likumu tiesā, tad tu neesi likuma darītājs, bet soģis. 12 Viens ir likuma devējs un soģis, kas var glābt un pazudināt; bet kas tu tāds esi, tu kas tiesā savu tuvāku? 13 Nu tad jūs, kas sakāt: šodien vai rītu mēs dosimies uz to un to pilsētu un pavadīsim tur gadu un tirgosimies un gūsim peļņu, - 14 jūs taču nezināt, kāda jūsu dzīve ir rītu; jo tā ir tvaiks, kas uz īsu brīdi ir redzams un tad izgaist, 15 kur jums būtu jāsaka: ja Tas Kungs tā gribēs, mēs dzīvosim un darīsim to un to. - 16 Bet tagad jūs lielāties savā augstprātībā; katra tāda lielība ir ļauna. 17 Tad nu kas zina labu darīt un to nedara, tam tas ir par grēku.
Friendship with the World
1 Where do all the fights and quarrels among you come from? They come from your desires for pleasure, which are constantly fighting within you. 2 You want things, but you cannot have them, so you are ready to kill; you strongly desire things, but you cannot get them, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it. 3 And when you ask, you do not receive it, because your motives are bad; you ask for things to use for your own pleasures. 4 Unfaithful people! Don't you know that to be the world's friend means to be God's enemy? If you want to be the world's friend, you make yourself God's enemy. 5 Don't think that there is no truth in the scripture that says, “The spirit that God placed in us is filled with fierce desires.” 6 But the grace that God gives is even stronger. As the scripture says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
7 So then, submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will run away from you. 8 Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners! Purify your hearts, you hypocrites! 9 Be sorrowful, cry, and weep; change your laughter into crying, your joy into gloom! 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Warning against Judging One Another
11 Do not criticize one another, my friends. If you criticize or judge another Christian, you criticize and judge the Law. If you judge the Law, then you are no longer one who obeys the Law, but one who judges it. 12 God is the only lawgiver and judge. He alone can save and destroy. Who do you think you are, to judge someone else?
Warning against Boasting
13 Now listen to me, you that say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to a certain city, where we will stay a year and go into business and make a lot of money.” 14 You don't even know what your life tomorrow will be! You are like a puff of smoke, which appears for a moment and then disappears. 15 What you should say is this: “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.” 16 But now you are proud, and you boast; all such boasting is wrong.
17 So then, if we do not do the good we know we should do, we are guilty of sin.
