American Standard Version ASV
New International Version NIV
1 Whence [come] wars and whence [come] fightings among you? [come they] not hence, [even] of your pleasures that war in your members?
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What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not.
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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 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend [it] in your pleasures.
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When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4 Ye 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.
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You adulterous people, 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.
5 Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying?
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Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us ?
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore [the scripture] saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.
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But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
7 Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
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Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.
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Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
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Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you.
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Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
11 Speak 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.
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Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister 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 One [only] is the lawgiver and judge, [even] he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy neighbor?
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There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
13 Come 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:
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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 whereas 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.
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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 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that.
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Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
16 But now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil.
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As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.
17 To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
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If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.