Parallel Bible results for "james 4"

James 4

KJV

MSG

1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
1 Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves.
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
2 You lust for what you don't have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn't yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
3 And why not? Because you know you'd be asking for what you have no right to. You're spoiled children, each wanting your own way.
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
4 You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way.
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
5 And do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that "he's a fiercely jealous lover."
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
6 And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you'll find. It's common knowledge that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble."
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
7 So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
8 Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
9 Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
10 Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet.
11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
11 Don't bad-mouth each other, friends. It's God's Word, his Message, his Royal Rule, that takes a beating in that kind of talk. You're supposed to be honoring the Message, not writing graffiti all over it.
12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
12 God is in charge of deciding human destiny. Who do you think you are to meddle in the destiny of others?
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
13 And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, "Today - at the latest, tomorrow - we're off to such and such a city for the year. We're going to start a business and make a lot of money."
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
14 You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing.
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
15 Instead, make it a habit to say, "If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that."
16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
16 As it is, you are full of your grandiose selves. All such vaunting self-importance is evil.
17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
17 In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don't do it, that, for you, is evil.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.