1 Whence come wars and contentions among you? Come they not thence, from your pleasures that war in your members?
2 You desire and have not; you kill, and envy, and cannot obtain; you fight and carry on war. You have not, because you do not ask;
3 you ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, to expend on your pleasures.
4 Adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity against God? Whoever therefore wishes to be a friend of the world, is made an enemy of God.
5 Or do you suppose that the Scripture says in vain, The spirit which dwells in us desires to envy?
6 But he gives more grace; wherefore he says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
7 Be subject therefore 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, sinners, purify your hearts, double-minded.
9 Lament, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into sorrow.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.
11 Speak not one against one another, brothers. He that speaks against a brother or 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.
12 There is one law-giver and judge, who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you that judge a neighbor?