James 3:13–4:6

Wisdom from Above

¹³Who among you is wise and understanding? ^aLet him show by his ^bgood behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.

¹⁴But if you have bitter ^ajealousy and ¹selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against ^bthe truth.

¹⁵This wisdom is not that which comes down ^afrom above, but is ^bearthly, ^1cnatural, ^ddemonic.

¹⁶For where ^ajealousy and ¹selfish ambition exist, ²there is disorder and every evil thing.

¹⁷But the wisdom ^afrom above is first ^bpure, then ^cpeaceable, ^dgentle, ¹reasonable, ^efull of mercy and good fruits, ^funwavering, without ^ghypocrisy.

¹⁸And the ^1aseed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace ²by those who make peace.

Chapter 4

Things to Avoid

¹¹What is the source of quarrels and ^aconflicts among you? ²Is not the source your pleasures that wage ^bwar in your members?

²You lust and do not have; so you ^acommit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.

³You ask and ^ado not receive, because you ask ¹with wrong motives, so that you may spend it ²on your pleasures.

⁴You ^aadulteresses, do you not know that friendship with ^bthe world is ^chostility toward God? ^dTherefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

⁵Or do you think that the Scripture ^aspeaks to no purpose: “¹He ²jealously desires ^bthe Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”?

⁶But ^aHe gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “^bGod is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”