Study Desk

What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don't they come from the cravings^(a) that are at war within you?^[a]

You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You do not have because you do not ask.

You ask and don't receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires.^(b)

Adulteresses!^[b][c] Don't you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world's friend becomes God's enemy.^(c)

Or do you think it's without reason the Scripture says that the Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously?^[d](d)

But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. ^(e)[e]

Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.^(f)

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people!^(g)

Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow.^(h)

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

Don't criticize one another, brothers. He who criticizes a brother or judges his brother criticizes the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.⁽ⁱ⁾

There is one lawgiver and judge^[f] who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?^(j)

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit."^(k)

You don't even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes.^(l)

Instead, you should say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."

But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.^(m)

So it is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn't do it.⁽ⁿ⁾

Come now, you rich^(a) people! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you.

Your wealth is ruined and your clothes are moth-eaten.^(b)

Your silver and gold are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You stored up treasure in the last days!^(c)

Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers^(d) who reaped your fields cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.^[a](e)

You have lived luxuriously on the land and have indulged yourselves. You have fattened your hearts^(f) for^[b] the day of slaughter.^(g)

You have condemned—you have murdered—the righteous man; he does not resist you.^(h)

Therefore, brothers, be patient until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.⁽ⁱ⁾

You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord's coming is near.^(j)

Brothers, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!^(k)

Brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord's name as an example of suffering and patience.

See, we count as blessed those who have endured.^[c] You have heard of Job's endurance^(l) and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is very compassionate and merciful.^(m)

Now above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath.⁽ⁿ⁾ Your "yes" must be "yes," and your "no" must be "no," so that you won't fall under judgment.^[d]

Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.^(o)

Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over him after anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord.^(p)

The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will restore him to health; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.^(q)

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.^(r)

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours; yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land.^(s)

Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.^(t)

My brothers, if any among you strays from the truth,^(u) and someone turns him back,^(v)

let him know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his life from death and cover a multitude of sins.^(w)