1From where is war and contention among you? Is it not from the lusts which war in your members? 2You lust and you do not possess; you murder and envy and you have no power. You fight and you do battle and you have not because you ask not. 3You ask and you do not receive, because you ask wickedly so that your lusts may be fed. 4Adulterers! Do you not know that the love of this world is hatred toward God? Therefore whoever chooses to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God. 5And perhaps you think the Scripture says in vain, “The spirit that dwells within us lusts with jealousy.” 6But our Lord gives us more grace; therefore, he said, “God humbles the proud and he gives grace to the humble.”

7Submit therefore to God and stand against Satan, and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Purify your hands, you sinners; sanctify your hearts, doubting souls. 9Be humble and make lamentation and let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to grief. 10Be humble before THE LORD JEHOVAH, and he will exalt you.

11Do not speak against each other, my brethren, for he who speaks against his brother or judges his brother speaks against The Written Law, and judges The Written Law; if you judge The Written Law, you are not a doer of the law, but its judge. 12One is he who lays down The Written Law and judgment, who is able to give life and to destroy. Who are you who are judging your neighbor?

13But what shall we say about those who say: “Today or tomorrow we shall go to a city, where we shall also work one year; there we shall earn wages and make profits?” 14And they do not know what tomorrow is. What are our lives except a vapor that appears for a little while and vanishes and passes away? 15Therefore, they should say, “If THE LORD JEHOVAH pleases, and we live, we shall do this or that.” 16They boast in their pride. All such boasting is evil. 17Whoever knows the good and does not do it, to him it is sin.