Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. New Living Translation You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. English Standard Version You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. Berean Standard Bible You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. Berean Literal Bible You desire and do not have. You kill and covet and are not able to obtain. You fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. King James Bible 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. New King James Version You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. New American Standard Bible You lust and do not have, so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. NASB 1995 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. NASB 1977 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. Legacy Standard Bible You lust and do not have, so you murder. You are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. Amplified Bible You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your lust goes unfulfilled; so you murder. You are envious and cannot obtain [the object of your envy]; so you fight and battle. You do not have because you do not ask [it of God]. Christian Standard Bible You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask. Holman Christian Standard Bible 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. American Standard Version Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not. Aramaic Bible in Plain English You 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. Contemporary English Version You want something you don't have, and you will do anything to get it. You will even kill! But you still cannot get what you want, and you won't get it by fighting and arguing. You should pray for it. Douay-Rheims Bible You covet, and have not: you kill, and envy, and can not obtain. You contend and war, and you have not, because you ask not. English Revised Version Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not. GOD'S WORD® Translation You want what you don't have, so you commit murder. You're determined to have things, but you can't get what you want. You quarrel and fight. You don't have the things you want, because you don't pray for them. Good News Translation You want things, but you cannot have them, so you are ready to kill; you strongly desire things, but you cannot get them, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it. International Standard Version You want something but do not get it, so you commit murder. You covet something but cannot obtain it, so you quarrel and fight. You do not get things because you do not ask for them! Literal Standard Version You desire, and do not have, [so] you murder; and you are zealous, and are not able to attain, [so] you fight and war; and you do not have, because of your not asking; Majority Standard Bible You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. New American Bible You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You do not possess because you do not ask. NET Bible You desire and you do not have; you murder and envy and you cannot obtain; you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask; New Revised Standard Version You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. New Heart English Bible You lust, and do not have. You kill, covet, and cannot obtain. You fight and make war. You do not have, because you do not ask. Webster's Bible Translation 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. Weymouth New Testament You covet things and yet cannot get them; you commit murder; you have passionate desires and yet cannot gain your end; you begin to fight and make war. You have not, because you do not pray; World English Bible You lust, and don’t have. You murder and covet, and can’t obtain. You fight and make war. You don’t have, because you don’t ask. Young's Literal Translation ye desire, and ye have not; ye murder, and are zealous, and are not able to attain; ye fight and war, and ye have not, because of your not asking; Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Warning against Pride1What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you? 2You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.… Cross References James 5:6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous, who did not resist you. 1 John 3:15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer. Treasury of Scripture You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not. lust. James 5:1-5 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you… Proverbs 1:19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof. Ecclesiastes 4:8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. kill. James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Isaiah 7:12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD. Matthew 7:7,8 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: … Jump to Previous Able Begin Burning Commit Covet Death Desire Desires End Envious Envy Fight Fighting Full Gain Kill Lust Making Murder Obtain Passionate Quarrel Request Want WarJump to Next Able Begin Burning Commit Covet Death Desire Desires End Envious Envy Fight Fighting Full Gain Kill Lust Making Murder Obtain Passionate Quarrel Request Want WarJames 4 1. We are to strive against covetousness;4. intemperance; 5. pride; 11. detraction and rash judgment of others; 13. and not to be boastful of our future plans. (2, 3) Ye lust, and have not . . .--Better thus: Ye desire, and have not; ye kill, and envy, and cannot obtain; ye fight and make war; ye have not, because ye ask not; ye ask and receive not, because ye ask that ye may spend it on your lusts. It is interesting to notice the sharp crisp sentences, recollecting at the same time that St. James himself fell a victim to the passions he thus assails, probably at the hands of a zealot mob. The marginal note to the second of the above paragraphs gives envy as an alternative reading for "kill": but this is an error. "Ye kill and play the zealot" would be still nearer the original: for, as with Jedburgh justice in the old Border wars, hanging preceded the trial, so with these factions in Jerusalem death went first, almost before the desire to deal it. Lust, envy, strife, and murder:--like the tale of human passion in all ages, the dreadful end draws on. It is written in every national epic; its elements abound in the life of each individual: the slaughter in Etzel's halls overshadows the first lines of the Nibelungen-lied; the curse of Medea hangs like a gathering cloud around Jason and his Argonauts. Is it objected (James 4:3) that prayer is made but not answered? The reply is obvious; Ye ask not in the true sense; when ye do ask ye receive not, because God is too loving, even in His anger. Nevertheless, remember, He gave the Israelites "their desire, and sent leanness withal into their soul" (Psalm 106:15). "I," said He by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 14:4), "will answer him that cometh to Me, according to his idols." What greater curse could fall than an eternity of avarice to the miser, of pollution to the sensual, of murder to the violent? Many a man of quiet Christian life will thank God by-and-by, when he knows even as he is known (1Corinthians 13:12), that not a few of his prayers were unanswered, or at least that they were not granted in the way which he had desired. Safety is only to be found in our Lord's own manner of petition, "Not my will, but Thine be done" (Luke 22:42). Alas! in shameful contrast to this we read of many an evil-hearted prayer offered up to the Lord our Righteousness; invocations of saints for help in unholy deeds; of angels, for acts rather befitting devils of the pit; and can hardly have the conscience to reproach the heathen for supplicating their gods in no worse a manner for no better cause. Greek You craveἐπιθυμεῖτε (epithymeite) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 1937: To long for, covet, lust after, set the heart upon. From epi and thumos; to set the heart upon, i.e. Long for. [what] καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. {you do} not οὐκ (ouk) Adverb Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not. have. ἔχετε (echete) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold. You kill φονεύετε (phoneuete) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 5407: To murder, kill. From phoneus; to be a murderer. and καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. covet, ζηλοῦτε (zēloute) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 2206: From zelos; to have warmth of feeling for or against. but καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. are unable δύνασθε (dynasthe) Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 1410: (a) I am powerful, have (the) power, (b) I am able, I can. Of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible. to obtain [it]. ἐπιτυχεῖν (epitychein) Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active Strong's 2013: To attain, obtain, acquire. From epi and tugchano; to chance upon, i.e. to attain. You quarrel μάχεσθε (machesthe) Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 3164: To engage in battle, fight; hence: To strive, contend, dispute. and καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. fight. πολεμεῖτε (polemeite) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 4170: To make war, contend, fight, battle. From polemos; to be in warfare, i.e. To battle: -fight, war. You do not have, ἔχετε (echete) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold. because διὰ (dia) Preposition Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through. you ὑμᾶς (hymas) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou. {do} not μὴ (mē) Adverb Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether. ask. αἰτεῖσθαι (aiteisthai) Verb - Present Infinitive Middle Strong's 154: To ask, request, petition, demand. Of uncertain derivation; to ask. Links James 4:2 NIVJames 4:2 NLT James 4:2 ESV James 4:2 NASB James 4:2 KJV James 4:2 BibleApps.com James 4:2 Biblia Paralela James 4:2 Chinese Bible James 4:2 French Bible James 4:2 Catholic Bible NT Letters: James 4:2 You lust and don't have (Ja Jas. Jam) |
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