Two Kinds of Wisdom

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it(A) by their good life, by deeds(B) done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition(C) in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.(D) 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven(E) but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.(F) 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition,(G) there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven(H) is first of all pure; then peace-loving,(I) considerate, submissive, full of mercy(J) and good fruit, impartial and sincere.(K) 18 Peacemakers(L) who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.(M)

Submit Yourselves to God

What causes fights and quarrels(N) among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle(O) within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill.(P) You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive,(Q) because you ask with wrong motives,(R) that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

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.

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Heavenly Versus Demonic Wisdom

13 (A)Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have (B)bitter envy and [a]self-seeking in your hearts, (C)do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 (D)This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For (E)where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But (F)the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, (G)without partiality (H)and without hypocrisy. 18 (I)Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Pride Promotes Strife

Where do [b]wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure (J)that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and [c]war. [d]Yet you do not have because you do not ask. (K)You ask and do not receive, (L)because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Footnotes

  1. James 3:14 selfish ambition
  2. James 4:1 battles
  3. James 4:2 battle
  4. James 4:2 NU, M omit Yet

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,(A) and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.(B) Wash your hands,(C) you sinners, and purify your hearts,(D) you double-minded.(E)

Read full chapter

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Read full chapter

Humility Cures Worldliness

Therefore submit to God. (A)Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (B)Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (C)Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and (D)purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Read full chapter

Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time(A)

30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man(B) is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him,(C) and after three days(D) he will rise.”(E) 32 But they did not understand what he meant(F) and were afraid to ask him about it.

33 They came to Capernaum.(G) When he was in the house,(H) he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.(I)

35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”(J)

36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms,(K) he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”(L)

Read full chapter

30 And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.

31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?

34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

36 And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,

37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

Read full chapter

Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection

30 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. 31 (A)For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will (B)kill Him. And after He is killed, He will (C)rise the third day.” 32 But they (D)did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Who Is the Greatest?(E)

33 (F)Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you [a]disputed among yourselves on the road?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had (G)disputed among themselves who would be the (H)greatest. 35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, (I)“If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then (J)He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and (K)whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Mark 9:33 discussed