Adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that in vain the scripture says, “The spirit which he caused to dwell in us desires jealously”?[a] But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says,

“God opposes the proud,
    but gives grace to the humble.”[b]

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Footnotes

  1. James 4:5 This translation takes “spirit” to be the capacity within people that produces a divided mind and conflicts regarding God; other translations take this to refer to the Holy Spirit: “He (God) jealously desires the Spirit which he caused to dwell in us”
  2. James 4:6 A quotation from Prov 3:34

You adulterous(A) people,[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world(B) means enmity against God?(C) Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.(D) Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[b]?(E) But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”[c](F)

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Footnotes

  1. James 4:4 An allusion to covenant unfaithfulness; see Hosea 3:1.
  2. James 4:5 Or that the spirit he caused to dwell in us envies intensely; or that the Spirit he caused to dwell in us longs jealously
  3. James 4:6 Prov. 3:34