Passage

James 4.6

Book: James · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"4. Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God. 5. Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying?"

"6. But he giveth more grace. Wherefore the scripture saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble."

"7. Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded." (James 4:4-8, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"4. You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously”?"

"6. But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”"

"7. Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (James 4:4-8, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"4. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? ^{to envy: or, enviously?} ^{to envy: or, enviously}"

"6. But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."

"7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." (James 4:4-8, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"4. Adulterers and adulteresses! have ye not known that friendship of the world is enmity with God? whoever, then, may counsel to be a friend of the world, an enemy of God he is set. 5. Do ye think that emptily the Writing saith, 'To envy earnestly desireth the spirit that did dwell in us,'"

"6. and greater grace he doth give, wherefore he saith, 'God against proud ones doth set Himself up, and to lowly ones He doth give grace?'"

"7. be subject, then, to God; stand up against the devil, and he will flee from you; 8. draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you; cleanse hands, ye sinners! and purify hearts, ye two-souled!" (James 4:4-8, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: James the Just (the brother of Jesus, head of Jerusalem church)
Audience: Jewish Christians in the dispersion
Location: Jerusalem (composition)
Time period: composed c. AD 45-49 (likely the earliest NT book)

Theological reading

Key words

G2316 - theos, theos (Strong's G2316). Also appears in: Matthew 1.23, Matthew 3.16, Matthew 5.9.
G5485 - charis, charis (Strong's G5485). Also appears in: Luke 1.29-38, Luke 2.40, Luke 2.52.

Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.