1 Where do wars and fightings come from among you? Do they not come from your lusts that war in your members?2 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.3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your lusts.4 Adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore purposes to be a friend of the world is shown to be opposing God.5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, The Spirit who dwells in us yearns to envy?6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.7 Therefore submit to God. 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.9 Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to shame.10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will exalt you.11 Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against the Law and judges the Law. But if you judge the Law, you are not a doer of the Law, but a judge.12 There is one Lawgiver, who has the power to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?13 Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to this city, spend a year there, do business, and make a profit;14 whereas you do not know what will be tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.15 Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.16 But now you boast in your presumptions. All such boasting is evil.17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

1 Wherof ben batelis and cheestis among you? Whether not of youre coueitisis, that fiyten in youre membris?2 Ye coueiten, and ye han not; ye sleen, and ye han enuye, and ye moun not gete. Ye chiden, and maken batel; and ye han not, for ye axen not.3 Ye axen, and ye resseyuen not; for that ye axen yuele, as ye schewen opynli in youre coueitisis.4 Auowtreris, witen not ye, that the frenschip of this world is enemye to God? Therfor who euere wole be frend of this world, is maad the enemye of God.5 Whether ye gessen, that the scripture seith veynli, The spirit that dwellith in you, coueitith to enuye?6 But he yyueth the more grace; for which thing he seith, God withstondith proude men, but to meke men he yyueth grace.7 Therfor be ye suget to God; but withstonde ye the deuel, and he schal fle fro you.8 Neiye ye to God, and he schal neiye to you. Ye synneris, clense ye hondis, and ye double in soule, purge ye the hertis.9 Be ye wretchis, and weile ye; youre leiyyng be turned in to weping, and ioye in to sorewe of herte.10 Be ye mekid in the siyt of the Lord, and he schal enhaunse you.11 My britheren, nyle ye bacbite ech othere. He that bacbitith his brothir, ethir that demeth his brothir, bacbitith the lawe, and demeth the lawe. And if thou demest the lawe, thou art not a doere of the lawe, but a domesman.12 But oon is makere of the lawe, and iuge, that may lese, and delyuere.13 And who art thou, that demest thi neiybore? Lo! now ye, that seien, To dai ethir to morewe we schulen go in to thilke citee, and there we schulen dwelle a yeer, and we schulen make marchaundise, and we schulen make wynning;14 whiche witen not, what is to you in the morewe.15 For what is youre lijf? A smoke apperinge at a litil, and aftirward it schal be wastid. Therfor that ye seie, If the Lord wole, and if we liuen, we schulen do this thing, ether that thing.16 And now ye maken ful out ioye in youre pridis; euery siche ioye is wickyd.17 Therfor it is synne to hym, that kan do good, and doith not.