Letter of James 4, 7-17

7 Submit yourselves[note a], then, to GOD. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Come near to GOD and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves before the LORD, and he will lift you up.
11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the Law and judges it. When you judge the Law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.
12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy. But you, who are you to judge your neighbour?
13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”
14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
15 
Instead, you ought to say, “If it is GOD’s will[note b], we will live and do this or that.”
16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.
17 
If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

 


Note:

[note a] Islam too is founded on the basis of this submission [to GOD] to which the first Judeo-Christians of the 1st century completely relied as the only door to the salvation of the Spirit. Islam (in Arabic إسلام) is a verbal noun that can be translated into total “submission” [of oneself to GOD] stems from the root aslama, causal conjunction of salima (“being or placing oneself in a state of security”), and is connected to salām (“peace”).
[note b] See Quran 18, 23-24.


Check the interlinear Greek – English translation


Comment:

Letter of James

The Letter of James (Ancient Greek: Ἰάκωβος, romanized: Iakōbos), the Epistle of James, or simply James, is one of the 21 epistles (didactic letters) in the New Testament.

Framing his letter within an overall theme of patient perseverance during trials and temptations, James writes to encourage his readers to live consistently with what they have learned in Christ. He wants his readers to mature in their faith in Christ by living what they say they believe. He condemns various sins, including pride, hypocrisy, favouritism, and slander. He encourages and implores believers to humbly live by godly, rather than worldly wisdom and to pray in all situations.

(V. 10) Those that draw nigh to GOD in a way of duty shall find the CREATOR drawing nigh to them in a way of mercy. Draw nigh to GOD in faith, and trust, and obedience, and the FATHER will draw nigh to you for your deliverance. If there be not a close communion between GOD and believers, it’s only due to the misconduct of men and women. He shall lift up the humble. Thus much the Messiah Jesus himself declared, he that shall humble himself shall be exalted, Mt. 23, 12. If believers are truly penitent and humble under the Signs of GOD’s disappointment, the benefits of the Divine grace will be revealed after a short time; GOD will lift up believers from agonies, or will lift up the Spirits and let them grow during the trials; Will lift up to protect the world, the CREATOR will lift up the hearts above the world. GOD will revive the Spirits of the humble (Is 57, 15), listen to the desire of the humble (Ps 10, 17), and live them to glory. Before honor there is humility, the highest honor in heaven will be the reward for the greatest humility on earth.

 

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