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Sabato, 27 aprile 2024 - Santa Zita ( Letture di oggi)

James 4


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NEW JERUSALEMDOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Is it not precisely in the desiresfighting inside your own selves?1 From whence are wars and contentions among you? Are they not hence, from your concupiscences, which war in your members?
2 You want something and you lack it; so you kil . You have an ambition that you cannot satisfy; so youfight to get your way by force. It is because you do not pray that you do not receive;2 You covet, and have not: you kill, and envy, and can not obtain. You contend and war, and you have not, because you ask not.
3 when you do pray and do not receive, it is because you prayed wrongly, wanting to indulge yourpassions.3 You ask, and receive not; because you ask amiss: that you may consume it on your concupiscences.
4 Adulterers! Do you not realise that love for the world is hatred for God? Anyone who chooses the worldfor a friend is constituted an enemy of God.4 Adulterers, know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God.
5 Can you not see the point of the saying in scripture, 'The longing of the spirit he sent to dwel in us is ajealous longing.'?5 Or do you think that the scripture saith in vain: To envy doth the spirit covet which dwelleth in you?
6 But he has given us an even greater grace, as scripture says: God opposes the proud but he accordshis favour to the humble.6 But he giveth greater grace. Wherefore he saith: God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
7 Give in to God, then; resist the devil, and he wil run away from you.7 Be subject therefore to God, but resist the devil, and he will fly from you.
8 The nearer you go to God, the nearer God wil come to you. Clean your hands, you sinners, and clearyour minds, you waverers.8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners: and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Appreciate your wretchedness, and weep for it in misery. Your laughter must be turned to grief, yourhappiness to gloom.9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into sorrow.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord and he wil lift you up.10 Be humbled in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.
11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who slanders a brother, or condemns one, is speakingagainst the Law and condemning the Law. But if you condemn the Law, you have ceased to be subject to it andbecome a judge over it.11 Detract not one another, my brethren. He that detracteth his brother, or he that judgeth his brother, detracteth the law, and judgeth the law. But if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12 There is only one lawgiver and he is the only judge and has the power to save or to destroy. Who areyou to give a verdict on your neighbour?12 There is one lawgiver, and judge, that is able to destroy and to deliver.
13 Wel now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow, we are off to this or that town; we are going to spend ayear there, trading, and make some money.'13 But who art thou that judgest thy neighbour? Behold, now you that say: To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and there we will spend a year, and will traffic, and make our gain.
14 You never know what wil happen tomorrow: you are no more than a mist that appears for a little whileand then disappears.14 Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow.
15 Instead of this, you should say, 'If it is the Lord's wil , we shal stil be alive to do this or that.'15 For what is your life? It is a vapour which appeareth for a little while, and afterwards shall vanish away. For that you should say: If the Lord will, and if we shall live, we will do this or that.
16 But as it is, how boastful and loud -- mouthed you are! Boasting of this kind is always wrong.16 But now you rejoice in your arrogancies. All such rejoicing is wicked.
17 Everyone who knows what is the right thing to do and does not do it commits a sin.17 To him therefore who knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is sin.