1 מֵאַיִן הַמִּלְחָמוֹת וְהַמְּדָנִים אֲשֶׁר בֵּינֵיכֶם הֲלֹא מִתּוֹךְ הַתַּאֲוֺת הַמִּתְגָּרוֹת בְּאֵבָרֵיכֶם | 1 Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Is it not precisely in the desiresfighting inside your own selves? |
2 אַתֶּם מִתְאַוִּים וְאֵין לָכֶם תְּרַצְּחוּ וּתְקַנְאוּ וְהַשֵּׂג לֹא תַשִּׂיגוּ תָּרִיבוּ וְתִלָּחֲמוּ וְאֵין לָכֶם יַעַן אֲשֶׁר לֹא־הִתְפַּלַּלְתֶּם | 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; |
3 הֵן אַתֶּם מְבַקְשִׁים וְאֵינְכֶם מְקַבְּלִים עַל־אֲשֶׁר תִּתְפַּלְלוּ בְרָעָה לְמַעַן תְּבַלּוּ בְּתַאֲוֺתֵיכֶם | 3 when you do pray and do not receive, it is because you prayed wrongly, wanting to indulge yourpassions. |
4 הַנֹּאֲפִים וְהַמְנָאֲפוֹת הֲלֹא יְדַעְתֶּם כִּי־אַהֲבַת הָעוֹלָם אֵיבַת אֱלֹהִים הִיא וְעַתָּה הֶחָפֵץ לִהְיוֹת אֹהֵב הָעוֹלָם יִהְיֶה אֹיֵב לֵאלֹהִים | 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. |
5 אוֹ הַתְדַמּוּ בְנַפְשְׁכֶם כִּי לָרִיק אָמַר הַכָּתוּב בְּקִנְאָה יִתְאַוֶּה לָרוּחַ הַשֹּׁכֵן בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ | 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.'? |
6 וְגַם יַגְדִּיל לָתֶת־חֵן עַל־כֵּן אוֹמֵר אֱלֹהִים לַלֵּצִים יָלִיץ וְלָעֲנָוִים יִתֶּן־חֵן | 6 But he has given us an even greater grace, as scripture says: God opposes the proud but he accordshis favour to the humble. |
7 לָכֵן הִכָּנְעוּ לֵאלֹהִים הִתְיַצְּבוּ נֶגֶד הַשָּׂטָן וְיִבְרַח מִפְּנֵיכֶם | 7 Give in to God, then; resist the devil, and he wil run away from you. |
8 קִרְבוּ לֵאלֹהִים וְיִקְרַב אֲלֵיכֶם רַחֲצוּ יְדֵיכֶם הַחַטָּאִים טַהֲרוּ לְבַבְכֶם חֲלוּקֵי הַלֵּבָב | 8 The nearer you go to God, the nearer God wil come to you. Clean your hands, you sinners, and clearyour minds, you waverers. |
9 הִתְעַנּוּ וְהִתְאַבְּלוּ וּבְכוּ שְׂחָקְכֶם יֵהָפֵךְ לְאֵבֶל וְשִׂמְחַתְכֶם לְיָגוֹן | 9 Appreciate your wretchedness, and weep for it in misery. Your laughter must be turned to grief, yourhappiness to gloom. |
10 הִכָּנְעוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָֹה וְהוּא יָרִים אֶתְכֶם | 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord and he wil lift you up. |
11 אַחַי אַל־תְּחָרְפוּ אִישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ הַמְחָרֵף אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ וְדָן אֶת־אָחִיו הוּא מְחָרֵף אֶת־הַתּוֹרָה וְדָן אֶת־הַתּוֹרָה וְאִם־תָּדִין אֶת־הַתּוֹרָה אֵינְךָ עֹשֵׂה הַתּוֹרָה כִּי אִם־שֹׁפְטָהּ | 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. |
12 אֶחָד הוּא הַמְחֹקֵק וְהַשֹּׁפֵט אֲשֶׁר יָכוֹל לְהוֹשִׁיעַ וּלְאַבֵּד וּמִי אַתָּה כִּי תָדִין אֶת־עֲמִיתֶךָ | 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? |
13 הוֹי הָאֹמְרִים נֵלְכָה הַיּוֹם וּמָחָר לְעִיר פְּלוֹנִית אַלְמוֹנִית וְנַעֲשֶׂה־שָּׁם שָׁנָה אַחַת לִסְחֹר בָּהּ וּלְהַרְבּוֹת רֶוַח | 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.' |
14 וְלֹא תֵדְעוּ מַה־יֵּלֵד יוֹם מָחָר כִּי מֶה חַיֵּיכֶם עָשָׁן הֵם אֲשֶׁר נִרְאָה כִּמְעַט־רֶגַע וְאַחַר כָּלָה וַיֵּלַךְ | 14 You never know what wil happen tomorrow: you are no more than a mist that appears for a little whileand then disappears. |
15 תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמְרוּ אִם־יִרְצֶה יְהוָֹה וְנִחְיֶה נַעֲשֶׂה כָּזֹה וְכָזֶה | 15 Instead of this, you should say, 'If it is the Lord's wil , we shal stil be alive to do this or that.' |
16 עַתָּה תִּתְגָּאוּ בְּפַחֲזוּתְכֶם וְכָל־גַּאֲוָה אֲשֶׁר כָּזֹאת רָעָה הִיא | 16 But as it is, how boastful and loud -- mouthed you are! Boasting of this kind is always wrong. |
17 לָכֵן הַיּוֹדֵעַ לַעֲשׂוֹת הַטּוֹב וְלֹא יַעֲשֶׂנּוּ וְהָיָה בוֹ חֵטְא | 17 Everyone who knows what is the right thing to do and does not do it commits a sin. |