James 4:2
1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
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.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.
- KJV
- Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
- WEB
- You lust, and don’t have. You murder and covet, and can’t obtain. You fight and make war. You don’t have, because you don’t ask.
- ASV
- Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not.
- DARBY
- Ye lust and have not: ye kill and are full of envy, and cannot obtain; ye fight and war; ye have not because ye ask not.
- BLB
- You⁺ desire, and you⁺ do not have. You⁺ murder and are jealous, and you⁺ are not able to obtain. You⁺ fight and battle. You⁺ do not have, because you⁺ do not ask.
- ÅB
- Dere attrår, og har ikke; dere slår ihjel og bærer avind, og kan ikke få; dere ligger i strid og ufred. Dere har ikke, fordi dere ikke ber;
- OTB
- Dere begjærer og har ikke, så dere begår mord. Dere misunner og kan ikke oppnå, så dere krangler og kjemper. Dere har ikke fordi dere ikke ber til Gud.
- B1930
- I attrår, og har ikke; I slår ihjel og bærer avind, og kan ikke få; I ligger i strid og ufred. I har ikke, fordi I ikke beder;
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
John 16:24
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
Read in contextMatthew 7:7–8
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Read in contextJames 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Read in contextLuke 11:9–13
And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Read in contextJohn 4:10
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
Read in context1 Timothy 6:9–10
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
Read in contextProverbs 1:19
So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
Read in contextJames 5:1–5
Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
Read in context