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James 4:3

PrayerGod's will and callingSin

1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

2 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.

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.

5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

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Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.
KJV
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
WEB
You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
ASV
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend [it] in your pleasures.
DARBY
Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask evilly, that ye may consume [it] in your pleasures.
BLB
You⁺ ask and do not receive, because you⁺ ask wrongly, that you⁺ may spend [it] in your⁺ pleasures.
ÅB
Dere ber og får ikke, fordi dere ber ille, for å øde det i deres lyster.
OTB
Når dere ber, får dere ikke, fordi dere ber med gale motiver, for at dere kan bruke det på deres lyster.
B1930
I beder og får ikke, fordi I beder ille, for å øde det i eders lyster.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 1 John 5:14

    And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

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  • 1 John 3:22

    And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

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  • James 1:6–7

    But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

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  • James 4:1

    From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

    Read in context

  • Proverbs 15:8

    The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

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  • Micah 3:4

    Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.

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  • Psalms 66:18–19

    If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

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  • Job 35:12

    There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

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