Dearly beloved, I beseech {you} as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Because the carnal mind {is} enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. {the carnal...: Gr. the minding of the flesh}

Love not the world, neither the things {that are} in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

The heart {is} deceitful above all {things}, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling {words}, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume {it} upon your lusts. {lusts: or, pleasures}

Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: {covetousness...: Gr. covetousnesses, wickednesses}

For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, {and} hating one another.

But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

For when they speak great swelling {words} of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, {through much} wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. {clean: or, for a little, or, a while, as some read}

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

That he no longer should live the rest of {his} time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, {proud: or, a fool} {doting: or, sick}

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. {motions: Gr. passions}

Ye are of {your} father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. {of his own: or, from his own will or disposition}

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Dearly beloved, I beseech {you} as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: {covetousness...: Gr. covetousnesses, wickednesses}

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume {it} upon your lusts. {lusts: or, pleasures}

Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: {and} because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather {suffer yourselves to} be defrauded?

For ye are yet carnal: for whereas {there is} among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? {divisions: or, factions} {as men: Gr. according to man?}

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Ye are of {your} father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. {of his own: or, from his own will or disposition}

And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart {is} evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. {a sweet...: Heb. a savour of rest or, satisfaction} {for the imagination: or, through the imagination}

{It is} an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.

Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. {motions: Gr. passions}

Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised {is} wisdom.

Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; {given...: or, ready to quarrel, and offer wrong, as one in wine}

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more {right} in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel. {despise...: Heb. set us at light}

And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.

And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire. {gathered...: Heb. were called}

Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, {till every one} submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people {that} delight in war. {the company...: or, the beasts of the reeds} {scatter...: or, he scattereth}

He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, {proud: or, a fool} {doting: or, sick}

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

Then I cut asunder mine other staff, {even} Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. {Bands: or, Binders}

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Neither yield ye your members {as} instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members {as} instruments of righteousness unto God. {instruments: Gr. arms, or, weapons}

Now it came to pass in the seventh month, {that} Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah.

The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes. {findeth...: Heb. is not favoured}

For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and {that} I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest {there be} debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:

Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, {beguile...: or, judge against you} {in a...: Gr. being a voluntary in humility}

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. {desires: Gr. wills}

For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them {which are of the house} of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? {As} I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.