11-12 Don’t bad-mouth each other, friends. It’s God’s Word, his Message, his Royal Rule, that takes a beating in that kind of talk. You’re supposed to be honoring the Message, not writing graffiti all over it. God is in charge of deciding human destiny. Who do you think you are to meddle in the destiny of others?

Nothing but a Wisp of Fog

13-15 And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”

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11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.(A) Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[a] or judges them(B) speaks against the law(C) and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it,(D) but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge,(E) the one who is able to save and destroy.(F) But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?(G)

Boasting About Tomorrow

13 Now listen,(H) you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”(I)

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Footnotes

  1. James 4:11 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family.