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Scripture · New Testament

James 4:3

James 4:3 is verse 3 of James chapter 4, shown here in the Berean Standard Bible.

Berean Standard Bible

And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.

BSB source and public domain terms

King James Version

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

World English Bible

You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

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James 4:1–5 · Berean Standard Bible

1 What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you?

2 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.

3 And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.

4 You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.

5 Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy?

Read all of James 4

Greek words

Data created by STEPBible.org based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

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Cross-references

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge lists these related verses. Scripture text comes from the Berean Standard Bible.

James 1:6

But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

James 1:7

That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Job 27:8

For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?

Job 27:9

Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him?

Job 27:10

Will he delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times?

Job 35:12

There they cry out, but He does not answer, because of the pride of evil men.

Psalms 18:41

They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the LORD, but He did not answer.

Psalms 66:18

If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

Psalms 66:19

But God has surely heard; He has attended to the sound of my prayer.

Proverbs 1:28

Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.

Proverbs 15:8

The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.

Proverbs 21:13

Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too shall cry out and receive no answer.

Proverbs 21:27

The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable— how much more so when brought with ill intent!

Isaiah 1:15

When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

Isaiah 1:16

Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!

Jeremiah 11:11

Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I am about to bring upon them a disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to Me, but I will not listen to them.

Jeremiah 11:14

As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not raise up a cry or a prayer on their behalf, for I will not be listening when they call out to Me in their time of disaster.

Jeremiah 14:12

Although they may fast, I will not listen to their cry; although they may offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will finish them off by sword and famine and plague.”

Micah 3:4

Then they will cry out to the LORD, but He will not answer them. At that time He will hide His face from them because of the evil they have done.

Zechariah 7:13

And just as I had called and they would not listen, so when they called I would not listen, says the LORD of Hosts.

Matthew 20:22

“You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” the brothers answered.

Mark 10:38

“You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I will drink, or be baptized with the baptism I will undergo?”

1 John 3:22

and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.

1 John 5:14

And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Luke 15:13

After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living.

Luke 15:30

But when this son of yours returns from squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

Luke 16:1

Jesus also said to His disciples, “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.

Luke 16:2

So he called him in to ask, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.’

James 4:1

What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you?

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