Parallel Verses

Amplified

You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires.

New American Standard Bible

You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

King James Version

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

Holman Bible

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

International Standard Version

You ask for something but do not get it because you ask for it for the wrong reason for your own pleasure.

A Conservative Version

Ye ask, and do not receive, because ye ask wrongly, so that ye may spend on your pleasures.

American Standard Version

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your pleasures.

An Understandable Version

[When] you do ask, you do not receive it, because you ask from wrong motives, [just] so you can satisfy your own pleasures.

Anderson New Testament

You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your passions.

Bible in Basic English

You make your request but you do not get it, because your request has been wrongly made, desiring the thing only so that you may make use of it for your pleasure.

Common New Testament

You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Daniel Mace New Testament

you would not obtain it, because you wickedly request to have your passions gratified.

Darby Translation

Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask evilly, that ye may consume it in your pleasures.

Godbey New Testament

you ask, and you receive not, because you ask wickedly, that you may expend it in your pleasures.

Goodspeed New Testament

You ask and fail to get them because you ask with wrong motives, to spend them on your pleasures.

John Wesley New Testament

Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may expend it on your pleasures.

Julia Smith Translation

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask wickedly that ye might expend upon your sensual pleasures.

King James 2000

You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it upon your lusts.

Lexham Expanded Bible

You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, in order that you may spend [it] on your pleasures.

Modern King James verseion

You ask and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it upon your lusts.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, even to consume it upon your voluptuousness.

Moffatt New Testament

you do ask and you do not get it, because you ask with the wicked intention of spending it on your pleasures.

Montgomery New Testament

You continue to ask and do not receive, because you are asking with a wrong purpose, in order to spend it upon your pleasures.

NET Bible

you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.

New Heart English Bible

You ask, and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures.

Noyes New Testament

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

Sawyer New Testament

you ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, to expend on your pleasures.

The Emphasized Bible

Ye ask and receive not, because that, basely, ye ask, in order that, in your pleasures, ye may spend it .

Thomas Haweis New Testament

Ye ask, and receive nothing, because ye ask vilely, in order to consume it on your sensual appetites.

Twentieth Century New Testament

You ask, yet do not receive, because you ask for a wrong purpose--to spend what you get upon your pleasures.

Webster

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

Weymouth New Testament

or you pray and yet do not receive, because you pray wrongly, your object being to waste what you get on some pleasure or another.

Williams New Testament

You ask and fail to get them, because you ask with evil, selfish motives, to spend them on your pleasures.

World English Bible

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

Worrell New Testament

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it on your pleasures.

Worsley New Testament

Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask wickedly; that ye may spend it in your pleasures.

Youngs Literal Translation

ye ask, and ye receive not, because evilly ye ask, that in your pleasures ye may spend it.

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
Ye ask
αἰτέω 
Aiteo 
Usage: 43

and

and, also, even, both, then, so, likewise, not tr., , vr and
Usage: 0

λαμβάνω 
lambano 
receive, take, have, catch, not tr,
Usage: 178

not
οὐ 
Ou 
not, no, cannot ,
Usage: 1032

διότι 
Dioti 
Usage: 18

ye ask
αἰτέω 
Aiteo 
Usage: 43

κακῶς 
Kakos 
Usage: 12

ἵνα 
Hina 
that, to,
Usage: 472

δαπανάω 
Dapanao 
spend, be at charges with, consume
Usage: 4

it upon
ἐν 
En 
in, by, with, among, at, on, through,
Usage: 2128

ὑμῶν 
Humon 
your, you, ye, yours, not tr.,
Usage: 371

Devotionals

Devotionals containing James 4:3

References

Fausets

Hastings

Morish

Context Readings

Subject Yourselves To God

2 You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your lust goes unfulfilled; so you murder. You are envious and cannot obtain [the object of your envy]; so you fight and battle. You do not have because you do not ask [it of God]. 3 You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires. 4 You adulteresses [disloyal sinners—flirting with the world and breaking your vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend [that is, loving the things of the world] is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.


Cross References

1 John 5:14

This is the [remarkable degree of] confidence which we [as believers are entitled to] have before Him: that if we ask anything according to His will, [that is, consistent with His plan and purpose] He hears us.

1 John 3:22

and we receive from Him whatever we ask because we [carefully and consistently] keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight [habitually seeking to follow His plan for us].

Psalm 18:41


They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
Even to the Lord [they cried], but He did not answer them.

Job 27:8-10


“For what is the hope of the godless, even though he has gained [in this world],
When God takes his life?

Job 35:12


“The people cry out, but He does not answer
Because of the pride of evil men.

Psalm 66:18-19


If I regard sin and baseness in my heart [that is, if I know it is there and do nothing about it],
The Lord will not hear [me];

Proverbs 1:28


“Then they will call upon me (Wisdom), but I will not answer;
They will seek me eagerly but they will not find me,

Proverbs 15:8


The sacrifice of the wicked is hateful and exceedingly offensive to the Lord,
But the prayer of the upright is His delight!

Proverbs 21:13


Whoever shuts his ears at the cry of the poor
Will cry out himself and not be answered.

Proverbs 21:27


The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable and offensive [to the Lord].
How much more [unacceptable and insulting can it be] when he brings it with evil intention?

Isaiah 1:15-16


“So when you spread out your hands [in prayer, pleading for My help],
I will hide My eyes from you;
Yes, even though you offer many prayers,
I will not be listening.
Your hands are full of blood!

Jeremiah 11:11

Therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold I am bringing disaster and suffering on them which they will not be able to escape; though they cry to Me, I will not listen to them.

Jeremiah 11:14

“Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, for I shall not listen when they cry to Me in the time of their disaster.

Jeremiah 14:12

Though they fast, I will not hear their cry; and though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them [because they are done as obligations, and not as acts of loving obedience]. Instead I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”

Micah 3:4


Then they will cry to the Lord,
But He will not answer them;
Instead, He will even hide His face from them at that time [withholding His mercy]
Because they have practiced and tolerated and ignored evil acts.

Zechariah 7:13

And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts;

Matthew 20:22

But Jesus replied, “You do not realize what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup [of suffering] that I am about to drink?” They answered, “We are able.”

Mark 10:38

But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism [of suffering and death] with which I am baptized?”

Luke 15:13

A few days later, the younger son gathered together everything [that he had] and traveled to a distant country, and there he wasted his fortune in reckless and immoral living.

Luke 15:30

but when this [other] son of yours arrived, who has devoured your estate with immoral women, you slaughtered that fattened calf for him!’

Luke 16:1-2

Now Jesus was also saying to the disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a manager [of his estate], and accusations [against this man] were brought to him, that this man was squandering his [master’s] possessions.

James 1:6-7

But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind.

James 4:1

What leads to [the unending] quarrels and conflicts among you? Do they not come from your [hedonistic] desires that wage war in your [bodily] members [fighting for control over you]?

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain