James 4:8

Bible in Basic English (1941)

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Make your hands clean, you evil-doers; put away deceit from your hearts, you false in mind.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • 2 Chr 15:2 : 2 And he came face to face with Asa and said to him, Give ear to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin: the Lord is with you while you are with him; if your heart's desire is for him, he will be near you, but if you give him up, he will give you up.
  • Zech 1:3 : 3 And you are to say to them, These are the words of the Lord of armies: Come back to me, says the Lord of armies, and I will come back to you.
  • Mal 3:7 : 7 From the days of your fathers you have been turned away from my rules and have not kept them. Come back to me, and I will come back to you, says the Lord of armies. But you say, How are we to come back?
  • Ps 145:18 : 18 The Lord is near all those who give honour to his name; even to all who give honour to him with true hearts.
  • Isa 55:6-7 : 6 Make search for the Lord while he is there, make prayer to him while he is near: 7 Let the sinner give up his way, and the evil-doer his purpose: and let him come back to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for there is full forgiveness with him.
  • Heb 10:22 : 22 Let us go in with true hearts, in certain faith, having our hearts made free from the sense of sin and our bodies washed with clean water:
  • Isa 1:15-16 : 15 And when your hands are stretched out to me, my eyes will be turned away from you: even though you go on making prayers, I will not give ear: your hands are full of blood. 16 Be washed, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; let there be an end of sinning;
  • Hos 6:1-2 : 1 Come, let us go back to the Lord; for he has given us wounds and he will make us well; he has given blows and he will give help. 2 After two days he will give us life, and on the third day he will make us get up, and we will be living before him.
  • 1 John 3:3 : 3 And everyone who has this hope in him makes himself holy, even as he is holy.
  • Heb 7:19 : 19 (Because the law made nothing complete), and in its place there is a better hope, through which we come near to God.
  • Ps 51:6-7 : 6 Your desire is for what is true in the inner parts: in the secrets of my soul you will give me knowledge of wisdom. 7 Make me free from sin with hyssop: let me be washed whiter than snow.
  • 1 Chr 28:9 : 9 And you, Solomon my son, get knowledge of the God of your father, and be his servant with a true heart and with a strong desire, for the Lord is the searcher of all hearts, and has knowledge of all the designs of men's thoughts; if you make search for him, he will be near you; but if you are turned away from him, he will give you up for ever.
  • Jas 1:8 : 8 For there is a division in his mind, and he is uncertain in all his ways.
  • 1 Pet 1:22 : 22 And as you have made your souls clean, being ruled by what is true, and loving one another without deceit, see that your love is warm and from the heart:
  • 1 Pet 3:21 : 21 And baptism, of which this is an image, now gives you salvation, not by washing clean the flesh, but by making you free from the sense of sin before God, through the coming again of Jesus Christ from the dead;
  • Luke 11:39-40 : 39 And the Lord said to him, You Pharisees make the outside of the cup and the plate clean; but inside you are thieves and full of evil. 40 O you foolish ones! did not he who made the outside in the same way make the inside?
  • Acts 15:9 : 9 Making no division between them and us, but making clean their hearts by faith.
  • 2 Cor 7:1 : 1 Because God, then, will give us such rewards, dear brothers, let us make ourselves clean from all evil of flesh and spirit, and become completely holy in the fear of God.
  • Ps 73:28 : 28 But it is good for me to come near to God: I have put my faith in the Lord God, so that I may make clear all his works.
  • Matt 23:25-26 : 25 A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of violent behaviour and uncontrolled desire. 26 You blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside may become equally clean.
  • Isa 29:13 : 13 And the Lord said, because this people come near to me with their mouths, and give honour to me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, and their fear of me is false, a rule given them by the teaching of men;
  • Matt 12:33 : 33 Make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for by its fruit you will get knowledge of the tree.
  • Matt 15:2 : 2 Why do your disciples go against the teaching of the fathers? for they take food with unwashed hands.
  • 1 Tim 2:8 : 8 It is my desire, then, that in every place men may give themselves to prayer, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or argument.
  • Gen 18:23 : 23 And Abraham came near, and said, Will you let destruction come on the upright with the sinners?
  • Job 17:9 : 9 Still the upright keeps on his way, and he who has clean hands gets new strength.
  • Ps 24:4 : 4 He who has clean hands and a true heart; whose desire has not gone out to foolish things, who has not taken a false oath.
  • Jer 4:11 : 11 At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A burning wind from the open hilltops in the waste land is blowing on the daughter of my people, not for separating or cleaning the grain;
  • Jer 4:14 : 14 O Jerusalem, make your heart clean from evil, so that you may have salvation. How long are evil purposes to have a resting-place in you?
  • Ezek 18:31 : 31 Put away all your evil-doing in which you have done sin; and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit: why are you desiring death, O children of Israel?
  • Ezek 36:25-27 : 25 And I will put clean water on you so that you may be clean: from all your unclean ways and from all your images I will make you clean. 26 And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you: I will take away the heart of stone from your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit in you, causing you to be guided by my rules, and you will keep my orders and do them.
  • Ps 51:10 : 10 Make a clean heart in me, O God; give me a right spirit again.
  • Ps 73:13 : 13 As for me, I have made my heart clean to no purpose, washing my hands in righteousness;
  • Isa 13:15 : 15 Everyone who is overtaken will have a spear put through him, and everyone who goes in flight will be put to the sword.
  • Ps 26:6 : 6 I will make my hands clean from sin; so will I go round your altar, O Lord;
  • Ps 18:20 : 20 The Lord gives me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean before him.
  • Job 9:30 : 30 If I am washed with snow water, and make my hands clean with soap;
  • Job 16:17 : 17 Though my hands have done no violent acts, and my prayer is clean.
  • Matt 27:24 : 24 So when Pilate saw that he was able to do nothing, but that trouble was working up, he took water and, washing his hands before the people, said, The blood of this upright man is not on my hands: you are responsible.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Jas 4:6-7
    2 verses
    78%

    6 But he gives more grace. So that the Writings say, God is against the men of pride, but he gives grace to those who make themselves low before him.

    7 For this cause be ruled by God; but make war on the Evil One and he will be put to flight before you.

  • Jas 4:9-10
    2 verses
    77%

    9 Be troubled, with sorrow and weeping; let your laughing be turned to sorrow and your joy to grief.

    10 Make yourselves low in the eyes of the Lord and you will be lifted up by him.

  • Jas 1:7-8
    2 verses
    73%

    7 Let it not seem to such a man that he will get anything from the Lord;

    8 For there is a division in his mind, and he is uncertain in all his ways.

  • Ps 24:3-4
    2 verses
    72%

    3 Who may go up into the hill of the Lord? and who may come into his holy place?

    4 He who has clean hands and a true heart; whose desire has not gone out to foolish things, who has not taken a false oath.

  • Isa 1:16
    72%

    16 Be washed, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; let there be an end of sinning;

  • Jas 1:21-22
    2 verses
    72%

    21 For this reason, putting away all dirty behaviour and the overweight of evil, take into your souls without pride the word which, being planted there, is able to give you salvation.

    22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers of it, blinding yourselves with false ideas.

  • 2 Cor 6:17
    71%

    17 For which cause, Come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and let no unclean thing come near you; and I will take you for myself,

  • 2 Cor 7:1
    71%

    1 Because God, then, will give us such rewards, dear brothers, let us make ourselves clean from all evil of flesh and spirit, and become completely holy in the fear of God.

  • Job 11:13-14
    2 verses
    71%

    13 But if you put your heart right, stretching out your hands to him;

    14 If you put far away the evil of your hands, and let no wrongdoing have a place in your tent;

  • Jas 5:8
    71%

    8 Be as calm in your waiting; let your hearts be strong: because the coming of the Lord is near.

  • 1 Pet 1:22
    70%

    22 And as you have made your souls clean, being ruled by what is true, and loving one another without deceit, see that your love is warm and from the heart:

  • 1 Pet 5:6
    69%

    6 For this cause make yourselves low under the strong hand of God, so that when the time comes you may be lifted up;

  • Heb 10:22
    69%

    22 Let us go in with true hearts, in certain faith, having our hearts made free from the sense of sin and our bodies washed with clean water:

  • Acts 8:22
    69%

    22 Let your heart be changed, and make prayer to God that you may have forgiveness for your evil thoughts.

  • Ps 51:2
    69%

    2 Let all my wrongdoing be washed away, and make me clean from evil.

  • Matt 5:8
    69%

    8 Happy are the clean in heart: for they will see God.

  • Acts 3:19
    68%

    19 So then, let your hearts be changed and be turned to God, so that your sins may be completely taken away, and times of blessing may come from the Lord;

  • Isa 59:2-3
    2 verses
    68%

    2 But your sins have come between you and your God, and by your evil doings his face has been veiled from you, so that he will give you no answer.

    3 For your hands are unclean with blood, and your fingers with sin; your lips have said false things, and your tongue gives out deceit.

  • Jer 4:14
    68%

    14 O Jerusalem, make your heart clean from evil, so that you may have salvation. How long are evil purposes to have a resting-place in you?

  • 1 John 3:3
    68%

    3 And everyone who has this hope in him makes himself holy, even as he is holy.

  • Jas 1:27
    68%

    27 The religion which is holy and free from evil in the eyes of our God and Father is this: to take care of children who have no fathers and of widows who are in trouble, and to keep oneself untouched by the world.

  • 2 Tim 2:21
    68%

    21 If a man makes himself clean from these, he will be a vessel for honour, made holy, ready for the master's use, ready for every good work.

  • Jas 4:4
    67%

    4 O you who are false to God, do you not see that the friends of this world are not God's friends? Every man desiring to be a friend of this world makes himself a hater of God.

  • 2 Chr 7:14
    67%

    14 If my people, on whom my name is named, make themselves low and come to me in prayer, searching for me and turning from their evil ways; then I will give ear from heaven, overlooking their sin, and will give life again to their land.

  • 1 John 1:8-9
    2 verses
    67%

    8 If we say that we have no sin, we are false to ourselves and there is nothing true in us.

    9 If we say openly that we have done wrong, he is upright and true to his word, giving us forgiveness of sins and making us clean from all evil.

  • Ps 51:10
    67%

    10 Make a clean heart in me, O God; give me a right spirit again.

  • Jer 4:1
    67%

    1 If you will come back, O Israel, says the Lord, you will come back to me: and if you will put away your disgusting ways, you will not be sent away from before me.

  • Jas 1:5
    67%

    5 But if any man among you is without wisdom, let him make his request to God, who gives freely to all without an unkind word, and it will be given to him.

  • Titus 1:15
    67%

    15 To the clean in heart all things are clean: but to those who are unclean and without faith nothing is clean; they become unclean in mind and in thought.

  • Lam 3:41
    67%

    41 Lifting up our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens.

  • Isa 55:7
    67%

    7 Let the sinner give up his way, and the evil-doer his purpose: and let him come back to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for there is full forgiveness with him.

  • Job 8:5
    67%

    5 If you will make search for God with care, and put your request before the Ruler of all;

  • Heb 4:16
    66%

    16 Then let us come near to the seat of grace without fear, so that mercy may be given to us, and we may get grace for our help in time of need.

  • Prov 16:6
    66%

    6 By mercy and good faith evil-doing is taken away: and by the fear of the Lord men are turned away from evil.

  • Job 17:9
    66%

    9 Still the upright keeps on his way, and he who has clean hands gets new strength.

  • Jas 5:19
    66%

    19 My brothers, if one of you has gone out of the way of the true faith and another has made him see his error,

  • 1 Thess 4:7
    66%

    7 Because it is God's purpose that our way of life may be not unclean but holy.

  • 2 Chr 30:19
    66%

    19 Who, with all his heart, is turned to God the Lord, the God of his fathers, even if he has not been made clean after the rules of the holy place.

  • 1 Pet 4:7
    66%

    7 But the end of all things is near: so be serious in your behaviour and keep on the watch with prayer;

  • Jer 4:4
    66%

    4 Undergo a circumcision of the heart, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem: or my wrath may come out like fire, burning so that no one is able to put it out, because of the evil of your doings.

  • Heb 12:12
    66%

    12 For this cause let the hands which are hanging down be lifted up, and let the feeble knees be made strong,

  • Job 14:4
    66%

    4 If only a clean thing might come out of an unclean! But it is not possible.