James 5:12-20

New Century Version

Be Careful What You Say

¹² My brothers and sisters, above all, do not use an oath when you make a promise. Don’t use the name of heaven, earth, or anything else to prove what you say. When you mean yes, say only yes, and when you mean no, say only no so you will not be judged guilty.

The Power of Prayer

¹³ Anyone who is having troubles should pray. Anyone who is happy should sing praises. ¹⁴ Anyone who is sick should call the church’s elders. They should pray for and pour oil on the person^[a] in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer that is said with faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will heal that person. And if the person has sinned, the sins will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so God can heal you. When a believing person prays, great things happen. ¹⁷ Elijah was a human being just like us. He prayed that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years! ¹⁸ Then Elijah prayed again, and the rain came down from the sky, and the land produced crops again.

Saving a Soul

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, if one of you wanders away from the truth, and someone helps that person come back, ²⁰ remember this: Anyone who brings a sinner back from the wrong way will save that sinner’s soul from death and will cause many sins to be forgiven.