James 5
Expanded Bible
A Warning to the Rich
5 You rich people, ·listen [L Come now; 4:13]! Cry [Weep] and be very sad because of the ·troubles [miseries] that are coming to you. 2 Your riches have rotted, and your clothes have been eaten by moths. 3 Your gold and silver have ·rusted [corroded], and that ·rust [corrosion] will be a ·proof that you were wrong [L witness/testimony/evidence against you]. It will eat your ·bodies [flesh] like fire. You ·saved [hoarded; stored up] your treasure ·for [or in] the last days [C just before judgment day, when such treasures will be useless]. 4 [L Listen; T Behold] The ·pay [wages] you ·did not give [defrauded from] the workers who mowed your fields cries out against you [Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:14–15], and the cries of the ·workers [L harvesters] have ·been heard by [L reached the ears of] the Lord ·All-Powerful [of Hosts/Armies; L Sabaoth; C God’s warrior name referring to the angelic army]. 5 Your life on earth was full of ·rich living [luxury] and ·pleasing yourselves with everything you wanted [pleasure; self-indulgence]. You made ·yourselves [L your hearts] fat, ·like an animal ready to be killed [in/for a day of slaughter; C a farm animal gorging itself, unaware it is being fattened for slaughter]. 6 You have ·judged guilty [condemned] and then murdered innocent people, who ·were not against [did not resist/oppose] you.
Be Patient
7 [L Therefore] Brothers and sisters [C fellow believers], be patient until the Lord comes again. [L See; T Behold,] A farmer patiently waits for his ·valuable [precious] ·crop [fruit] to grow from the earth and for it to receive the ·autumn and spring [L early and late] rains [Deut. 11:14]. 8 You, too, must be patient. ·Do not give up hope [L Strengthen your hearts], because ·the Lord is coming soon [L the Lord’s coming draws near/is at hand]. 9 Brothers and sisters [C fellow believers], do not ·complain [grumble] against each other or you will be judged guilty [Matt. 7:1]. ·And [L Look; T Behold] the Judge is ·ready to come [L standing at the door]! 10 Brothers and sisters [C fellow believers], follow the example of the prophets who spoke ·for [L in the name of] the Lord. They suffered many hard things, but they ·were patient [endured]. 11 [L Look; or Indeed] ·We say they are happy [or We consider them blessed] because they ·did not give up [endured; persevered]. You have heard about Job’s ·patience [or endurance; perseverance], and you know the Lord’s purpose for him in the end. You know the Lord is full of mercy and is ·kind [compassionate].
Be Careful What You Say
12 My brothers and sisters [C fellow believers], above all, do not ·use an oath when you make a promise [swear; take a vow]. 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 [T Let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no; Matt. 5:33–37] so you will not be ·judged guilty [condemned].
The Power of Prayer
13 Anyone who is ·having troubles [suffering] should pray. Anyone who is ·happy [joyful] should ·sing praises [sing psalms]. 14 Anyone who is sick should call the church’s elders. They should pray for and ·pour oil on the person [L anoint that person with olive oil; C anointing probably indicates dedicating or setting aside the person to God’s care; Mark 6:13] in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer that is said with faith will ·make the sick person well [save the sick; C the same Greek word is commonly used for both physical healing and spiritual salvation]; the Lord will ·heal [L raise up] that person [1 Cor. 12:9, 28]. And if the person has sinned, the sins will be forgiven. 16 [L Therefore,] Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so God can heal you. ·When a believing person prays, great things happen [L The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective]. 17 Elijah was a human being just like us. He prayed [earnestly; L with prayer] 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 [or heaven gave rain], and the land produced crops again [1 Kin. 17—18].
Saving a Soul
19 My brothers and sisters [C fellow believers], if one of you ·wanders away [strays] from the truth, and someone helps that person come back, 20 ·remember [L know] this: Anyone who brings a sinner back from the ·wrong way [L error/wandering of his ways] will save that sinner’s soul from death and will ·cause many sins to be forgiven [L cover a multitude of sins].
James 5
New Testament for Everyone
Warnings to the rich
5 Now look here, you rich! Weep and wail for the horrible things that are going to happen to you! 2 Your riches have rotted, and your clothes have become moth-eaten, 3 your gold and your silver have rusted, and their rust will bear witness against you and will eat up your flesh like fire. You have stored up riches in the last days! 4 Look: you cheated the workers who mowed your fields by keeping back their wages, and those wages are crying out! The cries of the farm workers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived off the fat of the land, in the lap of luxury. You have fattened your own hearts on a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned the Righteous One and killed him, and he doesn’t resist you.
Patience and trust
7 So be patient, my brothers and sisters, for the appearing of the Lord. You know how the farmer waits for the valuable crop to come up from the ground. He is patient over it, waiting for it to receive the early rain and then the late rain. 8 In the same way, you must be patient, and make your hearts strong, because the appearing of the Lord is near at hand. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, my brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged. Look—the judge is standing at the gates! 10 Consider the prophets, my brothers and sisters, who spoke in the name of the Lord. Take them as an example of longsuffering and patience. 11 When people endure, we call them “blessed by God.” Well, you have heard of the endurance of Job; and you saw the Lord’s ultimate purpose. The Lord is deeply compassionate and kindly.
12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear. Don’t swear by heaven; don’t swear by earth; don’t use any other oaths. Let your “Yes” be “Yes” and your “No” be “No.” That way, you will not fall under judgment.
Praying in faith
13 Are any among you suffering? Let them pray. Are any cheerful? Let them sing psalms. 14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over the sick person, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Faithful prayer will rescue the sick person, and the Lord will raise them up. If they have committed any sin, it will be forgiven them. 16 So confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
When a righteous person prays, that prayer carries great power. 17 Elijah was a man with passions like ours, and he prayed and prayed that it might not rain—and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, the sky gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
19 My dear family, if someone in your company has wandered from the truth, and someone turns them back, 20 know this: the one who turns back a sinner from wandering off into error will rescue that person’s life from death, and cover a multitude of sins.
雅各书 5
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
警告不义的有钱人
5 你们富有的人哪，应当为那将要临到你们的灾祸哭泣哀号。 2 你们的财物朽坏了，你们的衣服给蛀了， 3 你们的金银生锈，这锈要成为控告你们的铁证，又要像火一样吞吃你们的肉。你们竟然在这末后的日子积聚财宝。 4 看哪，工人为你们收割庄稼，你们竟然克扣他们的工资；那工资必为他们呼冤；收割者的呼声，已经达到万军之主的耳中了。 5 你们在世上穷奢极侈，养肥了自己，竟不知屠宰的日子到了。 6 你们把义人定罪杀害，但他并没有反抗。
忍耐的人有福了
7 所以，弟兄们，你们应当忍耐，直到主来。看哪，农夫等待着地里宝贵的出产，为它忍耐，直到获得秋霖春雨。 8 你们也应当忍耐，坚定自己的心；因为主再来的日子近了。 9 弟兄们，不要彼此抱怨，免得你们受审判。看哪，审判的主已经站在门前了。 10 弟兄们，你们应当效法奉主的名说话的先知，以他们为受苦忍耐的榜样。 11 看哪，那些忍耐的人，我们称他们是有福的；你们听过约伯的忍耐，也看见了主赐给他的结局，知道主是满有怜悯和仁慈的。
12 我的弟兄们，最要紧的是不可起誓：不可指着天起誓，也不可指着地起誓，任何的誓都当禁绝。你们的话，是就说是，不是就说不是；免得你们落在审判之下。
义人的祈祷大有功效
13 你们中间有人受苦吗？他就应该祷告。有人心情愉快吗？他就应该歌颂。 14 你们中间有人患病吗？他就应该请教会的长老来，让他们奉主的名为他抹油祈祷。 15 出于信心的祈祷，可以使病人康复，主必叫他起来；他若犯了罪，也必蒙赦免。 16 所以你们应当彼此认罪，互相代求，这样你们就可以痊愈。义人祈祷所发出的力量，是大有功效的。 17 以利亚是与我们性情相同的人；他恳切祈求不要下雨，地上就三年零六个月没有雨； 18 他又祈祷，天就下雨，地就生出土产来。
19 我的弟兄们，你们中间若有人被骗离开了真道，如果有人使他回头， 20 你们应该知道，那使罪人从歧途上转回的，就会拯救他的灵魂脱离死亡，也会遮盖许多罪恶。
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.