¹⁰ For the love of money^(A) is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith^(B) and pierced themselves with many griefs.^(C)

⁹ I tell you, use worldly wealth^(A) to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.^(B)

¹⁰ “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,^(C) and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. ¹¹ So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth,^(D) who will trust you with true riches? ¹² And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

¹³ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”^(E)

¹⁴ The Pharisees, who loved money,^(F) heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.^{(G) 15} He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves^(H) in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts.^(I) What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

Treasures in Heaven^(A)

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,^(B) where moths and vermin destroy,^(C) and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,^(D) where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.^{(E) 21} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.^(F)

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,^[a] your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eyes are unhealthy,^[b] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.^(G)

Favoritism Forbidden

2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious^(A) Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.^{(B) 2} Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. ³ If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” ⁴ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges^(C) with evil thoughts?

⁵ Listen, my dear brothers and sisters:^(D) Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world^(E) to be rich in faith^(F) and to inherit the kingdom^(G) he promised those who love him?^{(H) 6} But you have dishonored the poor.^(I) Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?^{(J) 7} Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

⁸ If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”^[a](K) you are doing right. ⁹ But if you show favoritism,^(L) you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.^{(M) 10} For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles^(N) at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.^{(O) 11} For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”^[b](P) also said, “You shall not murder.”^[c](Q) If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

¹² Speak and act as those who are going to be judged^(R) by the law that gives freedom,^{(S) 13} because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.^(T) Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith and Deeds

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?^(U) Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.^{(V) 16} If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?^{(W) 17} In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.^(X)

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds,^(Y) and I will show you my faith^(Z) by my deeds.^{(AA) 19} You believe that there is one God.^(AB) Good! Even the demons believe that^(AC)—and shudder.

²⁰ You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless^[d]?^{(AD) 21} Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?^{(AE) 22} You see that his faith and his actions were working together,^(AF) and his faith was made complete by what he did.^{(AG) 23} And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”^[e](AH) and he was called God’s friend.^{(AI) 24} You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

²⁵ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?^{(AJ) 26} As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.^(AK)

Submit Yourselves to God

4 What causes fights and quarrels^(A) among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle^(B) within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill.^(C) You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive,^(D) because you ask with wrong motives,^(E) that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

⁴ You adulterous^(F) people,^[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world^(G) means enmity against God?^(H) Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.^{(I) 5} Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us^[b]?^{(J) 6} But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,^(L) and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you.^(M) Wash your hands,^(N) you sinners, and purify your hearts,^(O) you double-minded.^{(P) 9} Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.^{(Q) 10} Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.^(R)

¹¹ Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.^(S) Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister^[d] or judges them^(T) speaks against the law^(U) and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it,^(V) but sitting in judgment on it. ¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge,^(W) the one who is able to save and destroy.^(X) But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?^(Y)

Boasting About Tomorrow

¹³ Now listen,^(Z) you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”^{(AA) 14} Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.^{(AB) 15} Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will,^(AC) we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.^{(AD) 17} If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.^(AE)

Warning to Rich Oppressors

5 Now listen,^(AF) you rich people,^(AG) weep and wail^(AH) because of the misery that is coming on you. ² Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.^{(AI) 3} Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.^{(AJ) 4} Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers^(AK) who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries^(AL) of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.^{(AM) 5} You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves^(AN) in the day of slaughter.^{[e](AO) 6} You have condemned and murdered^(AP) the innocent one,^(AQ) who was not opposing you.

Patience in Suffering

⁷ Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming.^(AR) See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting^(AS) for the autumn and spring rains.^{(AT) 8} You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming^(AU) is near.^{(AV) 9} Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters,^(AW) or you will be judged. The Judge^(AX) is standing at the door!^(AY)

¹⁰ Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets^(AZ) who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ As you know, we count as blessed^(BA) those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance^(BB) and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.^(BC) The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.^(BD)

¹² Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.^(BE)

The Prayer of Faith

¹³ Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.^(BF) Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.^{(BG) 14} Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders^(BH) of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil^(BI) in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith^(BJ) will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins^(BK) to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.^(BL) The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.^(BM)

¹⁷ Elijah was a human being, even as we are.^(BN) He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.^{(BO) 18} Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.^(BP)

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth^(BQ) and someone should bring that person back,^{(BR) 20} remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save^(BS) them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.^(BT)