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Boasting about Tomorrow

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.”(A) 14 Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.(B) 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.”(C) 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. 17 Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it commits sin.(D)

Warning to Rich Oppressors

Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten.(E) Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure[a] during the last days. Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.(F) You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter.(G) You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you.

Footnotes

  1. 5.3 Or will eat your flesh, since you have stored up fire

Boasting About Tomorrow

13 Now listen,(A) you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”(B) 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.(C) 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will,(D) we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.(E) 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.(F)

Warning to Rich Oppressors

Now listen,(G) you rich people,(H) weep and wail(I) because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.(J) 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.(K) Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers(L) who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries(M) of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.(N) You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves(O) in the day of slaughter.[a](P) You have condemned and murdered(Q) the innocent one,(R) who was not opposing you.

Footnotes

  1. James 5:5 Or yourselves as in a day of feasting