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Miseries of the Rich

(A)Come now, (B)you rich, (C)cry, howling over your miseries which are coming upon you. (D)Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. You have stored up such treasure (E)in the last days! Behold, (F)the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields—that which has been withheld by you—cries out against you; and (G)the outcries of those who did the harvesting have reached the ears of (H)the [a]Lord of [b]Sabaoth. You have (I)lived luxuriously on the earth and lived in self-indulgence. You have [c]fattened your hearts in a (J)day of slaughter. You have condemned and (K)murdered (L)the righteous man; [d]he does not resist you.

Patience and Perseverance

Therefore be patient, (M)brothers, (N)until the coming of the Lord. Behold, (O)the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the soil, being patient about it, until [e]it receives (P)the early and late rains. (Q)You too be patient; (R)strengthen your hearts, for (S)the coming of the Lord is (T)at hand. (U)Do not groan, (V)brothers, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged. Behold, (W)the Judge is standing [f](X)right at the [g]door. 10 As an example, (Y)brothers, of suffering and patience, take (Z)the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we count those (AA)blessed who persevere. You have heard of (AB)the [h]perseverance of Job and have seen (AC)the [i]outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that (AD)the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

12 But above all, (AE)my brothers, (AF)do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let [j]your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.

13 Is anyone among you (AG)suffering? (AH)Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to (AI)sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for (AJ)the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, [k](AK)anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the (AL)prayer [l]offered in faith will (AM)save the one who is sick, and the Lord will (AN)raise him up, and if he has committed sins, [m]they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, (AO)confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be (AP)healed. (AQ)The effective [n]prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17 Elijah was (AR)a man with a nature like ours, and (AS)he prayed [o]earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for (AT)three years and six months. 18 Then he (AU)prayed again, and (AV)the [p]sky gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.

19 My brothers, (AW)if any among you strays from (AX)the truth and one turns him back, 20 let him know that [q]he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will (AY)save his soul from death and will (AZ)cover a multitude of sins.

Footnotes

  1. James 5:4 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Is 5:9
  2. James 5:4 Hosts
  3. James 5:5 Lit nourished
  4. James 5:6 Or does He not resist you?, cf. 4:6
  5. James 5:7 Or he
  6. James 5:9 Lit before
  7. James 5:9 Lit doors
  8. James 5:11 Or steadfastness
  9. James 5:11 Lit end of the Lord
  10. James 5:12 Lit yours is to be yes, yes, and no, no
  11. James 5:14 Lit having anointed
  12. James 5:15 Lit of
  13. James 5:15 Lit it
  14. James 5:16 Lit supplication
  15. James 5:17 Lit with prayer
  16. James 5:18 Lit heaven
  17. James 5:20 Lit he who has turned

Warning to the Rich

Come now, you rich(A) people, weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you. Your wealth has rotted and your clothes are moth-eaten.(B) Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days.(C) Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers(D) who mowed your fields cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the ears of the Lord of Armies.(E) You have lived luxuriously on the earth and have indulged yourselves. You have fattened your hearts(F) in a day of slaughter.(G) You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous, who does not resist you.(H)

Waiting for the Lord

Therefore, brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.(I) You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.(J)

Brothers and sisters, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!(K)

10 Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience. 11 See, we count as blessed those who have endured.[a] You have heard of Job’s endurance(L) and have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about—the Lord is compassionate and merciful.(M)

Truthful Speech

12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath.(N) But let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.[b]

Effective Prayer

13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.(O) 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.(P) 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.(Q) 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.(R) 17 Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land.(S) 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.(T)

19 My brothers and sisters, if any among you strays from the truth,(U) and someone turns him back,(V) 20 let that person know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.(W)

Footnotes

  1. 5:11 Or persevered
  2. 5:12 Other mss read fall into hypocrisy