Misuse of Riches

(A)Come now, (B)you rich people, (C)weep and howl for 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 corroded, and their corrosion will [a]serve as a testimony against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is (E)in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, (F)the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and (G)the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of (H)the Lord [b]of armies. You have [c](I)lived for pleasure on the earth and lived luxuriously; you have [d]fattened your hearts in (J)a day of slaughter. You have condemned and [e](K)put to death (L)the righteous person; he offers you no resistance.

Exhortation

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

12 But above all, (AE)my brothers and sisters, (AF)do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but [l]your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you do 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, [m](AK)anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the (AL)prayer of faith will [n](AM)restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will (AN)raise him up, and if he has committed sins, [o]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)A [p]prayer of a righteous person, when it is [q]brought about, can accomplish much. 17 Elijah was (AR)a man with a nature like ours, and (AS)he prayed [r]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 sky [s]poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.

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

Footnotes

  1. James 5:3 Lit be for
  2. James 5:4 Gr sabaoth, for Heb tsebaoth
  3. James 5:5 Or led a life of self-indulgence
  4. James 5:5 Lit nourished
  5. James 5:6 Or murdered
  6. James 5:7 Or he
  7. James 5:9 Lit groan
  8. James 5:9 Lit before
  9. James 5:9 Lit doors
  10. James 5:11 Or steadfastness
  11. James 5:11 Lit end of the Lord
  12. James 5:12 Lit yours is to be yes, yes, and no, no
  13. James 5:14 Lit having anointed
  14. James 5:15 Lit save
  15. James 5:15 Lit it
  16. James 5:16 Or supplication
  17. James 5:16 I.e., granted by God
  18. James 5:17 Lit with prayer
  19. James 5:18 Lit gave

Come now, ye rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony [a]against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have laid up your treasure in the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers who mowed your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth out: and the cries of them that reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Ye have lived delicately on the earth, and taken your pleasure; ye have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned, ye have killed the righteous one; he doth not resist you.

Be patient therefore, brethren, until the [b]coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until [c]it receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Murmur not, brethren, one against another, that ye be not judged: behold, the judge standeth before the doors. 10 Take, brethren, for an example of suffering and of patience, the prophets who spake in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we call them blessed that endured: ye have heard of the [d]patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, how that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful.

12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath: but [e]let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; that ye fall not under judgment.

13 Is any among you suffering? let him pray. Is any cheerful? let him sing praise. 14 Is any among you sick? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, [f]anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 and the prayer of faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him. 16 Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working. 17 Elijah was a man of like [g]passions with us, and he prayed [h]fervently that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again; and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

19 My brethren, if any among you err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 [i]let him know, that he who converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.

Footnotes

  1. James 5:3 Or, unto
  2. James 5:7 Greek presence.
  3. James 5:7 Or, he
  4. James 5:11 Or, endurance
  5. James 5:12 Or, let yours be the yea, yea, and the nay, nay. Compare Mt. 5:37.
  6. James 5:14 Or, having anointed
  7. James 5:17 Or, nature
  8. James 5:17 Greek with prayer.
  9. James 5:20 Some ancient authorities read know ye.