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

Ill-Gotten Riches Will Yield a Treasure of Miseries

Come now, rich ones, weep while wailing over your miseries coming-upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have become corroded[a]. And their corrosion will be for a testimony against you, and will eat your flesh like fire. You stored-up treasure[b] in the last days! Behold— the wages of the workers having mowed your fields, the wages having been fraudulently-withheld by you, cry-out. And the outcries of the ones having reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth[c]. You lived-in-luxury upon the earth, and you lived-indulgently[d]. You fattened your hearts in[e] a day of slaughter. You condemned, you murdered the righteous. He does not oppose[f] you!

Be Patient and Endure Hardship Until The Lord Comes

Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold— the farmer waits-for the precious fruit of the land, being-patient with it until it receives the early and late rain. You also be-patient. Establish your hearts, because the coming of the Lord has drawn-near. Do not be groaning against one another, brothers, in order that you may not be judged. Behold— the Judge stands in front of the doors. 10 Take as an example of suffering-hardship and patience, brothers, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold— we consider-blessed the ones having endured! You heard of the endurance of Job, and you saw the outcome from the Lord: that the Lord is large-hearted[g] and compassionate.

Above All, Be True To Your Word. Be Praying And Singing-Praise

12 And above all, my brothers, do not be swearing[h]— neither by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath. But let your yes be yes and your no be no, in order that you may not fall under judgment. 13 Is anyone among you suffering-hardship? Let him be praying. Is anyone cheerful? Let him be singing-praise.

Pray For One Another So That You May Be Healed

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him summon the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, having anointed[i] him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of [j] faith will restore[k] the one being ill, and the Lord will raise him. And if he has committed[l] sins, it will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore be confessing-out[m] your sins to one another, and be praying for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer[n] of a righteous person can-do much while working[o]. 17 Elijah was a person of-like-nature to us, and he prayed with prayer[p] that it not rain. And it did not rain upon the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Try To Turn Back Those Who Stray From The Truth

19 My brothers, if anyone among you errs[q] from the truth and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that the one having turned-back a sinner from the error of his way will save his[r] soul[s] from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.

Footnotes

  1. James 5:3 Or, tarnished.
  2. James 5:3 Or, wrath, witnesses.
  3. James 5:4 Or, hosts, armies.
  4. James 5:5 Or, lived-for-pleasure.
  5. James 5:5 That is, in connection with.
  6. James 5:6 Or, resist, set himself in array against.
  7. James 5:11 Or, very-affectionate, very-kind.
  8. James 5:12 That is, swearing an oath to strengthen or guarantee your word.
  9. James 5:14 Or, rubbed, smeared. A medicinal use of oil may be in view here, as in Lk 10:34; or, a symbolic use of oil, as in Mk 6:13. In the latter case, the oil may be symbolic of the healing power of the Holy Spirit.
  10. James 5:15 That is, characterized by; or, proceeding from.
  11. James 5:15 Or, save from disease.
  12. James 5:15 That is, if he is in a state of having committed sins, resulting in his sickness.
  13. James 5:16 Or, openly acknowledging.
  14. James 5:16 That is, prayer request, petition.
  15. James 5:16 Or, while at-work. Or this may be rendered ‘the working prayer of a righteous person can do much’, in which case the working (or, effective) prayer means the prayer that God answers.
  16. James 5:17 he prayed with prayer. This is a Hebrew way of speaking, meaning he prayed earnestly.
  17. James 5:19 Or, wanders, goes astray, is led astray.
  18. James 5:20 That is, the sinner’s.
  19. James 5:20 Or, life.