A Warning to the Rich

5 You rich people, ·listen [^LCome now; 4:13]! Cry [Weep] and be very sad because of the ·troubles [miseries] that are coming to you. ² Your riches have rotted, and your clothes have been eaten by moths. ³ Your gold and silver have ·rusted [corroded], and that ·rust [corrosion] will be a ·proof that you were wrong [^Lwitness/testimony/evidence against you]. It will eat your ·bodies [flesh] like fire. You ·saved [hoarded; stored up] your treasure ·for [or in] the last days [^Cjust before judgment day, when such treasures will be useless]. ⁴ [^LListen; ^TBehold] The ·pay [wages] you ·did not give [defrauded from] the workers who mowed your fields cries out against you [Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:14–15], and the cries of the ·workers [^Lharvesters] have ·been heard by [^Lreached the ears of] the Lord ·All-Powerful [of Hosts/Armies; ^LSabaoth; ^CGod’s warrior name referring to the angelic army]. ⁵ Your life on earth was full of ·rich living [luxury] and ·pleasing yourselves with everything you wanted [pleasure; self-indulgence]. You made ·yourselves [^Lyour hearts] fat, ·like an animal ready to be killed [in/for a day of slaughter; ^Ca farm animal gorging itself, unaware it is being fattened for slaughter]. ⁶ You have ·judged guilty [condemned] and then murdered innocent people, who ·were not against [did not resist/oppose] you.

Be Patient

⁷ [^LTherefore] Brothers and sisters [^Cfellow believers], be patient until the Lord comes again. [^LSee; ^TBehold,] A farmer patiently waits for his ·valuable [precious] ·crop [fruit] to grow from the earth and for it to receive the ·autumn and spring [^Learly and late] rains [Deut. 11:14]. ⁸ You, too, must be patient. ·Do not give up hope [^LStrengthen your hearts], because ·the Lord is coming soon [^Lthe Lord’s coming draws near/is at hand]. ⁹ Brothers and sisters [^Cfellow believers], do not ·complain [grumble] against each other or you will be judged guilty [Matt. 7:1]. ·And [^LLook; ^TBehold] the Judge is ·ready to come [^Lstanding at the door]! ¹⁰ Brothers and sisters [^Cfellow believers], follow the example of the prophets who spoke ·for [^Lin the name of] the Lord. They suffered many hard things, but they ·were patient [endured]. ¹¹ [^LLook; or Indeed] ·We say they are happy [or We consider them blessed] because they ·did not give up [endured; persevered]. You have heard about Job’s ·patience [or endurance; perseverance], and you know the Lord’s purpose for him in the end. You know the Lord is full of mercy and is ·kind [compassionate].

Be Careful What You Say

¹² My brothers and sisters [^Cfellow believers], above all, do not ·use an oath when you make a promise [swear; take a vow]. Don’t use the name of heaven, earth, or anything else to prove what you say. ·When you mean yes, say only yes, and when you mean no, say only no [^TLet your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no; Matt. 5:33–37] so you will not be ·judged guilty [condemned].

The Power of Prayer

¹³ Anyone who is ·having troubles [suffering] should pray. Anyone who is ·happy [joyful] should ·sing praises [sing psalms]. ¹⁴ Anyone who is sick should call the church’s elders. They should pray for and ·pour oil on the person [^Lanoint that person with olive oil; ^Canointing probably indicates dedicating or setting aside the person to God’s care; Mark 6:13] in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer that is said with faith will ·make the sick person well [save the sick; ^Cthe same Greek word is commonly used for both physical healing and spiritual salvation]; the Lord will ·heal [^Lraise up] that person [1 Cor. 12:9, 28]. And if the person has sinned, the sins will be forgiven. ¹⁶ [^LTherefore,] Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so God can heal you. ·When a believing person prays, great things happen [^LThe prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective]. ¹⁷ Elijah was a human being just like us. He prayed [earnestly; ^Lwith prayer] that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years! ¹⁸ Then Elijah prayed again, and ·the rain came down from the sky [or heaven gave rain], and the land produced crops again [1 Kin. 17—18].

Saving a Soul

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters [^Cfellow believers], if one of you ·wanders away [strays] from the truth, and someone helps that person come back, ²⁰ ·remember [^Lknow] this: Anyone who brings a sinner back from the ·wrong way [^Lerror/wandering of his ways] will save that sinner’s soul from death and will ·cause many sins to be forgiven [^Lcover a multitude of sins].