James 5
Common English Bible
5 Pay attention, you wealthy people! Weep and moan over the miseries coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted. Moths have destroyed your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you. It will eat your flesh like fire. Consider the treasure you have hoarded in the last days. 4 Listen! Hear the cries of the wages of your field hands. These are the wages you stole from those who harvested your fields. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of heavenly forces. 5 You have lived a self-satisfying life on this earth, a life of luxury. You have stuffed your hearts in preparation for the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who doesn’t oppose you.
Courageous patience
7 Therefore, brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the coming of the Lord. Consider the farmer who waits patiently for the coming of rain in the fall and spring, looking forward to the precious fruit of the earth. 8 You also must wait patiently, strengthening your resolve, because the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Don’t complain about each other, brothers and sisters, so that you won’t be judged. Look! The judge is standing at the door!
10 Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of patient resolve and steadfastness. 11 Look at how we honor those who have practiced endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job. And you have seen what the Lord has accomplished, for the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Final instructions
12 Most important, my brothers and sisters, never make a solemn pledge—neither by heaven nor earth, nor by anything else. Instead, speak with a simple “Yes” or “No,” or else you may fall under judgment.
13 If any of you are suffering, they should pray. If any of you are happy, they should sing. 14 If any of you are sick, they should call for the elders of the church, and the elders should pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Prayer that comes from faith will heal the sick, for the Lord will restore them to health. And if they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 For this reason, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve. 17 Elijah was a person just like us. When he earnestly prayed that it wouldn’t rain, no rain fell for three and a half years. 18 He prayed again, God sent rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
19 My brothers and sisters, if any of you wander from the truth and someone turns back the wanderer, 20 recognize that whoever brings a sinner back from the wrong path will save them from death and will bring about the forgiveness of many sins.
James 5
Revised Geneva Translation
5 Come now, you rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupt, and your garments are moth-eaten.
3 Your gold and silver are corroded. And the rust of them shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh as if it were fire. You have heaped up treasure for the last days.
4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who have reaped your fields cry out (those which are fraudulently withheld by you). And the cries of those reapers are entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts.
5 You have lived in pleasure on the Earth and been riotous. You have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
6 You have condemned and have killed the just. And he has not resisted you.
7 Therefore brothers, be patient until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth (and has long patience for it) until he receives the early and the late rain.
8 Therefore, you also be patient, and settle your hearts. For the coming of the Lord draws near.
9 Do not groan against one another, brothers, lest you be condemned. Behold, the judge stands before the door.
10 My brothers, take the Prophets as an example of suffering adversity and of long patience, who have spoken in the Name of the Lord.
11 Behold, we count those blessed who endure. You have heard of the patience of Job and have known what end the Lord made. For the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
12 But before all things, my brothers, do not swear - not by Heaven, nor by Earth, nor by any other oath. But let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’, ‘no’, lest you fall into condemnation.
13 Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing.
14 Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church. And let them pray for him and anoint him with oil in the Name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick. And the Lord shall raise him up. And if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven.
16 Acknowledge your faults one to another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. For the fervent prayers of the righteous avail much.
17 Elijah was a man subject to similar passions as we are. And he prayed earnestly that it might not rain. And it did not rain 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 Brothers, if any of you have erred from the truth, and someone has converted him,
20 let him know that the one who has returned a sinner from wandering shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
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