Peter and Cornelius

10 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of ^(A)what was known as the Italian Cohort, ² a devout man ^(B)who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. ^3 (C)About the ninth hour of the day^{[a] (D)}he saw clearly in a vision ^(E)an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” ⁴ And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms ^(F)have ascended ^(G)as a memorial before God. ⁵ And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. ⁶ He is lodging ^(H)with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” ⁷ When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, ⁸ and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Peter's Vision

⁹ The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, ^(I)Peter went up ^(J)on the housetop about ^(K)the sixth hour^[b] to pray. ¹⁰ And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into ^(L)a trance ¹¹ and saw ^(M)the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. ¹² In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. ¹³ And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” ¹⁴ But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; ^(N)for I have never eaten anything that is ^(O)common or ^(P)unclean.” ¹⁵ And the voice came to him again a second time, ^(Q)“What God has made clean, do not call common.” ¹⁶ This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

¹⁷ Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what ^(R)the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, ^(S)the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate ¹⁸ and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. ¹⁹ And while Peter was pondering ^(T)the vision, ^(U)the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. ²⁰ Rise and go down and ^(V)accompany them without hesitation,^[c] for I have sent them.” ²¹ And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” ²² And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and ^(W)God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by ^(X)a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and ^(Y)to hear what you have to say.” ²³ So he invited them in to be his guests.

The next day he rose and went away with them, and ^(Z)some of ^(AA)the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. ²⁴ And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵ When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and ^(AB)fell down at his feet and ^(AC)worshiped him. ²⁶ But Peter lifted him up, saying, ^(AD)“Stand up; I too am a man.” ²⁷ And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. ²⁸ And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew ^(AE)to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but ^(AF)God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. ²⁹ So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”

³⁰ And Cornelius said, ^(AG)“Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at ^(AH)the ninth hour,^[d] and behold, ^(AI)a man stood before me in bright clothing ³¹ and said, ‘Cornelius, ^(AJ)your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. ³² Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ ³³ So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

Gentiles Hear the Good News

³⁴ So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that ^(AK)God ^(AL)shows no partiality, ³⁵ but ^(AM)in every nation anyone who fears him and ^(AN)does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶ As for ^(AO)the word that he sent to Israel, ^(AP)preaching good news of ^(AQ)peace through Jesus Christ (^(AR)he is Lord of all), ³⁷ you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, ^(AS)beginning ^(AT)from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: ³⁸ how ^(AU)God anointed Jesus of Nazareth ^(AV)with the Holy Spirit and with ^(AW)power. He went about doing good and healing all ^(AX)who were oppressed by the devil, ^(AY)for God was with him. ³⁹ And ^(AZ)we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. ^(BA)They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, ⁴⁰ but ^(BB)God raised him on ^(BC)the third day and made him to ^(BD)appear, ^41 (BE)not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as ^(BF)witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴² And ^(BG)he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify ^(BH)that he is the one appointed by God to be judge ^(BI)of the living and the dead. ^43 (BJ)To him ^(BK)all the prophets bear witness that ^(BL)everyone who believes in him receives ^(BM)forgiveness of sins ^(BN)through his name.”

The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles

⁴⁴ While Peter was still saying these things, ^(BO)the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. ⁴⁵ And the believers from among ^(BP)the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because ^(BQ)the gift of the Holy Spirit ^(BR)was poured out even on the Gentiles. ⁴⁶ For they were hearing them ^(BS)speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, ^47 (BT)“Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit ^(BU)just as we have?” ⁴⁸ And he ^(BV)commanded them ^(BW)to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

Peter Reports to the Church

11 Now the apostles and ^(BX)the brothers^[e] who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ² So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, ^(BY)the circumcision party^[f] criticized him, saying, ^3 (BZ)“You went to uncircumcised men and ^(CA)ate with them.” ⁴ But Peter began and explained it to them in order: ^5 (CB)“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. ⁶ Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. ⁷ And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ ⁸ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹ But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. ¹¹ And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. ¹² And the Spirit told me to go with them, ^(CC)making no distinction. ^(CD)These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. ¹³ And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; ^14 (CE)he will declare to you a message by which ^(CF)you will be saved, you and all your household.’ ¹⁵ As I began to speak, ^(CG)the Holy Spirit fell on them ^(CH)just as on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ^(CI)‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ If then ^(CJ)God gave ^(CK)the same gift to them as he gave to us ^(CL)when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, ^(CM)who was I ^(CN)that I could stand in God's way?” ¹⁸ When they heard these things they fell silent. And they ^(CO)glorified God, saying, ^(CP)“Then to the Gentiles also God has ^(CQ)granted ^(CR)repentance that leads to life.”

The Church in Antioch

^19 (CS)Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. ²⁰ But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists^[g] also, ^(CT)preaching the Lord Jesus. ²¹ And ^(CU)the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed ^(CV)turned to the Lord. ²² The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³ When he came and saw ^(CW)the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord ^(CX)with steadfast purpose, ²⁴ for he was a good man, ^(CY)full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people ^(CZ)were added to the Lord. ²⁵ So Barnabas went to ^(DA)Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶ and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called ^(DB)Christians.

²⁷ Now in these days ^(DC)prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸ And one of them named ^(DD)Agabus stood up and foretold ^(DE)by the Spirit that there would be a great ^(DF)famine over all the world (this took place in the days of ^(DG)Claudius). ²⁹ So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, ^(DH)to send relief to ^(DI)the brothers^[h] living in Judea. ^30 (DJ)And they did so, sending it to ^(DK)the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

James Killed and Peter Imprisoned

12 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. ² He killed ^(DL)James the brother of John ^(DM)with the sword, ³ and when he saw ^(DN)that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during ^(DO)the days of Unleavened Bread. ⁴ And when he had seized him, he put him ^(DP)in prison, delivering him over to four ^(DQ)squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. ⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest ^(DR)prayer for him was made to God by the church.

Peter Is Rescued

⁶ Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, ^(DS)bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. ⁷ And behold, ^(DT)an angel of the Lord ^(DU)stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. ^(DV)He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And ^(DW)the chains fell off his hands. ⁸ And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and ^(DX)put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” ⁹ And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but ^(DY)thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰ When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. ^(DZ)It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. ¹¹ When Peter ^(EA)came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that ^(EB)the Lord has sent his angel and ^(EC)rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

¹² When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of ^(ED)John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and ^(EE)were praying. ¹³ And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, ^(EF)a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. ¹⁴ Recognizing Peter's voice, ^(EG)in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. ¹⁵ They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is ^(EH)his angel!” ¹⁶ But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. ¹⁷ But ^(EI)motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to ^(EJ)James and to ^(EK)the brothers.”^[i] Then he departed and went to another place.

¹⁸ Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. ¹⁹ And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ^(EL)ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.

The Death of Herod

²⁰ Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and ^(EM)having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain,^[j] they asked for peace, because ^(EN)their country depended on the king's country for food. ²¹ On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. ²² And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” ²³ Immediately ^(EO)an angel of the Lord struck him down, because ^(EP)he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.

²⁴ But ^(EQ)the word of God increased and multiplied.

^25 (ER)And Barnabas and Saul returned from^[k] Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them ^(ES)John, whose other name was Mark.

Greeting

1 ^(A)James, a servant^[a] of God and ^(B)of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To ^(C)the twelve tribes in ^(D)the Dispersion:

Greetings.

Testing of Your Faith

^2 (E)Count it all joy, my brothers,^[b] when you meet trials ^(F)of various kinds, ³ for you know that ^(G)the testing of your faith ^(H)produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be ^(I)perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

^5 (J)If any of you lacks wisdom, ^(K)let him ask God, ^(L)who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶ But ^(M)let him ask in faith, ^(N)with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like ^(O)a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ^8 (P)he is a double-minded man, ^(Q)unstable in all his ways.

⁹ Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, ¹⁰ and ^(R)the rich in his humiliation, because ^(S)like a flower of the grass^[c] he will pass away. ¹¹ For the sun rises with its scorching heat and ^(T)withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

^12 (U)Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive ^(V)the crown of life, ^(W)which God has promised to those who love him. ¹³ Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. ¹⁴ But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. ¹⁵ Then desire ^(X)when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and ^(Y)sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

¹⁶ Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. ^17 (Z)Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from ^(AA)the Father of lights, ^(AB)with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.^{[d] 18 (AC)}Of his own will he ^(AD)brought us forth by the word of truth, ^(AE)that we should be a kind of ^(AF)firstfruits of his creatures.

Hearing and Doing the Word

^19 (AG)Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person ^(AH)be quick to hear, ^(AI)slow to speak, ^(AJ)slow to anger; ²⁰ for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. ²¹ Therefore ^(AK)put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with ^(AL)meekness the implanted word, ^(AM)which is able to save your souls.

²² But be ^(AN)doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. ²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law, ^(AO)the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, ^(AP)he will be blessed in his doing.

²⁶ If anyone thinks he is religious ^(AQ)and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's ^(AR)religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: ^(AS)to visit ^(AT)orphans and widows in their affliction, and ^(AU)to keep oneself ^(AV)unstained from the world.

The Sin of Partiality

2 My brothers,^{[e] (AW)}show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(AX)the Lord of glory. ² For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, ³ and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” ^(AY)while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” ⁴ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become ^(AZ)judges with evil thoughts? ⁵ Listen, my beloved brothers, ^(BA)has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be ^(BB)rich in faith and heirs of ^(BC)the kingdom, ^(BD)which he has promised to those who love him? ⁶ But you ^(BE)have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who ^(BF)drag you ^(BG)into court? ⁷ Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable ^(BH)name by which you were called?

⁸ If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ^(BI)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. ⁹ But if you ^(BJ)show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. ¹⁰ For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point ^(BK)has become guilty of all of it. ¹¹ For he who said, ^(BL)“Do not commit adultery,” also said, ^(BM)“Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. ¹² So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under ^(BN)the law of liberty. ¹³ For ^(BO)judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith Without Works Is Dead

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith ^(BP)but does not have works? Can that faith save him? ^15 (BQ)If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, ^16 (BR)and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good^[f] is that? ¹⁷ So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith ^(BS)apart from your works, and I will show you my faith ^(BT)by my works. ^19 (BU)You believe that God is one; you do well. Even ^(BV)the demons believe—and shudder! ²⁰ Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? ^21 (BW)Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that ^(BX)faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed ^(BY)by his works; ²³ and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ^(BZ)“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a ^(CA)friend of God. ²⁴ You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ And in the same way was not also ^(CB)Rahab the prostitute justified by works ^(CC)when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? ²⁶ For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Taming the Tongue

3 ^(CD)Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. ² For ^(CE)we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, ^(CF)he is a perfect man, ^(CG)able also to bridle his whole body. ³ If we put ^(CH)bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. ⁴ Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small member, yet ^(CI)it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ⁶ And ^(CJ)the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, ^(CK)staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,^[g] and set on fire by hell.^{[h] 7} For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, ^(CL)full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people ^(CM)who are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰ From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,^[i] these things ought not to be so. ¹¹ Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Wisdom from Above

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? ^(CN)By his good conduct let him show his works ^(CO)in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter ^(CP)jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵ This is not ^(CQ)the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, ^(CR)demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. ¹⁷ But ^(CS)the wisdom from above is first pure, then ^(CT)peaceable, gentle, open to reason, ^(CU)full of mercy and good fruits, ^(CV)impartial and ^(CW)sincere. ¹⁸ And ^(CX)a harvest of righteousness ^(CY)is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Warning Against Worldliness

4 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions^[j] are ^(CZ)at war within you?^{[k] 2} You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask ^(DA)wrongly, to spend it on your passions. ^4 (DB)You adulterous people!^[l] Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? ^(DC)Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit ^(DD)that he has made to dwell in us”? ⁶ But ^(DE)he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ^(DF)“God opposes the proud but ^(DG)gives grace to the humble.” ⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. ^(DH)Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ^8 (DI)Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. ^(DJ)Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and ^(DK)purify your hearts, ^(DL)you double-minded. ^9 (DM)Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. ^10 (DN)Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

^11 (DO)Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.^[m] The one who speaks against a brother or ^(DP)judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. ¹² There is only ^(DQ)one lawgiver and ^(DR)judge, he who is able to save and ^(DS)to destroy. But ^(DT)who are you to judge your neighbor?

Boasting About Tomorrow

¹³ Come now, you who say, ^(DU)“Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— ¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For ^(DV)you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, ^(DW)“If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. ^(DX)All such boasting is evil. ^17 (DY)So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Warning to the Rich

5 Come now, ^(DZ)you rich, weep and howl for the ^(EA)miseries that are coming upon you. ^2 (EB)Your riches have rotted and ^(EC)your garments are moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. ^(ED)You have laid up treasure ^(EE)in the last days. ⁴ Behold, ^(EF)the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and ^(EG)the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of ^(EH)the Lord of hosts. ^5 (EI)You have lived on the earth in luxury and ^(EJ)in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in ^(EK)a day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and ^(EL)murdered ^(EM)the righteous person. He does not resist you.

Patience in Suffering

⁷ Be patient, therefore, brothers,^[n] until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives ^(EN)the early and the late rains. ⁸ You also, be patient. ^(EO)Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord ^(EP)is at hand. ⁹ Do not grumble against one another, brothers, ^(EQ)so that you may not be judged; behold, ^(ER)the Judge is standing ^(ES)at the door. ¹⁰ As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take ^(ET)the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of ^(EU)the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen ^(EV)the purpose of the Lord, how ^(EW)the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

¹² But above all, my brothers, ^(EX)do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

The Prayer of Faith

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him ^(EY)sing praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, ^(EZ)anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And ^(FA)if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore, ^(FB)confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, ^(FC)that you may be healed. ^(FD)The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.^{[o] 17} Elijah was a man ^(FE)with a nature like ours, and ^(FF)he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for ^(FG)three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. ^18 (FH)Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

¹⁹ My brothers, ^(FI)if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone ^(FJ)brings him back, ²⁰ let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering ^(FK)will save his soul from death and ^(FL)will cover a multitude of sins.