James 5
1 Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you.
Come now, you rich, howl as you weep over your distresses that are coming upon you!
2 Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes.
Your wealth has decayed and your clothes have become moth-eaten.
3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days.
Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire—you stored it up for the last days.
4 Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.
Look, the wages of the workers who cut your fields, that were unjustly held back by you, cry out, and the loud cries of the reapers have entered the ears of the Lord of Hosts.
5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter.
You have lived on the earth in self-indulgence and luxury, you fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.
6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous, who did not resist you.
You condemned, you murdered the righteous—he offers you no resistance.
7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains.
Therefore, brothers, be patient until the coming of the Lord. Consider, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it receives the early and late rain.
8 You, too, be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.
You also be patient. Keep your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord has approached.
9 Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door!
Do not groan against one another, brothers, lest you be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at your doors!
10 Brothers, as an example of patience in affliction, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Brothers, take as an example the patient bearing of hardship and the steadfastness of the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11 See how blessed we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Indeed we count as blessed those who endure—you have heard of the perseverance of Job and have seen the final outcome given by the Lord, that He is very compassionate and merciful.
12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment.
But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or any other oath. Let your “Yes” be “Yes”, and your “No”, “No”, lest you fall into pretense.
13 Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.
Is anyone among you suffering hardship? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the congregation, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
And the prayer of faith will deliver the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sin, it will be forgiven him.
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.
Confess your transgressions to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous one, being operative, is very powerful.
17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops.
And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.
19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back,
Brothers, if anyone among you should wander away from the truth, and someone should turn him back,
20 consider this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
let him know that the one who turns a sinner back from the error of his way will deliver a soul from death and will remove from sight a multitude of sins.
