James 5
1 Come on, you rich people! You should weep and wail for all the problems that are coming your way!
Come now, you rich, weep and cry aloud for your miseries that are coming on you.
2 Your wealth is ruined, and your clothes have been eaten by moths.
Your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten.
3 Your gold and your silver are corroded, and this corrosion will be evidence against you, eating away your flesh like fire. You hoarded up your wealth in these last days.
Your gold and your silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be for a testimony against you, and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up your treasure in the last days.
4 Look, the wages of your farm workers that you cheated are crying out against you—the cries of the farm workers have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.
Look, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of those who reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts.
5 You've enjoyed a life of luxury here on earth, full of self-indulgent pleasure, fattening yourselves up for the day of slaughter!
You have lived delicately on the earth, and taken your pleasure. You have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter.
6 You have condemned and killed the innocent who didn't even resist you.
You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous one. He does not resist you.
7 Friends, be patient as you wait for the Lord's return. Think of the farmer waiting patiently for the earth's precious harvest as it grows with the early and later rains.
Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Look, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receives the early and late rain.
8 You need to be patient too. Stay strong for the Lord's return is near.
You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
9 My friends, don't complain about each other, so you won't be judged. Look, the judge is standing right at the door!
Do not grumble, brothers, against one another, so that you won't be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door.
10 Take the prophets as an example, my friends—see how they spoke in the Lord's name as they suffered and waited patiently.
Take, brothers, for an example of suffering and of patience, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11 Notice that we say that those who endure are blessed. You've heard about the patience of Job, and you've seen how the Lord brought this to a positive conclusion—for the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Look, we call them blessed who endured. You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the Lord in the outcome, and how the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
12 Above all, my friends, don't swear. Not by heaven, not by earth, and not by any other kind of oath. Just let your yes be yes, and your no be no, so you won't fall under condemnation.
But above all things, my brothers, do not swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath; but let your "yes" be "yes," and your "no," "no;" so that you do not fall under judgment.
13 Are any of you suffering? You should pray. Are some of you cheerful? You should sing songs of praise.
Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.
14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the church elders and have them pray over you, and anoint you with oil in the Lord's name.
Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 Such a prayer, trusting in God, will heal those who are sick, and the Lord will make them well. If they've committed sins, they will be forgiven.
And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Admit the wrongs you've done to each other, and pray for one another so that you'll be healed. Earnest prayer from those who live right is very effective.
Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.
17 Elijah was a man who had the same human nature as we do. He prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three and a half years.
Elijah was a human being with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18 He prayed again—heaven sent rain and the earth gave its harvest.
He prayed again, and the sky gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit.
19 My friends, if any one of you strays from the truth and someone brings you back,
My brothers, if any among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,
20 let them know that whoever rescues a sinner from the error of their ways will save them from death, and will gain forgiveness for many sins.
let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.
