James 5
1 Go, now, you rich! Weep, howling over your miseries that are coming on [you];
Listen to me, you rich men, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming upon you!
2 your riches have rotted, and your garments have become moth-eaten;
Your riches have wasted away, and your clothes have become moth-eaten.
3 your gold and silver have rotted, and the rust of them will be to you for a testimony, and will eat your flesh as fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days!
Your gold and silver are rusted; and the rust on them shall be evidence against you, and shall eat into your very flesh. It was fire, so to speak, that you stored up for yourselves in these last days.
4 Behold, the reward of the workmen cries out, of those who in-gathered your fields, which has been fraudulently kept back by you, and the exclamations of those who reaped have entered into the ears of the LORD of Hosts;
I tell you, the wages of the labourers who mowed your fields, which you have been fraudulently keeping back, are crying out against you, and the outcries of your reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts!
5 you lived in luxury on the earth, and were wanton; you nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter;
You have lived on earth a life of extravagance and luxury; you have indulged your fancies in a time of bloodshed.
6 you condemned—you murdered the righteous; he does not resist you.
You have condemned, you have murdered, the Righteous One! Must not God be opposed to you?
7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the coming of the LORD; behold, the farmer expects the precious fruit of the earth, being patient for it, until he may receive rain—early and latter;
Be patient, then, Brothers, till the Coming of the Lord. Even the farmer has to wait for the precious fruit of the earth, watching over it patiently, till it has had the spring and summer rains.
8 you also be patient; establish your hearts, because the coming of the LORD has drawn near;
And you must be patient also, and not be discouraged; for the Lord’s Coming is near.
9 do not murmur against one another, brothers, that you may not be condemned; behold, the Judge has stood before the door.
Do not make complaints against one another, Brothers, or judgment will be passed upon you. The Judge is already standing at the door!
10 Brothers, [as] an example of the suffering of evil and of patience, take the prophets who spoke in the Name of the LORD;
Brothers, as an example of the patient endurance of suffering, take the Prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11 behold, we call those who are enduring blessed; you heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the end from the LORD, that the LORD is very compassionate, and pitying.
We count those who displayed such endurance blessed! You have heard, too, of Job’s endurance, and have seen what the Lord’s purpose was, for ‘the Lord is full of pity and compassion.’
12 And before all things, my brothers, do not swear, neither by Heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath, but let your “Yes” be yes, and the “No,” no, that you may not fall under judgment.
Above all things, my Brothers, never take an oath, either by heaven, or by earth, or by anything else. With you let ‘Yes’ suffice for yes, and ‘No’ for no, so that you may escape condemnation.
13 Does anyone suffer evil among you? Let him pray; is anyone of good cheer? Let him sing psalms;
If any of you is in trouble, let him pray; if any one is happy, let him sing hymns.
14 is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, having anointed him with oil, in the Name of the LORD,
If any one of you is ill, let him send for the Officers of the Church, and let them pray over him, after anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 and the prayer of faith will save the distressed one, and the LORD will raise him up, and if he may have committed sins, they will be forgiven to him.
The prayer offered in faith will save the man who is sick, and the Lord will raise him from his bed; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Be confessing to one another the trespasses, and be praying for one another, that you may be healed; very strong is a working supplication of a righteous man;
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be cured. Great is the power of a good man’s fervent prayer.
17 Elijah was a similar-feeling man as us, and with prayer he prayed—not to rain, and it did not rain on the land three years and six months;
Elijah was only a man like ourselves, but, when he prayed fervently that it might not rain, no rain fell upon the land for three years and a half.
18 and again he prayed, and the sky gave rain, and the land brought forth her fruit.
And, when he prayed again, the clouds brought rain, and the land bore crops.
19 Brothers, if anyone among you may go astray from the truth, and anyone may turn him back,
My Brothers, should one of you be led astray from the Truth, and someone bring him back again,
20 let him know that he who turned back a sinner from the straying of his way will save a soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.
be sure that he who brings a sinner back from his mistaken ways will save that man’s soul from Death, and throw a veil over countless sins.
