< James 5 >

1 Now [I have something to say to] the rich people [who do not believe in Christ and who] ([oppress you/cause you to suffer]). Listen [to me], you rich people! You should weep and wail [loudly] [DOU] because you will experience terrible troubles [PRS]!
αγε νυν οι πλουσιοι κλαυσατε ολολυζοντες επι ταις ταλαιπωριαις υμων ταις επερχομεναις
2 Your wealth [of various kinds] is [worthless] [MET], [as though it were] rotted. Your fine clothes are [worthless] [MET], [as though] termites had ruined them.
ο πλουτος υμων σεσηπεν και τα ιματια υμων σητοβρωτα γεγονεν
3 Your gold and silver are [worthless] [MET], [as though they were] corroded. [When God judges you], this worthless wealth [MTY] of yours will be evidence [PRS] that you are guilty [of being greedy], and as rust and fire [destroy] [MET, SYN] things, [God] will severely punish you [SIM]. You have ([in vain/uselessly]) (stored up/accumulated) [wealth] at a time when [God] is about to [judge you] [MTY].
ο χρυσος υμων και ο αργυρος κατιωται και ο ιος αυτων εις μαρτυριον υμιν εσται και φαγεται τας σαρκας υμων ως πυρ εθησαυρισατε εν εσχαταις ημεραις
4 Think [about what you have done]. You have not paid wages to the workmen who have harvested your fields for you, [with the result that] [PRS] those reapers are crying out [to God for him to help them]. [And God], the all-powerful Lord, has heard their loud cries.
ιδου ο μισθος των εργατων των αμησαντων τας χωρας υμων ο απεστερημενος αφ υμων κραζει και αι βοαι των θερισαντων εις τα ωτα κυριου σαβαωθ εισεληλυθασιν
5 You have lived luxuriously, just to have pleasure [here] on earth. [Just like cattle fatten themselves, not realizing that] they will be slaughtered [MET], you have [lived just for pleasure] [MTY], [not realizing that God will severely punish you].
ετρυφησατε επι της γης και εσπαταλησατε εθρεψατε τας καρδιας υμων ως εν ημερα σφαγης
6 You have [arranged for others/judges to] condemn innocent people. You have [arranged for others to kill] some people. [And even though] those people had not done anything wrong, they were not [able to] defend themselves against you. [My fellow believers, that is what I say to the rich people] ([who oppress you/cause you to suffer]).
κατεδικασατε εφονευσατε τον δικαιον ουκ αντιτασσεται υμιν
7 So, my fellow believers, [although rich people cause you to suffer], be patient until the Lord [Jesus Christ] comes [back]. Remember that when farmers [plant a field], they wait for their valuable crops to grow. They must wait patiently for the rain [that comes] at the planting season and for more rain [that comes] just before the harvest season. They wait [for] the crops [to grow and mature before they can harvest them].
μακροθυμησατε ουν αδελφοι εως της παρουσιας του κυριου ιδου ο γεωργος εκδεχεται τον τιμιον καρπον της γης μακροθυμων επ αυτον εως αν λαβη υετον πρωιμον και οψιμον
8 [Similarly], you also should [wait] patiently and trust the Lord [Jesus] firmly, because he is coming [back] soon [and will judge all people fairly].
μακροθυμησατε και υμεις στηριξατε τας καρδιας υμων οτι η παρουσια του κυριου ηγγικεν
9 My fellow believers, do not complain about each other, in order that you will not be condemned [and punished by the Lord Jesus] {in order that [the Lord Jesus] will not condemn you}. It is he who will judge us, and he is ready to appear.
μη στεναζετε κατ αλληλων αδελφοι ινα μη κριθητε ιδου ο κριτης προ των θυρων εστηκεν
10 My fellow believers, as an example [of how to be patient], (consider/think about) the prophets whom the Lord [God sent long ago] to speak his messages [MTY]. [Although people caused] the prophets to suffer a lot, they endured it patiently.
υποδειγμα λαβετε αδελφοι της κακοπαθειας και της μακροθυμιας τους προφητας οι ελαλησαν εν τω ονοματι κυριου
11 And we know that [God] (approves of/is pleased with) those who endure [suffering for him]. You have also heard about Job. You know that [although he suffered much], the Lord [God] finally caused things to turn out well [for Job because] he endured [that suffering] (OR, because he continued [to trust God]). [And from that we know] that the Lord is very compassionate and kind.
ιδου μακαριζομεν τους υπομενοντας την υπομονην ιωβ ηκουσατε και το τελος κυριου ειδετε οτι πολυσπλαγχνος εστιν και οικτιρμων
12 Also, my fellow believers, [I want to say] something important [about how you talk]. [If you say that you will do something], do not say, “If I do not do it, may [God in] heaven [MTY] punish me.” Do not even say, “If I do not do it, may [someone here on] earth [MTY] punish me.” Do not say anything like that. Instead, if you say “Yes,” then [do what you said that you would do]. If you say “No,” then do not [do it]. Otherwise, [God] will condemn you.
προ παντων δε αδελφοι μου μη ομνυετε μητε τον ουρανον μητε την γην μητε αλλον τινα ορκον ητω δε υμων το ναι ναι και το ου ου ινα μη εις υποκρισιν πεσητε
13 Whoever among you is experiencing trouble [RHQ] should pray [that God would help him. Whoever] is cheerful/happy [RHQ] should sing songs of praise [to God].
κακοπαθει τις εν υμιν προσευχεσθω ευθυμει τις ψαλλετω
14 Whoever among you is sick [RHQ] should call the leaders of the congregation [to come to pray for him]. They should put [olive] oil on him and, with the Lord’s authority [MTY] (OR, calling on the Lord [to heal him]), pray.
ασθενει τις εν υμιν προσκαλεσασθω τους πρεσβυτερους της εκκλησιας και προσευξασθωσαν επ αυτον αλειψαντες αυτον ελαιω εν τω ονοματι του κυριου
15 And if they truly trust [in the Lord] when they pray [PRS], the sick person will be healed. The Lord will heal him. And if that person has sinned ([in a way that caused him to be/and because of that he became]) [sick, if he] ([confesses what he did/says that he did what is wrong]), he will be forgiven {[the Lord] will forgive him}.
και η ευχη της πιστεως σωσει τον καμνοντα και εγερει αυτον ο κυριος καν αμαρτιας η πεποιηκως αφεθησεται αυτω
16 So, [because the Lord is able to heal the sick and to forgive sins], tell each other the sinful things that you have done, and pray for each other in order that you may be healed {that [God] may heal you} [physically and spiritually]. If righteous people [pray and] ask fervently [for God to do something, God] will certainly do it in a powerful way.
εξομολογεισθε αλληλοις τα παραπτωματα και ευχεσθε υπερ αλληλων οπως ιαθητε πολυ ισχυει δεησις δικαιου ενεργουμενη
17 [Although the prophet] Elijah was (an ordinary person/just a human being) like us, he earnestly prayed that it would not rain. [As a result], it did not rain for three and a half years.
ηλιας ανθρωπος ην ομοιοπαθης ημιν και προσευχη προσηυξατο του μη βρεξαι και ουκ εβρεξεν επι της γης ενιαυτους τρεις και μηνας εξ
18 Then he prayed again, [asking God to send rain], and [as a result God] [MTY] sent rain, and plants [grew and] produced crops [again].
και παλιν προσηυξατο και ο ουρανος υετον εδωκεν και η γη εβλαστησεν τον καρπον αυτης
19 My fellow believers, if anyone of you stops obeying the true message [from God], someone from among you should persuade that person to once again do [what God has told us to do]. [If he stops doing what is wrong],
αδελφοι εαν τις εν υμιν πλανηθη απο της αληθειας και επιστρεψη τις αυτον
20 the one [who persuaded him] should realize that [because] he has enabled the person who was sinning to stop doing what is wrong, [God] will save that person from ([spiritual] death/being separated from him forever), and will forgive [his] many sins.
γινωσκετω οτι ο επιστρεψας αμαρτωλον εκ πλανης οδου αυτου σωσει ψυχην εκ θανατου και καλυψει πληθος αμαρτιων

< James 5 >