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The General Epistle of James

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- Chapter 5 -

(Proverbs 23:1–5; 1 Timothy 6:17–19)
1
Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you.
2
Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes.
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.
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.
5
You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter.
6
You have condemned and murdered the righteous, who did not resist you.

Patience in Suffering

(Job 1:1–5)
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.(a)
8
You, too, be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.
9
Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door!
10
Brothers, as an example of patience in affliction, take 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.
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.

The Prayer of Faith

13
Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.
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.
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.
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.
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.
18
Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops.

Restoring a Sinner

19
My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring 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.

Footnotes

(a)5:7 Literally for it until it receives the early and the late
(Proverbs 23:1–5; 1 Timothy 6:17–19)
1
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming on you.
2
Your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten.
3
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
Behold, 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 Armies.(a)
5
You have lived in luxury on the earth, and taken your pleasure. You have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter.
6
You have condemned and you have murdered the righteous one. He doesn’t resist you.

Patience in Suffering

(Job 1:1–5)
7
Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receives the early and late rain.
8
You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
9
Don’t grumble, brothers, against one another, so that you won’t be judged. Behold, the judge stands at the door.
10
Take, brothers, for an example of suffering and of perseverance, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11
Behold, we call them blessed who endured. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and have seen the Lord in the outcome, and how the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
12
But above all things, my brothers, don’t swear— not by heaven, or by the earth, or by any other oath; but let your “yes” be “yes”, and your “no”, “no”, so that you don’t fall into hypocrisy.(b)

The Prayer of Faith

13
Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praises.
14
Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
15
and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16
Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.
17
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it didn’t rain on the earth for three years and six months.
18
He prayed again, and the sky gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Restoring a Sinner

19
Brothers, if any among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back,
20
let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Footnotes

(a)5:4 Greek: Sabaoth (or Hebrew: Tze’va’ot)
(b)5:12 TR reads “under judgment” instead of “into hypocrisy”
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