1Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. (Pr 11:28; Am 6:1; Lu 6:24; Ro 3:16; 1Ti 6:9)2Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. (Job 13:28; Isa 50:9; Mt 6:19)3Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. (Mt 6:19; Lu 12:21; Ro 2:5; Jas 5:8)4Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. (Le 19:13; De 24:15; Job 24:10; Ro 9:29)5You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. (Job 21:13; Jer 12:3; Lu 16:19; 1Ti 5:6; 2Pe 2:13)6You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you. (Ac 3:14; Jas 4:2)
Patience in Suffering
7Be patient, therefore, brothers,[1] until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. (De 11:14)8You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. (Ro 13:11; Php 4:5; 1Th 3:13; Heb 10:25; Heb 10:37; 1Pe 4:7)9Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. (Mt 7:1; Mt 24:33; Mr 13:29; 1Co 4:5; 1Pe 4:5; Re 22:12)10As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. (Mt 5:12; Mt 23:34; Ac 7:52; Heb 11:32)11Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. (Ex 34:6; Job 1:21; Job 2:10; Job 42:10; Job 42:12)12But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. (Mt 5:34)
The Prayer of Faith
13Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. (Col 3:16)14Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (Mr 6:13; Mr 16:18)15And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (Isa 33:24; Mt 9:2; Mr 2:5; Lu 5:20)16Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.[2] (Ge 18:23; Ge 20:17; Nu 11:2; 1Ki 13:6; 1Ki 17:22; 2Ki 4:33; 2Ki 19:15; 2Ki 20:2; Job 42:8; Pr 15:29; Ac 19:18; Heb 12:13)17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. (1Ki 17:1; 1Ki 18:1; Lu 4:25; Ac 14:15)18Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. (1Ki 18:42; 1Ki 18:45)19My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, (Ps 51:13; Da 12:3; Mal 2:6; Mt 18:15; Lu 1:16; Ga 6:1)20let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (Ne 4:5; Ps 32:1; Ps 85:2; Pr 10:12; Ro 11:14; 1Pe 4:8)
James 5
New International Version
Warning to rich oppressors
1Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you.2Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.3Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.4Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.5You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.[1]6You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
Patience in suffering
7Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.8You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.9Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!10Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.11As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.12Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear – not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. Otherwise you will be condemned.
The prayer of faith
13Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.14Is anyone among you ill? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.17Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.19My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back,20remember this: whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
James 5
King James Version
1Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.2Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.3Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.4Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.5Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.6Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.7Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.8Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.9Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.10Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.11Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.12But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.13Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.14Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:15And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.16Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.17Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.18And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.19Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;20Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
James 5
New International Reader’s Version
A warning to rich people
1You rich people, listen to me. Cry and weep, because you will soon be suffering.2Your riches have rotted. Moths have eaten your clothes.3Your gold and silver have lost their brightness. Their dullness will be a witness against you. Your wanting more and more will eat your body like fire. You have stored up riches in these last days.4You have even failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields. Their pay is crying out against you. The cries of those who gathered the harvest have reached the ears of the Lord. He rules over all.5You have lived an easy life on earth. You have given yourselves everything you wanted. You have made yourselves fat like cattle that will soon be butchered.6You have judged and murdered people who aren’t guilty. And they weren’t even opposing you.
Be patient when you suffer
7Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes. See how the farmer waits for the land to produce its rich crop. See how patient the farmer is for the autumn and spring rains.8You too must be patient. You must remain strong. The Lord will soon come back.9Brothers and sisters, don’t find fault with one another. If you do, you will be judged. And the Judge is standing at the door!10Brothers and sisters, think about the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. They are an example of how to be patient when you suffer.11As you know, we think that people who don’t give up are blessed. You have heard that Job was patient. And you have seen what the Lord finally did for him. The Lord is full of tender mercy and loving concern.12My brothers and sisters, here is what is most important. Don’t make a promise by giving your word. Don’t promise by heaven or earth. And don’t promise by anything else to back up what you say. All you need to say is a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. If you do more than this, you will be judged.
The prayer of faith
13Is anyone among you in trouble? Then that person should pray. Is anyone among you happy? Then that person should sing songs of praise.14Is anyone among you ill? Then that person should send for the elders of the church to pray over them. They should ask the elders to anoint them with olive oil in the name of the Lord.15The prayer offered by those who have faith will make the ill person well. The Lord will heal them. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.16So confess your sins to one another. Pray for one another so that you might be healed. The prayer of a godly person is powerful. Things happen because of it.17Elijah was a human being, just as we are. He prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain. And it didn’t rain on the land for three and a half years.18Then he prayed again. That time it rained. And the earth produced its crops.19My brothers and sisters, suppose one of you wanders away from the truth. And suppose someone brings that person back.20Then here is what I want you to remember. Anyone who keeps a sinner from going astray will save them from death. God will erase many sins by forgiving them.