James 5

1 Come now, you rich — weep, wailing over the miseries coming upon you. [a] 2 Your wealth has rotted, and your clothes have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have rusted, and their rust will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh. Like fire, you stored up treasure in the last days. [b]

4 Look — the wage of the workers who mowed your fields, which you kept back, cries out; and the shouts of the harvesters have gone into the ears of the Lord of armies. [c] 5 You lived in luxury on the earth and gave yourselves to soft living. You fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. [e] 6 You condemned, you murdered the righteous one. Does he not oppose you? [f]

7 Therefore be patient, 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 the late rain. [g] 8 You also be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the coming of the Lord has come near. 9 Do not groan against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged. Look — the judge stands before the doors. [i]

10 Take as an example of suffering evil and of patience, brothers, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Look — we call blessed those who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you saw the outcome of the Lord, that the Lord is full of pity and compassionate. [j] † 12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear — not by heaven, not by the earth, not by any other oath. But let your Yes be yes and your No, no, so that you may not fall under judgment. [l]

13 Is anyone among you suffering evil? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him make music. [m] 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the gathering, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. [n] † 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is worn out, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, it will be forgiven him. [o] 16 Therefore acknowledge your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. A righteous person’s plea, at work, is very strong. [p]

17 Elijah was a man with the same feelings as us, and he prayed a prayer that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. [r] 18 And again he prayed, and the heaven gave rain and the earth sprouted its fruit.

19 My brothers, if anyone among you is led astray from the truth and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that the one who turns a sinner back from the straying of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. [s]