James
5:(1-12) 13-20
(1) Come now, you rich, weep and
howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.
(2) Your riches have rotted and
your garments are moth-eaten.
(3) Your 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.
(4) Behold, 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.
(5) You have lived on the earth in
luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of
slaughter.
(6) You have condemned; you have
murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
(7) Be patient, therefore,
brothers, 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.
(8) You also, be patient.
Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
(9) Do not grumble against one
another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing
at the door.
(10) As an example of suffering and
patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
(11) Behold, 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.
(12) But 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.
(13) Is anyone among you suffering?
Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
(14) Is 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.
(15) And 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.
(16) Therefore, 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.
(17) Elijah 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.
(18) Then he prayed again, and
heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
(19) My brothers, if anyone among
you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,
(20) let him know that whoever
brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will
cover a multitude of sins.