The General Epistle of James

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- Chapter 5 -

(Proverbs 23:1–5; 1 Timothy 6:17–19)

Goe to nowe, ye rich men: weepe, and howle for your miseries that shall come vpon you.

Your riches are corrupt, and your garments are moth eaten.

Your gold and siluer is cankred, and the rust of them shalbe a witnesse against you, and shall eate your flesh, as it were fire. Ye haue heaped vp treasure for the last dayes.

Behold, the hire of ye labourers, which haue reaped your fieldes (which is of you kept backe by fraude) cryeth, and the cryes of them which haue reaped, are entred into the eares of the Lord of hostes.

Ye haue liued in pleasure on the earth, and in wantonnes. Ye haue nourished your heartes, as in a day of slaughter.

Ye haue condemned and haue killed the iust, and he hath not resisted you.

Patience in Suffering

(Job 1:1–5)

Be patient therefore, brethren, vnto the comming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman wayteth for the precious fruite of the earth, and hath long patience for it, vntill he receiue the former, and the latter rayne.

Be ye also patient therefore and settle your hearts: for ye comming of the Lord draweth neere.

Grudge not one against another, brethren, least ye be condemned: behold, the iudge standeth before the doore.

Take, my brethren, the Prophets for an ensample of suffering aduersitie, and of long patience, which haue spoken in the Name of the Lord.

Beholde, we count them blessed which endure. Ye haue heard of the patience of Iob, and haue knowen what ende the Lord made. For the Lord is very pitifull and mercifull.

But before all thinges, my brethren, sweare not, neither by heauen, nor by earth, nor by any other othe: but let your yea, be yea, and your nay, nay, lest ye fall into condemnation.

The Prayer of Faith

Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merie? Let him sing.

Is any sicke among you? Let him call for the Elders of the Church, and let them pray for him, and anoynt him with oyle in the Name of the Lord.

And the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke, and the Lord shall raise him vp: and if he haue committed sinnes, they shalbe forgiuen him.

Acknowledge your faultes one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed: for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much, if it be feruent.

Helias was a man subiect to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rayne, and it rayned not on the earth for three yeeres and sixe moneths.

And he prayed againe, and the heauen gaue rayne, and the earth brought forth her fruite.

Restoring a Sinner

Brethren, if any of you hath erred from the trueth, and some man hath conuerted him,

Let him know that he which hath conuerted the sinner from going astray out of his way, shall saue a soule from death, and shall hide a multitude of sinnes.

(Proverbs 23:1–5; 1 Timothy 6:17–19)

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming on you.

Your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten.

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.

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)

You have lived in luxury on the earth, and taken your pleasure. You have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter.

You have condemned and you have murdered the righteous one. He doesn’t resist you.

Patience in Suffering

(Job 1:1–5)

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.

You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Don’t grumble, brothers, against one another, so that you won’t be judged. Behold, the judge stands at the door.

Take, brothers, for an example of suffering and of perseverance, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

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.

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

Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praises.

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;

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.

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.

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.

He prayed again, and the sky gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Restoring a Sinner

Brothers, if any among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back,

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”