James 5 - J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

Riches are going to prove a liability, not an asset, to the selfish

5 1-6 And now, you plutocrats, is the time for you to weep and moan because of the miseries in store for you! Your richest goods are ruined, your hoard of clothes is moth-eaten, your gold and silver are tarnished. Yes, their very tarnish will be the evidence of your wicked hoarding and you will shrink from them as if they were red-hot. You have made a fine pile in these last days, haven’t you? But look, here is the pay of the reaper you hired and whom you cheated, and it is shouting against you! And the cries of the other labourers you swindled are heard by the Lord of Hosts himself. Yes, you have had a magnificent time on this earth, and have indulged yourselves to the full. You have picked out just what you wanted like soldiers looting after battle. You have condemned and ruined innocent men in your career, and they have been powerless to stop you.

Ultimate justice will surely come: be patient meanwhile

7-8 But be patient, my brothers, as you wait for the Lord to come. Look at the farmer quietly awaiting his precious harvest. See how he has to possess his soul in patience till the land has had the early and late rains. So must you be patient, resting your hearts on the ultimate certainty. The Lord’s coming is very near.

9 Don’t make complaints against each other in the meantime my brothers (as you wait for Christ’s return)—you may be the one at fault yourself. The judge himself is already at the door.

10-11 For our example of the patient endurance of suffering we can take the prophets who have spoken in the Lord’s name. Remember that it is usually those who have patiently endured to whom we accord the word “blessed!” You have heard of Job’s patient endurance and how God dealt with him in the end, and therefore you have seen that the Lord is merciful and full of understanding pity for us men.

Don’t emphasise with oaths; speak the plain truth

12 It is of the highest importance, my brothers, that your speech should be free from oaths (whether they are “by” heaven or earth or anything else). Your yes should be a plain yes, and your no a plain no, and then you cannot go wrong in the matter.

Prayer is a great weapon

13 If any of you is in trouble let him pray. If anyone is flourishing let him sing praises to God.

14-16a If anyone is ill he should send for the Church elders. They should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Lord’s name. Believing prayer will save the sick man; the Lord will restore him and any sins that he has committed will be forgiven. You should get into the habit of admitting your sins to each other, and praying for each other, so that if sickness comes to you, you may be healed.

16b-18 Tremendous power is made available through a good man’s earnest prayer. Do you remember Elijah? He was a man like us but he prayed earnestly that it should not rain. In fact, not a drop fell on the land for three and a half years. Then he prayed again, the heavens gave the rain and the earth sprouted with vegetation as usual.

A concluding hint

19-20 My brothers, if any of you should wander away from the truth and another should turn him back on to the right path, then the latter may be sure that in turning a man back from his wandering course he has rescued a soul from death, and his loving action will “cover a multitude of sins”.

JAMES

You Might Also Like:

James 5 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

5 Go, now, ye rich! weep, howling over your miseries that are coming upon [you]; 2 your riches have rotted, and your garments have become moth-eaten; 3 your gold and silver have rotted, and the rust of them for a testimony shall be to you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye made treasure in the la...
Read More

James 5 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

5 Do now, ye rich men, weep ye, yelling in your wretchednesses that shall come to you. 2 Your riches be rotten, and your clothes be eaten of moths. 3 Your gold and silver hath rusted, and the rust of them shall be to you into witnessing, and shall eat your fleshes, as fire. Ye have treasured to yo...
Read More

James 5 - Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

5 Rich people, listen to me! Cry loud and long because of the troubles you will have. 2 Your things are spoiled. Bugs have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are all spoiled. The wrong in them will prove that you have done wrong. The wrong will burn you up like fire. You have kept all these ...
Read More

James 5 - World English Bible (WEB)

5 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 tre...
Read More

James 5 - The Voice (VOICE)

5 Hey, you rich folk, misery is on its way; so cry and moan 2 because you will watch your riches rot before your eyes as the moths devour your fine clothes. 3 Your stockpile of silver and gold is tarnished and corroded, and this rust will stand up in the final judgment and testify against you. It ...
Read More

James 5 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Rotten Riches5 Come now, you rich, weep and wail over the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your clothes have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have rusted and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up ...
Read More

James 5 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Warning to Rich Oppressors5 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 rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up t...
Read More

James 5 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Warning to Rich Oppressors5 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 rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up t...
Read More

James 5 - Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)

5 Come now, you rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupt, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. And the rust of them shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh as if it were fire. You have heaped up tr...
Read More

James 5 - New Testament for Everyone (NTE)

Warnings to the Rich5 Now look here, you rich! Weep and wail for the horrible things that are going to happen to you! 2 Your riches have rotted, and your clothes have become moth-eaten, 3 your gold and your silver have rusted, and their rust will bear witness against you and will eat up your flesh...
Read More

James 5 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Warning to Rich Oppressors5 Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. 2 Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have ...
Read More

James 5 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Warning to Rich Oppressors5 Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. 2 Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have ...
Read More

James 5 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Warning to Rich Oppressors5 Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. 2 Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten.(A)3 Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have ...
Read More

James 5 - New Matthew Bible (NMB)

He threatens the wicked rich people. He exhorts to patience, to beware of swearing, to acknowledge our faults to one another, to pray for one another, and one to labour to bring another to the truth. 5 Come now, ye rich people. Weep and howl over your wretchedness that will come upon you. 2 Your ri...
Read More

James 5 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Warning to the Rich5 Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. 2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh...
Read More

James 5 - New Life Version (NLV)

5 Listen, you rich men! Cry about the troubles that will come to you. 2 Your riches are worth nothing. Your fine clothes are full of moth holes. 3 Your gold and silver have rusted. Their rust will speak against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have saved riches for yourselves for the last day...
Read More

James 5 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Rich Oppressors Will Be Judged5 Come now, you (A)rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your (B)riches [a]are corrupted, and (C)your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh li...
Read More