James
5
English
Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)
5
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 labourers 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 and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
Patience
in Suffering
7
Be patient, therefore, brothers,[a] 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.
The
Prayer of Faith
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.[b]
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.
The
Bible Panorama
James
5
V
1–6: SINFUL STORING Those who sinfully store riches, especially where they have
been gained by taking advantage of others, and concentrate on pleasure and
luxury, will be judged. This shares, with murder, the evil root of trampling on
the welfare of others.
V 7–11: PATIENT PERSEVERANCE God’s people
should patiently wait for the Lord to come, just as the farmer waits for the
seed to germinate and be harvested. Such patience is an antidote to grumbling
and an encouragement to perseverance, knowing that the Lord is compassionate
and merciful.
V 12: STRAIGHT SPEAKING The Christian does not
have to dress up his everyday language with oaths and assurances. He should
tell it as it is, and have a reputation for telling the truth.
V 13–18: PRUDENT PRAYING Prayer should be made
with and for people in all states of life and emotion. Those suffering and sick
should be prayed for and church leaders should be ready to respond to a call to
go and pray with someone who is suffering. Confession of sin is a prerequisite
for restoration spiritually and may even affect the way we feel physically. The
pattern of Elijah’s patient endurance in prayer is an encouragement to all who
feel that their prayers are ineffective.
V 19–20: SINNER SAVED James tells the twelve
scattered tribes that if someone among them wanders from the truth and is
turned back from sin, the person responsible for that turning will save a soul
from death and cover over a multitude of sins. God, who is sovereign in
salvation, expects us to be actively involved in the privilege of seeing lost
sinners being saved, including those who keep company with Christians.
The
Bible Panorama. Copyright © 2005 Day One Publications.
Yours
by His Grace
Blair
Humphreys
Southport,
Merseyside
