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James

Teaches practical wisdom for living out one's faith through good works.

Chapter 5

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1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

*"Now, rich people, get sad and cry for the troubles coming your way."

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.

*Your wealth is spoiled, and your clothes have holes.

3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

*Your precious metals are ruined; their rust will testify against you, eating away at you like fire. You've stored up wealth for the end times.

4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

*Look, the wages of the workers who harvested your fields are being withheld from them through deceit. The cries of these workers are heard by the Lord of Hosts.

5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.

*You enjoyed much luxury on Earth and acted shamelessly; you've fed your hearts like it's a day of intense danger.

6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

*You have judged and killed the righteous, and they do not fight back.

7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

*So, be patient, friends, as we wait for the Lord's return. Just like a farmer waiting for valuable crops, he patiently waits for rain, both early and late, until his plants grow.

8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

*Be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord's return is getting closer.

9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

*Don't hold grudges against each other, brothers, or you might be judged; look, the judge is standing at the door.

10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

*Consider, brothers, the prophets who spoke for the Lord, as an example of enduring hardship and being patient.

11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

*Look, we think those who keep going through tough times are blessed. You've heard about Job's patience and how it turned out in the end. It shows that the Lord is very kind and has a gentle heart towards people.

12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

*Above everything, my friends, don't make promises, not using heaven, earth, or any other oath. Just let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no, so you don't get in trouble.

13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

*If anyone is going through a tough time, they should pray. If anyone is happy, they can sing songs of praise.

14 Is any sick among you? 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:

*If anyone is sick, let them ask the church leaders to pray for them and anoint them with oil, all in Jesus' name.

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

*Faithful prayer will heal the sick, God will lift them up, and if they've done wrong, their sins will be forgiven.

16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

*Admit your mistakes to each other and pray for each other so you can get better. The powerful, sincere prayer of a good person helps a lot.

17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

*Elias was just like us with normal feelings. He really hoped for no rain and it didn't rain on Earth for over three years and half a year because of his prayer.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

*He prayed once more, and the sky provided rain, and the land produced its fruits.

19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;

*Brothers, if someone goes wrong from the truth, and another person brings them back;

20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

*Let them understand: when someone helps a person stop doing wrong things, they save that person's life and hide many mistakes.

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* work in progress, there will be mistakes

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