James 5

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Well now, you rich! Lament, weep for the miseries that are coming to you.	1 Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
2 Your wealth is rotting, your clothes are al moth-eaten.	2 Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
3 Al your gold and your silver are corroding away, and the same corrosion wil be a witness against youand eat into your body. It is like a fire which you have stored up for the final days.	3 your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up treasure for the last days.
4 Can you hear crying out against you the wages which you kept back from the labourers mowing yourfields? The cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord Sabaoth.	4 Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
5 On earth you have had a life of comfort and luxury; in the time of slaughter you went on eating to yourheart's content.	5 You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
6 It was you who condemned the upright and killed them; they offered you no resistance.	6 You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous one; he offers you no resistance.
7 Now be patient, brothers, until the Lord's coming. Think of a farmer: how patiently he waits for theprecious fruit of the ground until it has had the autumn rains and the spring rains!	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 with it until it receives the early and the late rains.
8 You too must be patient; do not lose heart, because the Lord's coming will be soon.	8 You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand.
9 Do not make complaints against one another, brothers, so as not to be brought to judgementyourselves; the Judge is already to be seen waiting at the gates.	9 Do not complain, brothers, about one another, that you may not be judged. Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
10 For your example, brothers, in patiently putting up with persecution, take the prophets who spoke inthe Lord's name;	10 Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11 remember it is those who had perseverance that we say are the blessed ones. You have heard of theperseverance of Job and understood the Lord's purpose, realising that the Lord is kind and compassionate.	11 Indeed we call blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of the perseverance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, because "the Lord is compassionate and merciful."
12 Above al , my brothers, do not swear by heaven or by the earth or use any oaths at al . If you mean'yes', you must say 'yes'; if you mean 'no', say 'no'. Otherwise you make yourselves liable to judgement.	12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath, but let your "Yes" mean "Yes" and your "No" mean "No," that you may not incur condemnation.
13 Any one of you who is in trouble should pray; anyone in good spirits should sing a psalm.	13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praise.
14 Any one of you who is il should send for the elders of the church, and they must anoint the sickperson with oil in the name of the Lord and pray over him.	14 Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint (him) with oil in the name of the Lord,
15 The prayer of faith will save the sick person and the Lord wil raise him up again; and if he hascommitted any sins, he wil be forgiven.	15 and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.
16 So confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another to be cured; the heartfelt prayer ofsomeone upright works very powerful y.	16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.
17 Elijah was a human being as frail as ourselves -- he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, and no rain felfor three and a half years;	17 Elijah was a human being like us; yet he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain upon the land.
18 then he prayed again and the sky gave rain and the earth gave crops.	18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.
19 My brothers, if one of you strays away from the truth, and another brings him back to it,	19 My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back,
20 he may be sure that anyone who can bring back a sinner from his erring ways wil be saving his soulfrom death and covering over many a sin.	20 he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.