James 5:1–12

Warning to the Rich

5Come now, ^xyou rich, weep and howl for the ^ymiseries that are coming upon you. ^2zYour riches have rotted and ^zyour garments are moth-eaten. ³Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. ^aYou have laid up treasure ^bin the last days. ⁴Behold, ^cthe wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and ^dthe cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of ^ethe Lord of hosts. ^5fYou have lived on the earth in luxury and ^gin self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in ^ha day of slaughter. ⁶You have condemned and ⁱmurdered ^jthe righteous person. He does not resist you.

Patience in Suffering

⁷Be patient, therefore, brothers,¹ 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 ^kthe early and the late rains. ⁸You also, be patient. ^lEstablish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord ^mis at hand. ⁹Do not grumble against one another, brothers, ⁿso that you may not be judged; behold, ^othe Judge is standing ^pat the door. ¹⁰As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take ^qthe prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of ^rthe steadfastness of Job, and you have seen ^sthe purpose of the Lord, how ^tthe Lord is compassionate and merciful.

¹²But above all, my brothers, ^udo 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.