The Rich will be Judged
PAY attention now you rich men: weep and howl for the miseries that will come upon you.
2 Your riches are rotten, your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver are tarnished; and the rust of them shall be for a witness against you, and will eat your flesh as fire. You have stored up treasure during these last days.
4 ¶ See, the wages of the labourers who have reaped your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cries out: and the cries of those which harvested have entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts.
5 You have lived in pleasure on the earth, and lived indulgently; you have nourished your hearts, as in the day of slaughter.
6 You have condemned and killed the righteous; and he does not resist you.
Patiently Wait the Coming of the Lord
7 ¶ Be patient therefore brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.
8 You be patient also, establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws near.
9 Do not groan against one another, brothers, lest you be condemned: Behold, the judge stands at the door.
10 ¶ My brothers, take the example of longsuffering and distress of the prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord.
11 You see, we count them blessed which endure. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and have seen the end the Lord brought about; that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
Practical Advice
12 ¶ But before all things, my brothers: swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath; but let your yes be yes; and your no, no; lest you fall under judgement.
13 ¶ Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing songs of praise.
14 Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the congregation; and let them pray for him, anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the vow of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.
16 Confess your transgressions to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effectual supplications of a righteous man achieves much.
17 ¶ Elijah was a man subject to like desires as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
19 ¶ Brothers, if any among you do stray from the truth, and one turns him back;
20 Know, that he which turns back the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and cover over a multitude of his own sins.