[James 5]

 

             ^5:1 Proceed on now you, the rich, weep^°, howling in your^° miseries, in the ones coming upon you^°. ^5:2 Your^° riches have rotted and your^° garments have become moth-eaten. ^5:3 Your^° gold and silver have been corroded, and their corrosion will be ^*for a testimony against you^° and will be eating your^° flesh like fire. You^° stored up nothing in the last days. ^5:4 Behold, the wages of the workers who mowed your^° farmlands, the wages which have been defrauded from {i.e., by} you^°, are crying out against you^° and the cries of the ones who reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts. ^5:5 You^° caroused upon the land and were self-indulgent; you^° nourished your^° hearts as in a day of slaughter. ^5:6 You^° sentenced others; you^° murdered the righteous who do not resist you^°.

 

             ^5:7 Therefore, brethren, have^° patience until the presence of the Lord. Behold, the farmer is waiting for the precious fruit of the earth, having patience over it, until it should receive the morning and evening rainfall. ^5:8 You^° also, have^° patience; establish^° your^° hearts, because the presence of the Lord has drawn near. ^5:9 Brethren, do^° not groan against one another, in-order-that you^° may not be judged. Behold, the judge stands before the doors.

             ^5:10 My brethren, take^° as an example of suffering evil treatment and of patience the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ^5:11 Behold, we esteem the ones who are enduring, fortunate. You^° heard of the endurance of Job and behold^° the end of the Lord, that he is very affectionate and compassionate. {Job 1:21-22, 42:1-17}

 

             ^5:12 My brethren, but before all things, do^° not swear, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your^° yes be yes and the no be no, in-order-that you^° may not fall into hypocrisy.

 

             ^5:13 Is anyone among you^° suffering evil treatment? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing-praise. ^5:14 Is anyone among you^° sick? Let him invite the elders of the congregation^*, and after they have anointed him with oil in the name of the Lord, let^° them pray over him. ^5:15 And the vow of the faith will save the one who is weary and the Lord will lift him up, even if he may have practiced sins, it will be forgiven him.

             ^5:16 Confess^° for yourselves the trespasses you^° have to one another, and pray^° on behalf of one another, ^*that you^° may be healed. A supplication of a righteous man prevails much in its working. ^5:17 Elijah was a man of like-feelings to us and he prayed with much prayer for the heaven not to rain, and it did not rain upon the land for three years and six months. ^5:18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rainfall and the land sprouted her fruit. {1Ki 17:1, 18:41}

 

             ^5:19 Brethren, if anyone among you^° should be misled from the truth and someone should return him to it, ^5:20 let him know that the one who turned a sinner from the error of his way will be saving a soul from death and will be hiding a multitude of sins.

 

             {NOTES: Please read the ‘Definitions’ Section and other non-bible sections to understand the MLV better.}

 

{{ Introduction to 1 Peter 64-65 AD

 

            Peter writes this letter of hope and of what it means to live in Christ, at a time when Christians were suffering persecution from the Jews, and now Nero and the Roman government. The intended readers are primarily Gentile Christians.

            Peter breaks down life in Christ for different groups of Christians. Many times, it is back and forth commands to do this / don't do this / be this / don't be this. Peter shows us the aspects of Christianity: Christian suffering and service, our relationships in the congregation and the world, Christian attributes and how to grow in them, and what to expect from false teachers. The believers needed to be assured they were secure in Christ alone, to relieve some of the stress of the times.}}