James (Jacob) Chapter 5

Updated: September 14, 2025

Misuse of Riches

1Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3Your 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. 4Behold, 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. 5Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

Patience in Suffering

(Job 1:1-5)

7Be 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. 8Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 9Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. 10Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11Behold, 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.

12But 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.

The Prayer of Faith

13Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14Is 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: 15And 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. 16Confess 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. 17Elias 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. 18And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

Restoring a Sinner

19Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20Let 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.

King James Bible

Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

A Warning to the Rich
(Proverbs 23:1–5; 1 Timothy 6:17–19)

1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming on you. 2 Your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be for a testimony against you, and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up your treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of those who reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Armies. 5 You have lived delicately on the earth, and taken your pleasure. You have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous one. He doesn’t resist you.

Patience in Suffering
(Job 1:1–5)

7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receives the early and late rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Don’t grumble, brothers, against one another, so that you won’t be judged. Behold, the judge stands at the door. 10 Take, brothers, for an example of suffering and of patience, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we call them blessed who endured. You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the Lord in the outcome, and how the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

12 But above all things, my brothers, don’t swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath; but let your “yes” be “yes,” and your “no,” “no;” so that you don’t fall into hypocrisy.

The Prayer of Faith

13 Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praises. 14 Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, 15 and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it didn’t rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 He prayed again, and the sky gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit.

Restoring a Sinner

19 Brothers, if any among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.

A Warning to the Rich
(Proverbs 23:1–5; 1 Timothy 6:17–19)

1 Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire.

You have hoarded treasure in the last days. 4 Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.

5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous, who did not resist you.

Patience in Suffering
(Job 1:1–5)

7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains. a 8 You, too, be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door!

10 Brothers, as an example of patience in affliction, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 See how blessed we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment.

The Prayer of Faith

13 Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail. 17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops.

Restoring a Sinner

19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 consider this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Footnotes:

7 a Literally for it until it receives the early and the late

Misuse of Riches

1Go, now, ye rich! weep, howling over your miseries that are coming upon you; 2your riches have rotted, and your garments have become moth-eaten; 3your gold and silver have rotted, and the rust of them for a testimony shall be to you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye made treasure in the last days! 4lo, the reward of the workmen, of those who in-gathered your fields, which hath been fraudulently kept back by you -- doth cry out, and the exclamations of those who did reap into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth have entered; 5ye did live in luxury upon the earth, and were wanton; ye did nourish your hearts, as in a day of slaughter; 6ye did condemn -- ye did murder the righteous one, he doth not resist you.

Patience in Suffering

(Job 1:1-5)

7Be patient, then, brethren, till the presence of the Lord; lo, the husbandman doth expect the precious fruit of the earth, being patient for it, till he may receive rain -- early and latter; 8be patient, ye also; establish your hearts, because the presence of the Lord hath drawn nigh; 9murmur not against one another, brethren, that ye may not be condemned; lo, the Judge before the door hath stood. 10An example take ye of the suffering of evil, my brethren, and of the patience, the prophets who did speak in the name of the Lord; 11lo, we call happy those who are enduring; the endurance of Job ye heard of, and the end of the Lord ye have seen, that very compassionate is the Lord, and pitying.

12And before all things, my brethren, do not swear, neither by the heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath, and let your Yes be Yes, and the No, No; that under judgment ye may not fall.

The Prayer of Faith

13Doth any one suffer evil among you? let him pray; is any of good cheer? let him sing psalms; 14is any infirm among you? let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, having anointed him with oil, in the name of the Lord, 15and the prayer of the faith shall save the distressed one, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if sins he may have committed, they shall be forgiven to him. 16Be confessing to one another the trespasses, and be praying for one another, that ye may be healed; very strong is a working supplication of a righteous man; 17Elijah was a man like affected as we, and with prayer he did pray -- not to rain, and it did not rain upon the land three years and six months; 18and again he did pray, and the heaven did give rain, and the land did bring forth her fruit.

Restoring a Sinner

19Brethren, if any among you may go astray from the truth, and any one may turn him back, 20let him know that he who did turn back a sinner from the straying of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.

The Favor of God Paraphrase

Warning to the Rich

¹ Listen closely, you wealthy ones! Weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. ² Your riches have rotted, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire! You have hoarded wealth in the last days. ⁴ Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you! The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. ⁵ You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.

Patience in Suffering

⁷ Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s return! See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. ⁸ You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. ⁹ Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! ¹⁰ Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of patience in the face of suffering. ¹¹ As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

Truthful Speech

¹² Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall under judgment.

The Power of Prayer

¹³ Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray! Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise! ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

¹⁷ Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. ¹⁸ Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

Restoring Wanderers

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, ²⁰ remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Footnotes

1.The corrosion of gold and silver: In the ancient world, gold and silver were considered imperishable, so the imagery of them corroding here symbolizes spiritual corruption and the impermanence of earthly wealth.

2.The Lord Almighty: In Greek, “Lord of Sabaoth,” meaning the Lord of Hosts, emphasizes God’s control over angelic armies and His power to judge.

3.Patience of the farmer: The mention of both “autumn and spring rains” refers to the typical agricultural cycles in the ancient Near East, showing the need for patience in waiting for God’s timing.

4.Job’s perseverance: This alludes to the endurance of Job in the Old Testament, whose patience in suffering serves as a model of faith.

5.Do not swear: This command refers to making oaths, which was common in Jewish culture. James encourages simple, honest speech instead of reliance on oaths to affirm truth.

6.Prayer and oil: The anointing with oil was both a medicinal and symbolic act in the early church, representing consecration and healing through divine power.

7.Turning a sinner: In this context, “covering a multitude of sins” means that the act of restoring a person can lead to forgiveness and the restoration of a relationship with God.

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The F.O.G Commentary

When Life Gets Heavy: A Call to Patience, Prayer, and Community

What’s James 5 about?

James wraps up his letter with some of the most practical advice in the New Testament – how to handle suffering with patience, why your prayers actually matter more than you think, and what it looks like when a community genuinely cares for each other’s souls.

The Full Context

James 5 emerges from a Jewish-Christian context around 45-50 CE, when the early church was navigating the tension between their Jewish heritage and their newfound faith in Jesus. James, the half-brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem church, was writing to Jewish believers scattered throughout the Roman Empire who were facing both external persecution and internal struggles with wealth disparity, patience, and authentic faith.

This final chapter serves as James’s pastoral crescendo, addressing three critical areas where faith meets real life: economic justice (James 5:1-6), patient endurance during suffering (James 5:7-12), and the power of community prayer and restoration (James 5:13-20). James isn’t just offering nice advice – he’s providing a survival guide for believers living in a world where faith is costly and community is essential.

What the Ancient Words Tell Us

The Greek word makrothumia in James 5:7 for “patience” literally means “long-tempered” – the opposite of being short-fused. It’s not passive waiting; it’s active endurance with a steady spirit. When James tells his readers to be patient “like the farmer,” he’s using an agricultural metaphor that would resonate deeply with his audience.

Grammar Geeks

The verb tense James uses for “be patient” (makrothumeō) is present imperative – meaning “keep on being patient” or “make it your ongoing practice.” This isn’t a one-time decision but a lifestyle of steady endurance.

The phrase about Elijah being “a man with a nature like ours” in James 5:17 uses homoiopathēs – literally “same-feeling” or “same-suffering.” James is demolishing the idea that effective prayer requires superhuman spirituality. Elijah had the same emotional ups and downs, the same struggles and doubts that we do.

What Would the Original Audience Have Heard?

When James warned the rich in James 5:1-6, his original readers would have immediately thought of the wealthy landowners who were oppressing Jewish farmers and workers. The imagery of “fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter” would have evoked the temple sacrifices – these rich people were living like cattle being fattened for slaughter, oblivious to coming judgment.

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The reference to Elijah’s prayer stopping rain for three and a half years would have carried special weight for a Jewish audience familiar with the 1 Kings 17-18 narrative. They knew this wasn’t just about meteorology – it was about covenant faithfulness and God’s response to his people’s prayers.

Did You Know?

Archaeological evidence from first-century Palestine shows that tenant farmers often lived at subsistence level while wealthy landowners accumulated vast estates. James’s harsh words about wealth hoarding would have resonated with readers experiencing this economic reality firsthand.

Wrestling with the Text

Here’s where James gets challenging: he presents prayer as almost shockingly effective. “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16). The Greek word energeō for “working” gives us our word “energy” – prayer isn’t static but dynamically active.

But then we hit the tension: if prayer is this powerful, why do we experience unanswered prayers? James’s answer seems to lie in the context – he’s talking about community prayer for restoration, healing, and spiritual renewal. This isn’t about getting what we want; it’s about aligning with what God wants for his people.

Wait, That’s Strange…

James says Elijah “prayed earnestly” that it wouldn’t rain, but if you read 1 Kings 17:1, there’s no record of Elijah praying before announcing the drought. James seems to be filling in details from Jewish tradition or revealing the prayer life behind Elijah’s prophetic ministry that Scripture doesn’t explicitly record.

The call to “confess your sins to one another” in James 5:16 would have been countercultural in a shame-based society. Jewish culture valued honor and saving face, yet James is advocating for vulnerable transparency within the believing community.

How This Changes Everything

James 5 flips our understanding of several key areas. First, it redefines patience – not as passive resignation but as active, hope-filled endurance. The farmer doesn’t just sit around waiting for rain; he prepares, plants, and trusts the seasonal rhythms while working diligently.

Second, it democratizes prayer. James isn’t talking about professional clergy or spiritual elites – he’s talking about ordinary believers whose prayers carry extraordinary power. The qualifier “righteous person” doesn’t mean perfect person; it means someone who’s living in right relationship with God and others.

“Prayer isn’t about having the right words or the right posture – it’s about having the right heart alignment with God’s purposes.”

Finally, James presents community as essential for spiritual health. When someone is suffering, sick, or struggling with sin, the solution isn’t individual effort but community involvement. The “elders” he mentions weren’t just church officials but mature believers who could provide wisdom, prayer, and accountability.

Key Takeaway

True faith expresses itself through patient endurance during hardship, powerful prayer in community, and passionate care for one another’s spiritual restoration – because we serve a God who hears, responds, and restores.

James (Jacob) Chapter 5

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