The Father Sees the Cries of the Oppressed
The withheld wages of harvesters cry out and reach the ears of the Father of heaven's armies; the rich who hoarded are told to weep. Everyone else is told to wait like a farmer, pray when suffering, confess to each other, and go after the one who wanders.
5 1Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the miseries that are coming upon you. 2Your riches have rotted, and your clothes have become moth-eaten. 3Your gold and silver have rusted; their rust will witness against you and burn your flesh like fire. You piled up riches in the last days. 4Look: the wages you held back from the workers who mowed your fields cry out, and the harvesters' cries have reached the ears of the Father of heaven's armies. 5You lived on earth in luxury and indulgence. You fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you.
Wait With Patient Hearts
7So be patient, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. Think of the farmer: he waits patiently for the land's precious fruit, until it gets the early and late rains. 8You too must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the coming of the Lord is near. 9Don't grumble against each other, brothers and sisters, or you'll be judged. Look—the Judge stands at the doors. 10Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the name of our Father as examples of suffering and patience. 11See, we call those who endured blessed. You've heard of Job's endurance and seen what our Father brought about—our Father is rich in compassion and mercy.
12Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—neither by heaven, nor earth, nor any other oath. Let your yes be yes and your no, no, so you won't fall under judgment.
The Prayer of Faith Heals
13Is anyone among you suffering? Let them pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let them sing praises. 14Anyone sick among you? Have them call for the church elders, and have the elders pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16So confess your sins to each other and pray for each other, that you may be healed. A righteous person's prayer is powerful and effective. 17Elijah was a man like us, and he prayed hard that it not rain; it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18Then he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
19My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns them back, 20know this: whoever turns a sinner from their wrong way saves that person's soul from death and covers a multitude of sins.
