| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. | 1Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. |
| 2Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. | 2Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. |
| 3Your 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. | 3Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. |
| 4Look, 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. | 4For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. |
| 5You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter. | 5You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. |
| 6You have condemned and murdered the righteous, who did not resist you. | 6You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you. Patience and Endurance |
| 7Be 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. | 7Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. |
| 8You, too, be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near. | 8You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. |
| 9Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door! | 9Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door! |
| 10Brothers, as an example of patience in affliction, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. | 10For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. |
| 11See 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. | 11We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. |
| 12Above 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. | 12But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned. The Power of Prayer |
| 13Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. | 13Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. |
| 14Is 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. | 14Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. |
| 15And 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. | 15Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. |
| 16Therefore 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. | 16Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. |
| 17Elijah 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. | 17Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! |
| 18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops. | 18Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. Restore Wandering Believers |
| 19My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, | 19My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, |
| 20consider this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover over a multitude of sins. | 20you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins. |
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