It’s Judgment Day for Rich Folks
1Hey, you rich people. The clock is ticking. Misery is coming. Now’s the time to scream and cry. 2Can you see it yet? Your cash has rotted. Your clothes are holey, eaten by moths. 3Your gold and silver are crusted in tarnish. Corrosion of that wealth will testify against you. In the end, it will destroy your life as completely as a fire. You hoarded your treasure just in time for Judgment Day. [1]4You cheated the harvesters who cut your fields. You never did pay them the salary you owed. Well, I’m here to tell you their cries have reached all the way to the “Leader of Heaven’s Armies.” [2] 5You’ve thrown yourself a party on earth. It’s been all about you, as you wallowed in luxury and did whatever you wanted. You are so bloated with sin that you’re like an animal that has been fattened for slaughter. 6You attack innocent, helpless people. They don’t even resist you, but you kill them.
Stay Patient, the Lord’s Coming Soon
7Dear friends, patiently wait for the Lord to come. Farmers have to wait to harvest their crops from the earth. They wait for the rain that comes early in the season, followed by later rains as well. 8You have to be patient too. Stay strong. The Lord is coming soon.9Dear family, don’t complain about each other. If you do, you’re going to get condemned for it. And I want you to know that the judge [3] is standing right here at the door. 10If you need an example of patience, models you can follow, consider the prophets who delivered messages from the Lord. 11No doubt about it, we have a lot of respect for those who held on to their faith in times of suffering. You’ve heard the story of Job. [4] You know how he persevered. And you know what the Lord did about it. [5] Just remember that the Lord is full of kindness and mercy.
Don’t Swear an Oath
12Most of all, dear family, don’t swear an oath when you’re talking to each other. [6] Don’t swear by heaven, earth, or anything else. Say “yes” when you mean yes. Say “no” when you mean no. If you say more than that, you might get criticized for not doing what you swore you would do.Prayer Changes Things
13Are any of you suffering? Pray about it. Are any of you happy? Celebrate and sing about it. 14Do you have any sick people there? If so, ask the church leaders to pray over them and to anoint them with oil. Do this in the name of the Lord, invoking the Lord’s authority. 15When you pray for people who are sick, have faith. A prayer like that will restore their health. The Lord will make them well. [7] If they’ve sinned, he’ll forgive them too. 16Be transparent with each other by admitting your sins and taking responsibility for them. Pray for each other so you can be healed. There is incredible power in the persistent prayer of a person devoted to God.17Elijah was a human, just like us. He prayed fervently for the rain to stop, and the rain stopped. The ground didn’t taste a drop of rain for the next three and a half years. [8] 18When he prayed again, the heavens opened up and drenched the earth in rain. People were able to harvest their crops again.
19Dear family, I want you to know what happens when you bring back into the faith anyone who has strayed from the truth they’ve been taught. 20When you bring back a sinful stray who was in the process of making a big mistake, you have saved that person’s soul from death. Their sins are forgiven. And there was a lot to forgive.
