James – Chapter 5

New Testament20 Verses

1Go to now, ye rich men: weep and howl in your miseries, which 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 for a testimony against you and shall eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up to yourselves wrath against the last days.

4Behold the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which by fraud has been kept back by you, crieth: and the cry of them hath entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

5You have feasted upon earth: and in riotousness you have nourished your hearts, in the day of slaughter.

6You have condemned and put to death the Just One: and he resisted you not.

7Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth: patiently bearing till he receive the early and latter rain.

8Be you therefore also patient and strengthen your hearts: for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

9Grudge not, brethren, one against another, that you may not be judged. Behold the judge standeth before the door.

10Take, my brethren, for example of suffering evil, of labour and patience, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

11Behold, we account them blessed who have endured. You have heard of the patience of Job and you have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is merciful and compassionate.

12But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath. But let your speech be: Yea, Yea: No, No: that you fall not under judgment.

13Is any of you sad? Let him pray: Is he cheerful in mind? Let him sing.

14Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests 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 man. And the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.

16Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.

17Elias was a man passible like unto us: and with prayer he prayed that it might not rain upon the earth. And it rained not for three years and six months.

18And he prayed again. And the heaven gave rain: and the earth brought forth her fruit.

19My brethren, if any of you err from the truth and one convert him:

20He must know that he who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way shall save his soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins.

Reflection for Today

As you read James Chapter 5, consider how God's Word speaks to your current situation. Every passage of Scripture has the power to transform our hearts and guide our lives when we approach it with an open mind and a prayerful spirit. The words you're reading today are not just ancient text—they are living and active, capable of speaking directly to your heart and circumstances. Take time to meditate on these verses and ask God to reveal His truth to you in a personal way. Remember that the same God who inspired these words is present with you now, ready to guide and comfort you through His Word.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings