1Come now, you rich, weep and wail for the miseries coming upon you. [5:2] Your riches have rotted, and your garments are moth-eaten. [5:3] Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days. [5:4] Look, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have held back by fraud, are crying out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts. [5:5] You have lived in luxury and in self-indulgence on the earth; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. [5:6] You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous man; he does not resist you.
JAS 5:1-6
A Warning to the Rich
In the world it was spoken into
In the 1st-century Greco-Roman world, wealth was often accumulated through exploitative practices, such as withholding wages from laborers or hoarding resources. The rich were typically patrons who wielded significant social and economic power, often at the expense of the poor. The imagery of rotting riches, moth-eaten garments, and corroded gold and silver would have resonated deeply, as these were tangible symbols of wealth that, when neglected or hoarded, became useless. The mention of withheld wages from laborers reflects a common injustice, where day laborers depended on immediate payment for survival. The cries of these workers reaching the 'Lord of Hosts' evoke the Jewish understanding of God as a defender of the oppressed. The accusation of living in luxury and self-indulgence critiques the Roman elite’s opulent lifestyle, which often ignored the plight of the vulnerable. This passage would have been heard as a stark warning against the moral and spiritual decay that accompanies unjust wealth.
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How other translations render this
JAS 5:1
- KJV
- Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
- BSB
- Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you.
- Koinōnos
- Come now, you rich, weep and wail for the miseries coming upon you.
JAS 5:2
- KJV
- Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
- BSB
- Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes.
- Koinōnos
- Your riches have rotted, and your garments are moth-eaten.
JAS 5:3
- KJV
- Your 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.
- BSB
- 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.
- Koinōnos
- Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days.
JAS 5:4
- KJV
- Behold, 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.
- BSB
- 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.
- Koinōnos
- Look, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have held back by fraud, are crying out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.
JAS 5:5
- KJV
- Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
- BSB
- You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter.
- Koinōnos
- You have lived in luxury and in self-indulgence on the earth; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.
JAS 5:6
- KJV
- Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
- BSB
- You have condemned and murdered the righteous, who did not resist you.
- Koinōnos
- You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous man; he does not resist you.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
JAS 5:1
- do come:The word translated 'do come' is an imperative, a command, used to get someone's attention, much like saying 'Listen!' or 'Pay attention!' in English.
- wailing:The term used here for 'wailing' specifically refers to a loud, mournful cry, often associated with women expressing intense grief or lamentation.
JAS 5:3
- have corroded:The word translated 'have corroded' implies a process of decay or rust that has already taken place and continues to eat away at something, suggesting a persistent and destructive effect.
JAS 5:5
- lived in self-indulgence,:The phrase 'lived in self-indulgence' describes a lifestyle of excessive luxury and comfort, often to the point of being wasteful or extravagant, rather than simply enjoying oneself.