1 Come now, you ^prich, ^qweep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are ^rmoth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up ^streasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the ^twages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a ^uday of slaughter. 6 You have ^vcondemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

7 Be patient, therefore, brothers,¹ until the ^wcoming of the Lord. ^xSee how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the ^yearly and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, ^zfor the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, ^aso that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the ^bprophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those ^cblessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of ^dthe steadfastness of Job, and you have seen ^ethe purpose of the Lord, ^fhow the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

12 But above all, my brothers, ^gdo not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, ^hbut let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.