James 5:5

5:5 You have lived indulgently and luxuriously on the earth. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. ¹ 

James 5:18

5:18 Then ²  he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land sprouted with a harvest.

James 5:17

5:17 Elijah was a human being ³  like us, and he prayed earnestly ⁴  that it would not rain and there was no rain on the land for three years and six months!

James 5:7

Patience in Suffering

5:7 So be patient, brothers and sisters, ⁵  until the Lord’s return. ⁶  Think of how the farmer waits ⁷  for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient ⁸  for it until it receives the early and late rains.

James 5:12

5:12 And above all, my brothers and sisters, ⁹  do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath. But let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall into judgment.

¹ sn James’ point seems to be that instead of seeking deliverance from condemnation, they have defied God’s law (fattened your hearts) and made themselves more likely objects of his judgment (in a day of slaughter).

² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events.

³ tn Although it is certainly true that Elijah was a “man,” here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") has been translated as “human being” because the emphasis in context is not on Elijah’s masculine gender, but on the common humanity he shared with the author and the readers.

⁴ tn Grk “he prayed with prayer” (using a Hebrew idiom to show intensity).

⁴ tn Grk “brothers”; this phrase occurs again three times in the paragraph. See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

⁵ tn Or “advent”; or “coming” (also in v. 8).

⁶ tn Grk “Behold! The farmer waits.”

⁷ tn Grk “being patient.”

⁵ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.