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Hello, Sweet Readers! I bet you thought I forgot about you! Or gave up... but look - here we are, nearing the end of October and we are digging into Chapter FIVE!!! We've almost made it! We can do this!
I hope you have been getting a lot out of going through this Book ever so slowly this year. Verse by verse, precept upon precept... I hope things have both encouraged and challenged you, as they have me! Who's ready for chapter five?
TODAY'S VERSES ARE JAMES CHAPTER 5, VERSES 1-6!
WE BEGIN BY READING OUR VERSES TOGETHER HERE FROM THE PASSION TRANSLATION BIBLE:
"Listen all you who are rich, for it’s time to weep and howl over the misery that will overtake you! Your riches lie rotting, your fine clothing eaten by moths, and your gold and silver are corroded as a witness against you. You have hoarded up treasure for the last days but it will become a fire to burn your flesh. Listen! Can’t you hear the cries of the laborers over the wages you fraudulently held back from those who worked for you? The cries for justice of those you’ve cheated have reached the ears of the Lord of armies!
You have indulged yourselves with every luxury and pleasure this world offers, but you’re only stuffing your heart full for a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered good and innocent people who had no power to defend themselves." (The Passion Translation)
Oh yeah... James can be - uh - a bit much!
James again calls out to the wealthy and tells them it's time now to weep and howl over the misery that will overtake them. Fun times. The Aramaic word for misery here can refer to demonic torment. Again... super fun.