James 5:4
Parallel Verses
New International Version
Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.


English Standard Version
Behold, the wages 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.


New American Standard Bible
Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.


King James Bible
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.


Holman Christian Standard Bible
Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers who reaped your fields cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.


International Standard Version
Look! The wages that you kept back from the workers who harvested your fields are shouting out against you, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.


American Standard Version
Behold, the hire of the laborers who mowed your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth out: and the cries of them that reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.


Douay-Rheims Bible
Behold 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.


Darby Bible Translation
Behold, the wages of your labourers, who have harvested your fields, wrongfully kept back by you, cry, and the cries of those that have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.


Young's Literal Translation
lo, the reward of the workmen, of those who in-gathered your fields, which hath been fraudulently kept back by you -- doth cry out, and the exclamations of those who did reap into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth have entered;


Cross References
Exodus 2:23
And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God by reason of the bondage.


Exodus 22:23
If you afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all to me, I will surely hear their cry;


Leviticus 19:13
You shall not defraud your neighbor, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with you all night until the morning.


Deuteronomy 15:9
Beware that there be not a thought in your wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and your eye be evil against your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cry to the LORD against you, and it be sin to you.


Deuteronomy 24:15
At his day you shall give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down on it; for he is poor, and sets his heart on it: lest he cry against you to the LORD, and it be sin to you.


Job 24:10
They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;


Job 31:38
If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;


Job 31:39
If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:


Job 34:28
So that they cause the cry of the poor to come to him, and he hears the cry of the afflicted.


Isaiah 5:9
In my ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.


Jump to Previous
Armies Cries Crieth Crops Cry Cutting Ears Entered Failed Falsely Field Fields Fraud Gathered Grain Grass Harvesters Harvesting Hire Hosts Keeping Kept Laborers Money Mowed Outcries Outcry Pay Reached Reaped Reapers Sabaoth Wages Workers Workmen
Jump to Next
Armies Cries Crieth Crops Cry Cutting Ears Entered Failed Falsely Field Fields Fraud Gathered Grain Grass Harvesters Harvesting Hire Hosts Keeping Kept Laborers Money Mowed Outcries Outcry Pay Reached Reaped Reapers Sabaoth Wages Workers Workmen
Commentaries
5:1-6 Public troubles are most grievous to those who live in pleasure, and are secure and sensual, though all ranks suffer deeply at such times. All idolized treasures will soon perish, except as they will rise up in judgment against their possessors. Take heed of defrauding and oppressing; and avoid the very appearance of it. God does not forbid us to use lawful pleasures; but to live in pleasure, especially sinful pleasure, is a provoking sin. Is it no harm for people to unfit themselves for minding the concerns of their souls, by indulging bodily appetites? The just may be condemned and killed; but when such suffer by oppressors, this is marked by God. Above all their other crimes, the Jews had condemned and crucified that Just One who had come among them, even Jesus Christ the righteous.

4. Behold—calling attention to their coming doom as no vain threat.

labourers—literally "workmen."

of you kept back—So English Version rightly. Not as Alford, "crieth out from you." The "keeping back of the hire" was, on the part OF the rich, virtually an act of "fraud," because the poor laborers were not immediately paid. The phrase is therefore not, "kept back by you," but "of you"; the latter implying virtual, rather than overt, fraud. James refers to De 24:14, 15, "At this day … give his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it, lest he CRY against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee." Many sins "cry" to heaven for vengeance which men tacitly take no account of, as unchastity and injustice [Bengel]. Sins peculiarly offensive to God are said to "cry" to Him. The rich ought to have given freely to the poor; their not doing so was sin. A still greater sin was their not paying their debts. Their greatest sin was not paying them to the poor, whose wages is their all.

cries of them—a double cry; both that of the hire abstractly, and that of the laborers hired.

the Lord of sabaoth—here only in the New Testament. In Ro 9:29 it is a quotation. It is suited to the Jewish tone of the Epistle. It reminds the rich who think the poor have no protector, that the Lord of the whole hosts in heaven and earth is the guardian and avenger of the latter. He is identical with the "coming Lord" Jesus (Jas 5:7).

James 5:3
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