God’s Word Translation
James 5:13
13If any of you are having trouble, pray. If you are happy, sing psalms.
James 5:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
- New International Version (NIV)Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
Context of James 5:13
11We consider those who endure to be blessed. You have heard about Job’s endurance. You saw that the Lord ended Job’s suffering because the Lord is compassionate and merciful. 12Above all things, my brothers and sisters, do not take an oath on anything in heaven or on earth. Do not take any oath. If you mean yes, say yes. If you mean no, say no. Do this so that you won’t be condemned. If any of you are having trouble, pray. If you are happy, sing psalms. 14If you are sick, call for the church leaders. Have them pray for you and anoint you with olive oil in the name of the Lord. 15(Prayers offered in faith will save those who are sick, and the Lord will cure them.) If you have sinned, you will be forgiven.
Read all of James 5James 5:13 word by word
Κακοπαθεῖ τις ἐν ὑμῖν; προσευχέσθω· εὐθυμεῖ τις; ψαλλέτω.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for James 5:13
- 2 Chronicles 33:12When he experienced this distress, he begged the Lord his God to be kind and humbled himself in front of the God of his ancestors.
- Job 33:26They will pray to God, who will be pleased with them. They will see God’s face and shout for joy as he restores their righteousness.
- Psalms 18:6I called on the Lord in my distress. I cried to my God for help. He heard my voice from his temple, and my cry for help reached his ears.
- Psalms 50:15Call on me in times of trouble. I will rescue you, and you will honor me.”
- Psalms 91:15When you call to me, I will answer you. I will be with you when you are in trouble. I will save you and honor you.
- Psalms 116:3The ropes of death became tangled around me. The horrors of the grave took hold of me. I experienced pain and agony.
- Psalms 118:5During times of trouble I called on the Lord. The Lord answered me ⌞and⌟ set me free ⌞from all of them⌟.
- Psalms 142:1Loudly, I cry to the Lord. Loudly, I plead with the Lord for mercy.
- Lamentations 3:55“I call your name from the deepest pit, O Lord.
- Hosea 6:1Let’s return to the Lord. Even though he has torn us to pieces, he will heal us. Even though he has wounded us, he will bandage our wounds.
- Jonah 2:2Jonah prayed: “I called to the Lord in my distress, and he answered me. From the depths of my ⌞watery⌟ grave I cried for help, and you heard my cry.
- Luke 22:44So he prayed very hard in anguish. His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.
- Luke 23:42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom.”
- Acts 16:24So the jailer followed these orders and put Paul and Silas into solitary confinement with their feet in leg irons.
- 2 Corinthians 12:7especially because of the excessive number of revelations that I’ve had. Therefore, to keep me from becoming conceited, I am forced to deal with a recurring problem. That problem, Satan’s messenger, torments me to keep me from being conceited.
- Hebrews 5:7During his life on earth, Jesus prayed to God, who could save him from death. He prayed and pleaded with loud crying and tears, and he was heard because of his devotion to God.
Commentaries on James 5:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Is any among you afflicted? let him pray - The Jews taught that the meaning of the ordinance, Leviticus 13:45, which required the leper to cry, Unclean! unclean! was, "that thus making known his calamity, the people might be led to offer up prayers to God in his behalf," Sota, page 685, ed. Wagens. They taught also, that when any sickness or affliction entered a family, they should go to the wise men, and implore their prayers. Bava bathra, fol. 116, 1…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Is any among you afflicted? - By sickness, bereavement, disappointment, persecutions, loss of health or property. The word used here refers to suffering evil of any kind, ( ͂ kakopatheiLet him pray - That is, prayer is appropriate to trial. The mind naturally resorts to it, and in every way it is proper. God only can remove the source of sorrow; he can grant unto us “a happy issue out of all our afflictions;” he can make them the means of sanctifying the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-18Verses 12-18 The sin of swearing is condemned; but how many make light of common profane swearing! Such swearing expressly throws contempt upon God's name and authority. This sin brings neither gain, nor pleasure, nor reputation, but is showing enmity to God without occasion and without advantage It shows a man to be an enemy to God, however he pretends to call himself by his name, or sometimes joins in acts of worship. But the Lord will not hold him…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. afflicted--referring to the "suffering affliction" (Jas 5:10). let him pray--not "swear" in rash impatience. merry--joyous in mind. sing psalms--of praise. Paul and Silas sang psalms even in affliction.Read the comment
Topics related to James 5:13
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on James 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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