James 5:1 Meaning and Explanation
“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →James warns the oppressive rich to weep over the miseries coming upon them.
What Does James 5:1 Mean?
James turns to address the rich who oppress others, with a prophet's severity. Come now, you rich, weep and wail over the miseries that are coming upon you. The tone is not envy but warning, the kind the prophets aimed at those who trusted in unjust wealth.
This is not a blanket condemnation of every wealthy person but a word to those who have gained and used riches at the expense of the poor, as the next verses show. Their misery is described as already on the way, a judgment near at hand. James lifts the curtain on the end of ill-gotten gain. The reader is sobered to see how God regards the oppression of the vulnerable, and how surely a reckoning comes to those who store up wealth unjustly.
James 5:1 in the Original Language
ploutos (πλοῦτος), 'riches' -- wealth, here trusted in and gained through injustice.
Frequently Asked Questions About James 5:1
What does James 5:1 mean?
James warns the oppressive rich to weep over the miseries coming upon them.