Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.
Parallel translations
- WEB Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praises.
- KJV Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
- BSB Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.
- NKJV Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
- NASB Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
In suffering, pray; in gladness, sing praise. Every season of life should be brought to God in worship.
Overview
James directs believers to respond to both hardship and joy by turning to God, in prayer when suffering and in praise when cheerful. This frames the whole of life as lived before God, neither despairing in trial nor self-absorbed in blessing. It introduces a closing section on prayer, showing dependence on God as the constant posture of the believing community.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 31
- Ps 50:15Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
- Jonah 2:2He said, “I called because of my affliction to Yahweh. He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried. You heard my voice.
- Eph 5:19speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing, and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
- Acts 16:24–25who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks.
- Rev 5:9–14They sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the book, and to open its seals: for you were killed, and bought us for God with your blood, out of every tribe, language, people, and nation,
- Rev 19:1–6After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation, power, and glory belong to our God:
- Heb 5:7He, in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear,
- Hos 6:1“Come, and let us return to Yahweh; for he has torn us to pieces, and he will heal us; he has injured us, and he will bind up our wounds.
- Jonah 2:7“When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Yahweh. My prayer came in to you, into your holy temple.
- Ps 142:1–3A contemplation by David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer. I cry with my voice to Yahweh. With my voice, I ask Yahweh for mercy.
- 2 Cor 12:7–10By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively.
- Col 3:16–17Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.
- Ps 118:5Out of my distress, I called on Yah. Yah answered me with freedom.
- Ps 91:15He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him, and honor him.
- Luke 22:44Being in agony he prayed more earnestly. His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.
- Job 33:26He prays to God, and he is favorable to him, so that he sees his face with joy. He restores to man his righteousness.
- Rev 14:3They sing a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand, those who had been redeemed out of the earth.
- Mic 4:5Indeed all the nations may walk in the name of their gods; but we will walk in the name of Yahweh our God forever and ever.
- Dan 5:4They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
- Matt 26:30When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
- 1 Chr 16:9Sing to him. Sing praises to him. Tell of all his marvelous works.
- 1 Cor 14:26What is it then, brothers? When you come together, each one of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has another language, has an interpretation. Let all things be done to build each other up.
- Ps 18:6In my distress I called on Yahweh, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry before him came into his ears.
- Rev 7:10They cried with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
- Luke 23:42He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
- Ps 116:3–5The cords of death surrounded me, the pains of Sheol got a hold of me. I found trouble and sorrow.
- Ps 105:2Sing to him, sing praises to him! Tell of all his marvelous works.
- Ps 95:2Let’s come before his presence with thanksgiving. Let’s extol him with songs!
- Lam 3:55–56I called on your name, Yahweh, out of the lowest dungeon.
- 2 Chr 33:12–13When he was in distress, he begged Yahweh his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
- Judg 16:23–25The lords of the Philistines gathered them together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice; for they said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.”
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Christ at the center
The wisdom from above and the royal law of love are the life of those who belong to 'our glorious Lord Jesus Christ' — faith in him made visible in works.
How James 5:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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