And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Parallel translations
- WEB and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
- BSB And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
- NKJV And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
- NASB and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.
- NLT Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.
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
The prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and any sins will be forgiven. God answers believing prayer and grants both restoration and forgiveness.
Overview
James promises that the prayer of faith brings healing and that the Lord raises up the sick, adding that sins will be forgiven. Faithful interpreters caution that this assurance rests on God's sovereign will rather than guaranteeing healing in every case, since God may have higher purposes in continued suffering. The verse links physical and spiritual restoration, pointing to the Lord who forgives sins and ultimately raises his people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- 1 Jn 5:14–16And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
- Jas 5:13Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
- Jas 5:16Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
- Matt 21:21–22Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
- Jas 1:6But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
- Matt 17:20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
- Mark 2:5–11When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
- Mark 16:17–18And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
- Isa 33:24And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.
- Mark 11:22–24And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
- John 5:14Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
- 1 Cor 11:30–32For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
- Matt 9:2–6And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
- 1 Cor 12:28–30And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
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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 5:15 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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