James 5 - First Nations Version

A WARNING TO THOSE WITH GREAT POSSESSIONS

¹ Listen to me, you who have great possessions, weep and howl over the times of trouble and sorrow that are coming your way.

² Even now your treasured possessions are rotting away and moths are eating your fine garments.

³ Your gold and silver will waste away. It will be a witness against you and eat your flesh like fire. For you have piled up many possessions in the last days.

⁴ Behold! You have held back the goods you owed to the workers who harvest your crops. Their cries for justice have reached the ears of the Chief of Spirit Warriors.

⁵ Your life on this earth has been one of getting for yourselves whatever you want to satisfy your selfish desires. You have fattened yourselves like an animal prepared for a day of slaughter.

⁶ You have falsely accused and put to death the innocent, who did not even try to stand against you.

WAITING FOR HIS APPEARING

⁷ So be patient, my sacred family members, until our Honored Chief appears. Look at the worker in the field who patiently waits for the seasonal rains to fall so the land can bring forth its fruits.

⁸ In the same way, you must also be patient and stand firm, for the appearing of our Honored Chief is close at hand.

⁹ So then, my sacred family members, do not grumble against each other or you may be found guilty. Look! The Judge who decides is right outside, ready to come in.

¹⁰ My sacred family members, follow in the footsteps of the prophets who spoke for the Great Spirit. Even in times of suffering, they remained patient and strong.

¹¹ Look at how we honor those who have stood firm in troubled times. You have heard the story of Turns to Creator (Job), how he stood firm to the end and found the Great Spirit to be kind and merciful. The Great Spirit will do the same for you.

¹² The chief thing I want to say to you, my sacred family members, is that you are not to make solemn promises. Do not promise by the spirit-world above, or by the earth below, or make a solemn promise in any other way. Your simple “yes” or “no” is enough. You may be found guilty if you say more.

THE POWER OF PRAYER

¹³ Are you suffering? Send up prayers. Are your hearts glad? Sing traditional songs of honor and praise.

¹⁴ Are any among you sick? Call on the elders of the sacred family to pray over them and smudge them with sweet-smelling smoke in the name of our Honored Chief.

¹⁵ When you send your voice to our Honored Chief, trusting in him, he will heal the sick ones and restore them to health. He will forgive and set free any who have been following their bad hearts and broken ways.

¹⁶ So admit your broken ways one to another and pray for each other that you may be healed. The prayer of one in good standing with Creator is powerful and good medicine.

¹⁷ Great Spirit Is Creator (Elijah) was a weak human being, the same as we are. He prayed with much prayer that it would not rain, and for three winters and six moons no rain fell on the land.

¹⁸ Then, when he prayed for the rain to fall, down it came, and once again mother earth gave a harvest of good food.

FINAL WORDS

¹⁹ My sacred family members, has any of you wandered from the truth? Has anyone helped you find the way back?

²⁰ If so, then let them know, the one who helps someone return from broken ways has rescued their soul from death and hidden the many paths that lead to broken ways. Aho! May it be so!