James 5:4

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

The hire

The cries

General references

1 Corinthians 6:8

Bible References

The hire

You must not oppress your neighbor or commit robbery against him. You must not withhold the wages of the hired laborer overnight until morning.

You must not oppress a lowly and poor servant, whether one from among your fellow Israelites or from the resident foreigners who are living in your land and villages.

They go about naked, without clothing, and go hungry while they carry the sheaves.

"If my land cried out against me and all its furrows wept together,

Indeed Israel is the vineyard of the Lord who commands armies, the people of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight. He waited for justice, but look what he got -- disobedience! He waited for fairness, but look what he got -- cries for help!

"'Sure to be judged is the king who builds his palace using injustice and treats people unfairly while adding its upper rooms. He makes his countrymen work for him for nothing. He does not pay them for their labor.

For the stones in the walls will cry out, and the wooden rafters will answer back.

"I will come to you in judgment. I will be quick to testify against those who practice divination, those who commit adultery, those who break promises, and those who exploit workers, widows, and orphans, who refuse to help the immigrant and in this way show they do not fear me," says the Lord who rules over all.

Masters, treat your slaves with justice and fairness, because you know that you also have a master in heaven.

The cries

But the Lord said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground!

During that long period of time the king of Egypt died, and the Israelites groaned because of the slave labor. They cried out, and their desperate cry because of their slave labor went up to God.

And now indeed the cry of the Israelites has come to me, and I have also seen how severely the Egyptians oppress them.

"You must not afflict any widow or orphan.

You must pay his wage that very day before the sun sets, for he is poor and his life depends on it. Otherwise he will cry out to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin.

so that they caused the cry of the poor to come before him, so that he hears the cry of the needy.

For the one who takes revenge against murderers took notice of the oppressed; he did not overlook their cry for help

Won't God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay long to help them?

General references

If you make a sale to your fellow citizen or buy from your fellow citizen, no one is to wrong his brother.

They press out the olive oil between the rows of olive trees; they tread the winepresses while they are thirsty.

For they eat bread gained from wickedness and drink wine obtained from violence.

I will certainly punish them for doing such things!" says the Lord. "I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this!

I will silence the noise of your songs; the sound of your harps will be heard no more.

Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot, people were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building;

But you yourselves wrong and cheat, and you do this to your brothers and sisters!