King James Bible
"Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?"
James calls for urgent attention with warm familial language, emphasizing the importance of what follows. This direct address reflects the letter's pastoral tone and James's role as a leader in the Jerusalem church addressing scattered Jewish Christians. James presents a divine reversal where material poverty often coincides with spiritual wealth. This echoes Jesus's teaching about the blessed poor and challenges the church's favoritism toward the wealthy, highlighting how those lacking worldly resources frequently demonstrate deeper dependence on God. The poor believers receive the ultimate inheritance—God's kingdom—not through wealth or status but through love for God. This promise connects to the covenant language of inheritance while establishing love, not economic position, as the true criterion for kingdom membership.