James 5:16
 
(KJV) Confess 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.
(1611 KJV) Confesse your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that yee may bee healed: the effectuall feruent prayer of a righteous man auaileth much.
(1587 Geneva Bible) Acknowledge your faultes one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed: for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much, if it be feruent.
(1526 Tyndale) knowledge youre fautes one to another: and praye one for another that ye maye be healed. The prayer of a ryghteous ma avayleth moche yf it be fervet.
 
Counterfeit Versions
(CSB) Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.
(NIV) Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
(NASV) Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
(THE MESSAGE) Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.
(NLT) Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.
(ESV) Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
(CEV) If you have sinned, you should tell each other what you have done. Then you can pray for one another and be healed. The prayer of an innocent person is powerful, and it can help a lot.
(1901 ASV) Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working.
(HCSB) Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful.
(RSV) Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.
(NAB-Roman Catholic) Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.
(Douay-Rheims - Roman Catholic) Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) Therefore openly confess YOUR sins to one another and pray for one another, that YOU may get healed. A righteous man’s supplication, when it is at work, has much force.
 
Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
exomologeisqe allhloiV ta paraptwmata kai eucesqe uper allhlwn opwV iaqhte polu iscuei dehsiV dikaiou energoumenh
 
Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
exomologeisqe oun allhloiV taV amartiaV kai proseucesqe uper allhlwn opwV iaqhte polu iscuei dehsiV dikaiou energoumenh
 
Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
P 025 - Ninth century
33 (Minuscule) - Ninth Century
 
Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
K 018 - Ninth century
L 020 - Ninth century
 
Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Reads “sins” instead of “faults”
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Weiss, Bernhard - 1894
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902
 
Affected Teachings
James 5:16 has been changed from “faults” to “sins” in the modern versions. Hort and Westcott were both Roman Catholics and for them to change the wording to read “sins” gives credence to the Roman Catholic system of Confession. Nowhere in the Bible are we ever commanded to confess our sins to one another. We are to confess our sins to God for it is only He who can forgive sins based upon whether a person is truly saved. (Mark 2:7 KJV) Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? The Pharisees were absolutely correct in that only God can forgive sins. In the Roman Catholic system, there is a very false belief that the Priest can give absolution for sins, in other words, they believe they hold the power to forgive sins. The bigger question is who forgives the sins of the Priest?
 
The word for “faults” in the Greek is “paraptomata” which carries with it the meaning of “a misdeed or a mishap.” It basically carries the meaning of referencing a subjective weakness of a person.” It does not necessarily mean a person is sinning. For example, a person may come upon a car accident and see blood and instead of getting involved, they remain in the car when they could have helped. Now they could not stand to see the sight of blood and that is where they have a weakness which caused them not to be involved because of their weakness in that area and that does not mean they are sinning.
 
The word which replaced “paraptomata” in the modern versions is “hamartias” which is translated sin in the rest of the New Testament and it references a transgression of God’s law. It can be adultery, lying, stealing or any violation of God’s law and this is very different than a person having a weakness in a certain area. A person having a weakness in a certain area will not be the reason an unbeliever goes to hell but the transgression of God’s law will condemn a person eternally. This is a very important difference and shows how the modern versions once again placate Roman Catholicism and proclaim a very false teaching.

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