James clearly condemns the arrogant attitude of those who dedicate their lives solely to getting rich, ignoring God and their fellow humans. This is followed by a prophetic (Is 13:6; 15:3) and apocalyptic (Rev 18:11-19) lament about the threat of divine judgment, which will be against the wealthy who unjustly gain their wealth through extortion and exploitation of workers (Dt 24:14ff; Lv 19:13). The wealthy condemn and kill the innocent when they deprive them of a fair wage, steal their possessions through manipulation of the courts, or use violence via mercenaries, among other things.