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Connecting Statement:
James continues to warn rich people about thier focus on pleasure and riches.
the pay of the laborers is crying out—the pay that you have withheld from those who harvested your fields
The money that should have been paid is spoken of as a person who is shouting because of the injustice done to him. AT: "the fact that you did not pay those you hired to work in your fields shows that you have done wrong" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification)
the cries of the harvesters have gone into the ears of the Lord of hosts
The shouts of the harvesters are spoken of as if they could be heard in heaven. AT: "the Lord of hosts has heard the cries of the harvesters" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)
into the ears of the Lord of hosts
God is spoken of as if he had ears as humans have. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)
You have fattened your hearts for a day of slaughter
Here people are viewed as if they were cattle, luxuriously fed on grain so they would become fattened to be slaughtered for a feast. However, no one will feast at the time of judgment. AT: "Your greed has only prepared you for harsh eternal judgment" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)
your hearts
The "heart" was considered to be the center of human desire, and here stands for the entire person. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy)
You have condemned ... the righteous person
This is probably not "condemned" in the legal sense of a judge passing a sentence of death on a criminal. Instead, it probably refers to the wicked and powerful people who decide to mistreat the poor until they die.
the righteous person. He does not
"the people who do what is right. They do not." Here "the righteous person" refers to righteous people in general and not to a specific person. AT: "righteous people. They do not" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-genericnoun)
resist you
"oppose you"