James 2
1 My fellow believers, [because] you trust our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is glorious/wonderful, stop honoring some people more than others.
Hermanos míos, no tengáis la fe de nuestro glorioso Señor Jesucristo con parcialidad.
2 [For example], suppose that a person who wears gold rings and fine clothes enters your meeting place. Then suppose that a poor person who wears shabby/ragged clothes also comes in.
Porque si entra en vuestra sinagoga un hombre con un anillo de oro, vestido con ropas finas, y entra también un pobre vestido con ropas sucias,
3 And [suppose] that you (show special attention to/treat better) the one who is dressed in fine clothes by saying, “Sit here in this good seat!” and you say to the poor one, “Stand there or sit on the floor [MTY]!”
y os fijáis especialmente en el que lleva las ropas finas y le decís: “Siéntate aquí en un buen lugar”, y al pobre le decís: “Ponte ahí”, o “Siéntate junto al escabel de mis pies”
4 Then you have obviously [RHQ] caused divisions in the congregation (OR, you are clearly treating one better than the others, and you are using evil [motives/reasons] to ([evaluate people/decide whether people are important or not])).
¿no habéis mostrado parcialidad entre vosotros, y os habéis convertido en jueces con malos pensamientos?
5 Listen [to me], my fellow believers whom I love: God has chosen [RHQ] poor people whom [unbelievers consider to] possess nothing of value, [so that he might bless them] greatly [because] they trust [in him], and in order that they will enter the place where [he] will rule [MET] [forever]. That is what he has promised to those who love him.
Escuchad, mis queridos hermanos. ¿No ha elegido Dios a los pobres de este mundo para que sean ricos en la fe y herederos del Reino que prometió a los que le aman?
6 But you dishonor the poor people. Think about it! (It is rich people, [not poor people], who are causing you to suffer!/Isn’t it rich people, [not poor people], who are oppressing you?) [RHQ] (It is [the rich people] who forcibly take you to court [to accuse you in front of judges]!/Is it not [the rich people] who forcibly take you to court [to accuse you in front of judges]?) [RHQ]
Pero ustedes han deshonrado al pobre. ¿No le oprimen los ricos y le arrastran personalmente ante los tribunales?
7 (And they are the ones who say evil things about Jesus Christ, the one who is worthy [of praise], to whom you belong!/Are they not the ones who say evil things about Jesus Christ, the one who is worthy [of praise], to whom you belong?) [RHQ]
¿No blasfeman del honorable nombre con el que te llaman?
8 In the Scriptures [God has commanded] each of you to love other people like you love yourself. That commandment was [also given] by [Jesus our] King [MTY]. If you [are loving others], you are doing what is right.
Sin embargo, si cumplís la ley real según la Escritura: “Amarás a tu prójimo como a ti mismo”, hacéis bien.
9 But if you honor some people more than others, you are (doing wrong/sinning). And because you [do not do what God commanded us to do], he condemns you [PRS] because you disobey his laws.
Pero si mostráis parcialidad, cometéis pecado, siendo condenados por la ley como transgresores.
10 Do not forget that those who disobey only one of God’s laws, even if they obey all [his other] laws, [God considers them] to be [as guilty as anyone who has disobeyed] all [of] God’s [laws].
Porque el que guarda toda la ley y tropieza en un punto, se hace culpable de todo.
11 For example, [God] said, “Do not commit adultery,” but he also said, “Do not murder anyone.” [So] if you [(sg)] do not commit adultery but you [(sg)] murder someone, you [(sg)] have become a person who disobeys [God’s] laws.
Porque el que dijo: “No cometas adulterio”, también dijo: “No cometas homicidio”. Ahora bien, si no cometes adulterio pero cometes homicidio, te has convertido en transgresor de la ley.
12 Continually speak and act [toward others] as people should who will be judged {whom [God] will judge} by the law that frees us [from being punished] {[God punishing us]} [for our sins].
Así pues, hablad y haced como hombres que han de ser juzgados por la ley de la libertad.
13 [Speak and act like that], because when [God] judges us, he will not act mercifully toward those who do not act mercifully toward others. But when we [are] merciful [to others, we can rejoice], because [our being] merciful [shows] that [we are acting like people whom God] has mercifully saved from being judged (OR, [we can rejoice] because [God] will judge us mercifully).
Porque el juicio es sin misericordia para el que no ha mostrado misericordia. La misericordia triunfa sobre el juicio.
14 My fellow believers, [there are some people who say], “I believe [in the Lord Jesus Christ],” but they do not do good things [for other people]. (Their saying that will certainly not do them any good!/What good will their saying that do for them?) [RHQ] [God] will certainly not save [people like that who say that they believe, but do not do good things]! [RHQ]
¿De qué sirve, hermanos míos, que un hombre diga que tiene fe, pero no tenga obras? ¿Acaso la fe puede salvarle?
15 [To illustrate], suppose that fellow believers, either men or women, don’t have enough clothing or food for each day.
Y si un hermano o una hermana están desnudos y les falta el alimento de cada día,
16 And suppose that one of you says to them, “May [God] bless you and supply the clothing and food that you need!” but you [(sg)] do not give them the things that they need. (That would be no help [to them]!/What help is that [to them]?) [RHQ]
y uno de vosotros les dice: “Id en paz. Caliéntate y sáciate”; pero no les has dado lo que necesita el cuerpo, ¿de qué sirve?
17 Similarly, [those who do] not do good things [to help others, what they have said about] their believing [in Christ] is [as useless] [MET] [as] a dead person [is useless]. They do not [really believe in Christ].
Así también la fe, si no tiene obras, está muerta en sí misma.
18 But someone may say [to me], “[God saves] some people only [because] they trust [in him], and [he saves] others [because] they do good deeds [to people].” [I would answer that person], “[You(sg) cannot] prove to me that people truly trust [in God if] they do not do good things [for others]. But by doing good things [for others] I will prove to you that I truly trust [in God”]
Sí, un hombre dirá: “Tú tienes fe, y yo tengo obras”. Muéstrame tu fe sin obras, y yo te mostraré mi fe por mis obras.
19 [Think about it]! You believe that there is only one God, and you are right [to believe that]. But the demons also believe that, but they tremble [with fear because they know that God is going to punish them].
Tú crees que Dios es uno. Haces bien. Los demonios también creen, y tiemblan.
20 Also, you foolish person, I will [RHQ] prove to you [(sg)] that [if someone says], “I trust [in God],” but he does not do good things, [what that person says] will not benefit him.
¿Pero quieres saber, hombre vano, que la fe sin obras está muerta?
21 (It was certainly [because of] what our [revered] ancestor Abraham did, when he [prepared to] sacrifice his son Isaac, that he was considered [by God] {that [God] considered him} to be a righteous, [obedient] person./Was it not [because of] what our [revered] ancestor Abraham did, when he [prepared to] sacrifice his son Isaac, that he was considered [by God] {that [God] considered him} to be a righteous, [obedient] person?) [RHQ]
¿No fue Abraham, nuestro padre, justificado por las obras, al ofrecer a su hijo Isaac sobre el altar?
22 You [(sg)] can realize that he was not only trusting [in God], but he was also doing [what God told him to do], and [you(sg) can realize] that he was able to trust [in God more] completely because of having done [what God told him to do].
Ya ves que la fe obró con sus obras, y por las obras se perfeccionó la fe.
23 And [so it happened as it is written in the] Scriptures: “Because Abraham truly trusted in God, he was considered [by God] to be {[God] considered that he was} righteous.” And [God also] said [about Abraham], “He is my friend.”
Así se cumplió la Escritura que dice: “Abraham creyó a Dios, y le fue contado como justicia”, y fue llamado amigo de Dios.
24 [From the example of Abraham], you can realize that it is because people do good things that [God] considers them to be righteous, and not only because they trust [in him].
Veis, pues, que por las obras el hombre es justificado, y no sólo por la fe.
25 Similarly, it was certainly [RHQ] [because of] what Rahab did, that [God] considered her to be a righteous, [obedient] person. Rahab was [previously] a prostitute, but she cared for the Israelite men who came [to] ([spy out the land/see what that area was like]) and she [helped them to escape by] sending them home on a different road [from the one that they came on].
Del mismo modo, ¿no fue también justificada por las obras Rahab, la prostituta, cuando recibió a los mensajeros y los envió por otro camino?
26 Remember that when our spirits [permanently leave our] bodies, [our bodies] are dead [and useless]. Similarly [SIM], [if someone says], “I trust [in God],” but does not do [things to help others, what that person says about trusting in God] is useless.
Porque así como el cuerpo sin espíritu está muerto, así también la fe sin obras está muerta.
