Santiago 2
1 Hermanos míos, no tengáis la fe de nuestro glorioso Señor Jesucristo con parcialidad.
My brethren, you must not make distinctions between one man and another while you are striving to maintain faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our glory.
2 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,
For suppose a man comes into one of your meetings wearing gold rings and fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man wearing shabby clothes,
3 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”
and you pay court to the one who wears the fine clothes, and say, "Sit here; this is a good place;" while to the poor man you say, "Stand there, or sit on the floor at my feet;"
4 ¿no habéis mostrado parcialidad entre vosotros, y os habéis convertido en jueces con malos pensamientos?
is it not plain that in your hearts you have little faith, seeing that you have become judges full of wrong thoughts?
5 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?
Listen, my dearly-loved brethren. Has not God chosen those whom the world regards as poor to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which He has promised to those that love Him?
6 Pero ustedes han deshonrado al pobre. ¿No le oprimen los ricos y le arrastran personalmente ante los tribunales?
But you have put dishonour upon the poor man. Yet is it not the rich who grind you down? Are not they the very people who drag you into the Law courts? --
7 ¿No blasfeman del honorable nombre con el que te llaman?
and the very people who speak evil of the noble Name by which you are called?
8 Sin embargo, si cumplís la ley real según la Escritura: “Amarás a tu prójimo como a ti mismo”, hacéis bien.
If, however, you are keeping the Law as supreme, in obedience to the Commandment which says "You are to love your fellow man just as you love yourself," you are acting rightly.
9 Pero si mostráis parcialidad, cometéis pecado, siendo condenados por la ley como transgresores.
But if you are making distinctions between one man and another, you are guilty of sin, and are convicted by the Law as offenders.
10 Porque el que guarda toda la ley y tropieza en un punto, se hace culpable de todo.
A man who has kept the Law as a whole, but has failed to keep some one command, has become guilty of violating all.
11 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.
For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit murder," and if you are a murderer, although not an adulterer, you have become an offender against the Law.
12 Así pues, hablad y haced como hombres que han de ser juzgados por la ley de la libertad.
Speak and act as those should who are expecting to be judged by the Law of freedom.
13 Porque el juicio es sin misericordia para el que no ha mostrado misericordia. La misericordia triunfa sobre el juicio.
For he who shows no mercy will have judgement given against him without mercy; but mercy triumphs over judgement.
14 ¿De qué sirve, hermanos míos, que un hombre diga que tiene fe, pero no tenga obras? ¿Acaso la fe puede salvarle?
What good is it, my brethren, if a man professes to have faith, and yet his actions do not correspond? Can such faith save him?
15 Y si un hermano o una hermana están desnudos y les falta el alimento de cada día,
Suppose a Christian brother or sister is poorly clad or lacks daily food,
16 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?
and one of you says to them, "I wish you well; keep yourselves warm and well fed," and yet you do not give them what they need; what is the use of that?
17 Así también la fe, si no tiene obras, está muerta en sí misma.
So also faith, if it is unaccompanied by obedience, has no life in it--so long as it stands alone.
18 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.
Nay, some one will say, "You have faith, I have actions: prove to me your faith apart from corresponding actions and I will prove mine to you by my actions.
19 Tú crees que Dios es uno. Haces bien. Los demonios también creen, y tiemblan.
You believe that God is one, and you are quite right: evil spirits also believe this, and shudder."
20 ¿Pero quieres saber, hombre vano, que la fe sin obras está muerta?
But, idle boaster, are you willing to be taught how it is that faith apart from obedience is worthless? Take the case of Abraham our forefather.
21 ¿No fue Abraham, nuestro padre, justificado por las obras, al ofrecer a su hijo Isaac sobre el altar?
Was it, or was it not, because of his actions that he was declared to be righteous as the result of his having offered up his son Isaac upon the altar?
22 Ya ves que la fe obró con sus obras, y por las obras se perfeccionó la fe.
You notice that his faith was co-operating with his actions, and that by his actions his faith was perfected;
23 Así se cumplió la Escritura que dice: “Abraham creyó a Dios, y le fue contado como justicia”, y fue llamado amigo de Dios.
and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And Abraham believed God, and his faith was placed to his credit as righteousness," and he received the name of 'God's friend.'
24 Veis, pues, que por las obras el hombre es justificado, y no sólo por la fe.
You all see that it is because of actions that a man is pronounced righteous, and not simply because of faith.
25 Del mismo modo, ¿no fue también justificada por las obras Rahab, la prostituta, cuando recibió a los mensajeros y los envió por otro camino?
In the same way also was not the notorious sinner Rahab declared to be righteous because of her actions when she welcomed the spies and hurriedly helped them to escape another way?
26 Porque así como el cuerpo sin espíritu está muerto, así también la fe sin obras está muerta.
For just as a human body without a spirit is lifeless, so also faith is lifeless if it is unaccompanied by obedience.
