Santiago 1
1 Santiago, un esclavo de Dios y del Señor Jesucristo, a las 12 tribus que están en la dispersión. Saludos.
[I], James, am a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. [I am writing this letter] to [all] the Jewish people [who trust in Christ] (OR, to all God’s people) who are scattered throughout the world. [I send my] greetings to [you all].
2 Hermanos míos, gócense profundamente cuando pasen por diversas pruebas,
My fellow believers, rejoice greatly, [even] when you experience various kinds of difficulties/troubles.
3 y sepan que la prueba de su fe produce paciencia.
[God sometimes allows you to experience difficulties in order to] test whether or not you will continue to trust [him. Whenever that happens, you need to] realize more and more that [if you continue to trust him], you will be able to bravely/patiently endure difficulties.
4 Pero obtenga la paciencia su resultado perfecto para que sean perfectos y cabales, sin deficiencia.
Keep on enduring difficulties [bravely/patiently by trusting God more and more firmly] [PRS], in order that you may become all that he intends you to be [DOU] (OR, [spiritually] mature and complete), not lacking (any [good quality/anything you need to conduct your lives as God wants you to]).
5 Si alguno de ustedes carece de sabiduría, pídala a Dios, Quien da a todos generosamente y sin reproche, y se le dará.
If anyone of you does not know how to act wisely [in order to endure difficulties/trials well], he should ask God [to show him what he should do, because] God wholeheartedly/gladly helps all people [who ask] and does not scold [anyone for asking. Those who ask], God will give them wisdom to know [what they should do].
6 Pero pida con fe sin dudar, porque el que duda es semejante a la onda del mar que el viento arrastra y lanza.
But [when you] ask [God], you should firmly trust him. You should not doubt [that he wants to help you always], because people who keep doubting God are [unstable/changeable] [SIM] like a wave of the sea that is blown back and forth by the wind {that goes back and forth when the wind blows} [DOU, SIM].
7 Por tanto no suponga aquel hombre que recibirá alguna cosa del Señor.
Indeed, people [who doubt] should not think that the Lord [God] will do anything [that they request him to do],
8 Un hombre de doble ánimo es inestable en todos sus caminos.
[because they are] people who cannot decide [whether they will commit themselves to God, and they are] unstable/undecided in everything that they do.
9 El hermano de humilde condición, enaltézcase en su alta posición,
Believers who are poor should be happy [that God] considers them very valuable (OR, has exalted them [spiritually]) [MTY].
10 pero el rico, en su humillación, pues pasará como la flor de la hierba.
And [believers] who are rich should be happy [that] they have humbled themselves [in order to trust in Jesus Christ] (OR, but rich people [can only] take pride [in the fact that God] will humble them [when he judges everyone] [IRO]), because they [and their riches] [MTY] will pass away, just like wild flowers [wither] [SIM].
11 Porque el sol sale con calor abrasador, seca [la] hierba, su flor cae y perece la belleza de su apariencia. Así también el rico se marchitará en todos sus negocios.
When the sun rises, the scorching hot wind dries plants, and their flowers fall and are no longer beautiful. Similarly, rich people will die [MET] while they are busy working, [leaving behind their riches].
12 Inmensamente feliz [el] varón que soporta [la] prueba, porque al ser aprobado, ganará la corona de la vida que [Dios] prometió a los que lo aman.
[God] is pleased with people who bravely/patiently endure difficulties. And when, [by bravely enduring difficulties], they have proved [that they truly trust him], he will give them [eternal] life. That is the reward [MET] that he has promised to give to those who love him.
13 Ninguno que es tentado, diga: Soy tentado por Dios. Porque Dios no puede ser tentado por [los ]malos, y Él mismo no tienta a nadie.
If people are tempted to do something that is evil, they should not think that it is God who is tempting them, because [God is totally/completely good]. He never tempts anyone [to do what is evil], nor can he ever be tempted to [do anything] evil.
14 Cada uno es tentado, atraído y seducido por su propio deseo ardiente.
But people strongly desire to do evil [PRS] things, [and as a result] they are tempted by those desires {those desires stimulate them} to do something evil [PRS, DOU].
15 Entonces, después de concebir el deseo ardiente, da a luz [el] pecado. Luego de consumarse el pecado, da a luz [la] muerte.
Then, [because] they have desired [MET] to do evil [PRS] things, they begin to [MET] do [PRS] them. And when they have become ones who [habitually] do what is evil [MET], [if they do not turn away from their sinful behavior], they will be separated from God forever.
16 Amados hermanos míos, no se engañen.
My fellow believers whom I love, stop deceiving yourselves, [thinking that God does evil things].
17 Toda buena dádiva y todo don perfecto desciende de arriba, del Padre de las luces, en Quien no hay cambio ni sombra de variación.
[The truth is that God], our heavenly Father [MTY], does only good [DOU] things [for us, in order to help us become] all that he intends us to be. He is not like all the things [in the sky] that he created to give light, [because they] change; [that is, they do not shine the same all the time]. But God never changes. [He is always good].
18 Por su voluntad, nos dio a luz por la Palabra de verdad para que seamos primicias de sus criaturas.
[And because] he wanted [to help us], he gave us [spiritual] life as a result of our [trusting in his] true message. So now we have become the first ones of [all the people] [MET] that he created [to] ([be totally dedicated to/completely belong to]) [him].
19 Sepan, mis amados hermanos: Todo ser humano sea pronto para escuchar, tardo para hablar, tardo para airarse,
My fellow believers whom I love, you know (OR, I want you to now) that every one of you should be eager to pay attention to [God’s true message]. Don’t speak [without thinking], nor get angry easily,
20 porque [la ]ira del hombre no efectúa [la] justicia de Dios.
because when any one [of you gets] angry, you will not be doing the righteous things that God [wants] you [to do].
21 Por tanto desechen toda impureza y abundancia de maldad y reciban con humildad la Palabra sembrada que puede salvar sus almas.
So stop doing all kinds of evil [DOU] things, and humbly obey (OR, submit to) the message that [God] put in your (inner beings/hearts), [because] he is able to save you [SYN] [if you accept his message].
22 Así que no se engañen ustedes mismos. Sean hacedores de [la] Palabra y no solo oidores.
Do [what God commands in] his message. Do not only listen [to it, because people who only listen to it and do not obey it] are wrong when they think [that God will save them].
23 Porque si alguno es oidor de [la] Palabra, y no hacedor, es como un hombre que mira su rostro en un espejo:
Some people hear God’s message but do not do [what it says] [MET]. They are like someone who looks at his face in a mirror [SIM].
24 se mira y sale, e inmediatamente se olvida cómo era.
Although he looks at himself, he goes away [from the mirror] and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 Pero el que mira atentamente en [la] ley perfecta, la de la libertad, permanece en ella y no es oidor olvidadizo, sino practicante, será inmensamente feliz en lo que hace.
But other people look closely at [God’s] message, which is perfect and which sets people free [to voluntarily do what God wants them to do]. And if they continue [to examine God’s message] and do not just hear it and then forget it, but do [what God tells them to do], God will bless them because of what they do.
26 Si alguno supone ser religioso y no refrena su lengua, sino engaña su corazón, su religión no tiene valor.
Some people think that they worship God in the right way, but they habitually say evil things [MTY]. Those people are wrong in thinking [SYN] [that they worship God rightly]. The fact is [that they] worship God (in vain/uselessly).
27 [La] religión pura y sin mancha delante del Dios y Padre es ésta: Atender a [los] huérfanos y a las viudas en su aflicción y guardarse sin mancha del mundo.
[One of the things that God has told us to do] is to take care of orphans and widows who suffer hardship. [Those who do that and] who do not think or act immorally like those who do not obey God [MTY] truly [DOU] worship God, [who is our] Father, and God approves of them.
