Santiago 1
1 Santiago siervo de Dios y del Señor Jesu Cristo, a las doce tribus que están en la dispersión, salud.
James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: to the twelve tribes who are scattered over the world. All good wishes.
2 Hermanos míos, tenéd por todo gozo cuando cayereis en diversas tribulaciones:
Reckon it nothing but joy, my brethren, whenever you find yourselves hedged in by various trials.
3 Sabiendo que la prueba de vuestra fe obra paciencia.
Be assured that the testing of your faith leads to power of endurance.
4 Mas tenga la paciencia su obra perfecta, para que seáis perfectos y cabales, sin faltar en alguna cosa.
Only let endurance have perfect results so that you may become perfect and complete, deficient in nothing.
5 Y si alguno de vosotros tiene falta de sabiduría, demánde la a Dios, (el cual da a todos dadivosamente, y no zahiere, ) y serle ha dada.
And if any one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives with open hand to all men, and without upbraiding; and it will be given him.
6 Empero demande en fe, no dudando nada; porque el que duda, es semejante a la onda de la mar, que es movida del viento, y es echada de una parte a otra.
But let him ask in faith and have no doubts; for he who has doubts is like the surge of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed into spray.
7 No piense pues el tal hombre que recibirá cosa alguna del Señor.
A person of that sort must not expect to receive anything from the Lord--
8 El hombre de doblado ánimo, es inconstante en todos sus caminos.
such a one is a man of two minds, undecided in every step he takes.
9 Además, el hermano que es de humilde condición, gloríese en su ensalzamiento;
Let a brother in humble life rejoice when raised to a higher position;
10 Mas el que es rico, en su humillación; porque él se pasará como la flor de la yerba:
but a rich man should rejoice in being brought low, for like flowers among the herbage rich men will pass away.
11 Que salido el sol con ardor, la yerba se secó, y su flor se cayó, y su hermosa apariencia pereció: así también se marchitará el rico en sus caminos.
The sun rises with his scorching heat and dries up the herbage, so that its flowers drop off and the beauty of its appearance perishes, and in the same way rich men with all their prosperity will fade away.
12 Bienaventurado el varón que sufre tentación; porque después que fuere probado, recibirá la corona de vida, que Dios ha prometido a los que le aman.
Blessed is he who patiently endures trials; for when he has stood the test, he will gain the victor's crown--even the crown of Life--which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
13 Cuando alguno es tentado, no diga, que Dios me tienta; porque Dios no puede ser tentado por el mal, ni él tienta a alguno:
Let no one say when passing through trial, "My temptation is from God;" for God is incapable of being tempted to do evil, and He Himself tempts no one.
14 Sino que cada uno es tentado, cuando de su propia concupiscencia es atraído, y cebado.
But when a man is tempted, it is his own passions that carry him away and serve as a bait.
15 Y la concupiscencia después que ha concebido, pare al pecado: y el pecado, siendo cumplido, engendra muerte.
Then the passion conceives, and becomes the parent of sin; and sin, when fully matured, gives birth to death.
16 Hermanos míos muy amados, no erréis.
Do not be deceived, my dearly-loved brethren.
17 Toda buena dádiva, y todo don perfecto es de lo alto, que desciende del Padre de las lumbres, en el cual no hay mudanza, ni sombra de variación.
Every gift which is good, and every perfect boon, is from above, and comes down from the Father, who is the source of all Light. In Him there is no variation nor the slightest suggestion of change.
18 El de su propia voluntad nos ha engendrado por la palabra de verdad, para que seamos como primicias de sus criaturas.
In accordance with His will He made us His children through the Message of the truth, so that we might, in a sense, be the Firstfruits of the things which He has created.
19 Así que, hermanos míos muy amados, todo hombre sea pronto para oír, tardío para hablar, tardío para airarse;
You know this, my dearly-loved brethren. But let every one be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to be angry.
20 Porque la ira del hombre no obra la justicia de Dios.
For a man's anger does not lead to action which God regards as righteous.
21 Por lo cual dejando toda inmundicia, y superfluidad de malicia, recibíd con mansedumbre la palabra injerida en vosotros, la cual puede hacer salvas vuestras almas.
Ridding yourselves, therefore, of all that is vile and of the evil influences which prevail around you, welcome in a humble spirit the Message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls.
22 Mas sed hacedores de la palabra, y no tan solamente oidores, engañándoos a vosotros mismos.
But prove yourselves obedient to the Message, and do not be mere hearers of it, imposing a delusion upon yourselves.
23 Porque si alguno oye la palabra, y no la pone por obra, este tal es semejante al hombre que considera en un espejo su rostro natural:
For if any one listens but does not obey, he is like a man who carefully looks at his own face in a mirror.
24 Porque él se consideró a sí mismo, y se fue; y luego se olvidó qué tal era.
Although he has looked carefully at himself, he goes away, and has immediately forgotten the sort of man he is.
25 Mas el que hubiere mirado atentamente en la ley perfecta que es la de la libertad, y hubiere perseverado en ella, no siendo oidor olvidadizo, sino hacedor de la obra, este tal será bienaventurado en su hecho.
But he who looks closely into the perfect Law--the Law of freedom--and continues looking, he, being not a hearer who forgets, but an obedient doer, will as the result of his obedience be blessed.
26 Si alguno de entre vosotros piensa ser religioso, y no refrena su lengua, sino que engaña su propio corazón, la religión del tal es vana.
If a man thinks that he is scrupulously religious, although he is not curbing his tongue but is deceiving himself, his religious service is worthless.
27 La religión pura y sin mácula delante de Dios y Padre es esta: Visitar los huérfanos y las viudas en sus tribulaciones, y guardarse sin mancha del mundo.
The religious service which is pure and stainless in the sight of our God and Father is to visit fatherless children and widowed women in their time of trouble, and to keep one's own self unspotted from the world.
