Santiago 1
1 Santiago siervo de Dios y del Señor Jesu Cristo, a las doce tribus que están en la dispersión, salud.
[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, tenéd por todo gozo cuando cayereis en diversas tribulaciones:
My fellow believers, rejoice greatly, [even] when you experience various kinds of difficulties/troubles.
3 Sabiendo que la prueba de vuestra fe obra 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 Mas tenga la paciencia su obra perfecta, para que seáis perfectos y cabales, sin faltar en alguna cosa.
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 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.
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 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 [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 No piense pues el tal hombre que recibirá cosa alguna del Señor.
Indeed, people [who doubt] should not think that the Lord [God] will do anything [that they request him to do],
8 El hombre de doblado ánimo, es inconstante 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 Además, el hermano que es de humilde condición, gloríese en su ensalzamiento;
Believers who are poor should be happy [that God] considers them very valuable (OR, has exalted them [spiritually]) [MTY].
10 Mas el que es rico, en su humillación; porque él se pasará como la flor de la yerba:
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 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.
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 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.
[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 Cuando alguno es tentado, no diga, que Dios me tienta; porque Dios no puede ser tentado por el mal, ni él tienta a alguno:
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 Sino que cada uno es tentado, cuando de su propia concupiscencia es atraído, y cebado.
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 Y la concupiscencia después que ha concebido, pare al pecado: y el pecado, siendo cumplido, engendra 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 Hermanos míos muy amados, no erréis.
My fellow believers whom I love, stop deceiving yourselves, [thinking that God does evil things].
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.
[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 El de su propia voluntad nos ha engendrado por la palabra de verdad, para que seamos como 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 Así que, hermanos míos muy amados, todo hombre sea pronto para oír, tardío para hablar, tardío 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 obra 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 lo cual dejando toda inmundicia, y superfluidad de malicia, recibíd con mansedumbre la palabra injerida en vosotros, la cual puede hacer salvas vuestras 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 Mas sed hacedores de la palabra, y no tan solamente oidores, engañándoos a vosotros mismos.
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 oye la palabra, y no la pone por obra, este tal es semejante al hombre que considera en un espejo su rostro natural:
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 Porque él se consideró a sí mismo, y se fue; y luego se olvidó qué tal era.
Although he looks at himself, he goes away [from the mirror] and immediately forgets what he looks like.
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 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 de entre vosotros piensa ser religioso, y no refrena su lengua, sino que engaña su propio corazón, la religión del tal es vana.
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 mácula delante de Dios y Padre es esta: Visitar los huérfanos y las viudas en sus tribulaciones, 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.
