Santiago 1
1 JACOBO, siervo de Dios y del Señor Jesu-Cristo, á las doce tribus que están esparcidas, salud.
James, a Servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, greets the Twelve Tribes that are living abroad.
2 Hermanos mios, tened por sumo gozo cuando cayereis en diversas tentaciones;
My Brothers, whatever may be the temptations that beset you from time to time, always regard them as a reason for rejoicing,
3 Sabiendo que la prueba de vuestra fé obra paciencia.
knowing, as you do, that the testing of your faith develops endurance.
4 Mas tenga la paciencia perfecta [su] obra, para que seais perfectos y cabales, sin faltar en alguna cosa.
And let endurance do its work perfectly, so that you may be altogether perfect, and in no respect deficient.
5 Y si alguno de vosotros tiene falta de sabiduría, demándela á Dios, el cual da á todos abundantemente, y no zahiere; y le será dada.
If one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask wisdom from the God who gives freely to every one without reproaches, and it will be given to him.
6 Pero pida en fé, no dudando nada: porque el que duda, es semejante á la onda del mar, que es movida del viento, y echada de una parte á otra.
But let him ask with confidence, never doubting; for the man who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven hither and thither at the mercy of the wind —
7 No piense pues el tal hombre que recibirá ninguna cosa del Señor.
Such a man must not expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 El hombre de doblado ánimo es inconstante en todos sus caminos.
vacillating as he is, irresolute at every turn.
9 El hermano que es de baja suerte gloríese en su alteza:
Let a Brother in humble circumstances be proud of his exalted position, but a rich Brother of his humiliation;
10 Mas el que es rico, en su bajeza: porque él se pasará como la flor de la yerba.
for the rich man will pass away ‘like the flower of the grass.’
11 Porque salido el sol con ardor, la yerba se secó, y su flor se cayó, y pereció su hermosa apariencia: así tambien se marchitará el rico en todos sus caminos.
As the sun rises, and the hot wind blows, ‘the grass withers, its flower fades,’ and all its beauty is gone. So is it with the rich man. In the midst of his pursuits he will come to an untimely end.
12 Bienaventurado el varon que sufre la tentacion; porque cuando fuere probado, recibirá la corona de vida, que Dios ha prometido á los que le amen.
Blessed is the man who remains firm under temptation, for, when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of Life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 Cuando alguno es tentado, no diga que es tentado de Dios; porque Dios no puede ser tentado de los malos, ni él tienta á alguno;
Let no one say, when he is tempted, “It is God who is tempting me!” For God, who cannot be tempted to do wrong, does not himself tempt any one.
14 Sino que cada uno es tentado, cuando de su propia concupiscencia es atraido, y cebado.
A man is in every case tempted by his own passions — allured and enticed by them.
15 Y la concupiscencia, despues que ha concebido, pare al pecado; y el pecado, siendo cumplido, engendra muerte.
Then Passion conceives and gives birth to Sin, and Sin, on reaching maturity, brings forth Death.
16 Amados hermanos mios, no erreis.
Do not be deceived, my dear Brothers.
17 Toda buena dádiva, y todo don perfecto es de lo alto, que desciende del Padre de las luces, en el cual no hay mudanza, ni sombra de variacion.
Every good thing given us, and every perfect gift, is from above, and comes down to us from the Maker of the Lights in the heavens, who is himself never subject to change or to eclipse.
18 Él de su voluntad nos ha engendrado por la palabra de verdad, para que seamos primicias de sus criaturas.
Because he so willed, he gave us Life, through the Message of the Truth, so that we should be, as it were, an earnest of still further creations.
19 Por esto, mis amados hermanos, todo hombre sea pronto para oir, tardío para hablar, tardío para airarse:
Mark this, my dear Brothers — Let every one be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry;
20 Porque la ira del hombre no obra la justicia de Dios.
for the anger of man does not forward the righteous purpose of God.
21 Por lo cual dejando toda inmundicia, y superfluidad de malicia, recibid con mansedumbre la palabra ingerida [en vosotros, ] la cual puede hacer salvas vuestras almas.
Therefore, have done with all filthiness and whatever wickedness still remains, and in a humble spirit receive that Message which has been planted in your hearts and is able to save your souls.
22 Mas sed hacedores de la palabra, y no tan solamente oidores, engañandoos á vosotros mismos.
Put that Message into practice, and do not merely listen to it — deceiving 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, when any one listens to it and does not practice it, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror.
24 Porque él se consideró á sí mismo y se fué, y luego se olvidó que tal era.
He looks at himself, then goes on his way,
25 Mas el que hubiese mirado atentamente en la perfecta ley [que es] la de la libertad, y perseverado [en ella, ] no siendo oidor olvidadizo, sino hacedor de la obra, este tal será bienaventurado en su hecho.
but he who looks carefully into the perfect Law, the Law of Freedom, and continues to do so, not listening to it and then forgetting it, but putting it into practice — that man will be blessed in what he does.
26 Si alguno piensa ser religioso entre vosotros, y no refrena su lengua, sino engañando su corazon, la religion del tal es vana.
When a man appears to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue, but imposes upon his own conscience, that man’s religious observances are valueless.
27 La religion pura y sin mácula delante de Dios y Padre es esta: Visitar los huérfanos y las viudas en sus tribulaciones, y guardarse sin mancha de este mundo.
That religious observance which is pure and spotless in the eyes of God our Father is this — to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself uncontaminated by the world.
