Santiago 2
1 Hermanos míos, si tienen la fe de nuestro Señor Jesucristo de la gloria, no tengan preferencia entre personas.
My fellow believers, [because] you trust our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is glorious/wonderful, stop honoring some people more than others.
2 Porque si un hombre entra en tu sinagoga vestido de manera justa y con un anillo de oro, y viene un pobre con ropa sucia,
[For example], suppose that a person who wears gold rings and fine clothes enters your meeting place. Then suppose that a poor person who wears shabby/ragged clothes also comes in.
3 Y honras al hombre vestido de manera justa y dices: ven aquí y toma este buen lugar; y le dices al pobre hombre: toma tu posición allí en pie, o siéntate a mis pies;
And [suppose] that you (show special attention to/treat better) the one who is dressed in fine clothes by saying, “Sit here in this good seat!” and you say to the poor one, “Stand there or sit on the floor [MTY]!”
4 ¿No están haciendo distinciones entre ustedes mismos y Se han convertido en jueces con pensamientos malvados?
Then you have obviously [RHQ] caused divisions in the congregation (OR, you are clearly treating one better than the others, and you are using evil [motives/reasons] to ([evaluate people/decide whether people are important or not])).
5 Escuchen, queridos hermanos; ¿No son los pobres en las cosas de este mundo escogidos por Dios para tener la fe como su riqueza, y por su herencia el reino que él ha dicho que dará a los que le aman?
Listen [to me], my fellow believers whom I love: God has chosen [RHQ] poor people whom [unbelievers consider to] possess nothing of value, [so that he might bless them] greatly [because] they trust [in him], and in order that they will enter the place where [he] will rule [MET] [forever]. That is what he has promised to those who love him.
6 Pero ustedes han avergonzado al hombre pobre. ¿No son los hombres de la riqueza que gobiernan sobre ustedes? ¿No los llevan por la fuerza ante los jueces?
But you dishonor the poor people. Think about it! (It is rich people, [not poor people], who are causing you to suffer!/Isn’t it rich people, [not poor people], who are oppressing you?) [RHQ] (It is [the rich people] who forcibly take you to court [to accuse you in front of judges]!/Is it not [the rich people] who forcibly take you to court [to accuse you in front of judges]?) [RHQ]
7 ¿No blasfeman ellos el santo nombre que fue invocado sobre ustedes?
(And they are the ones who say evil things about Jesus Christ, the one who is worthy [of praise], to whom you belong!/Are they not the ones who say evil things about Jesus Christ, the one who is worthy [of praise], to whom you belong?) [RHQ]
8 Pero si guardan la ley más grande de todas, como está dada en las Sagradas Escrituras, ten amor por tu prójimo como por ti mismo, bien hacen:
In the Scriptures [God has commanded] each of you to love other people like you love yourself. That commandment was [also given] by [Jesus our] King [MTY]. If you [are loving others], you are doing what is right.
9 Pero si toman en cuenta la posición de un hombre, haces mal, y son juzgados como transgresores por la ley.
But if you honor some people more than others, you are (doing wrong/sinning). And because you [do not do what God commanded us to do], he condemns you [PRS] because you disobey his laws.
10 Porque cualquiera que cumpla con toda la ley, pero incurre en un error en un punto, se considera que ha sido culpable de todos.
Do not forget that those who disobey only one of God’s laws, even if they obey all [his other] laws, [God considers them] to be [as guilty as anyone who has disobeyed] all [of] God’s [laws].
11 Porque el que dijo: No adulteres, es el mismo que dijo: No mates a nadie. Ahora bien, si no eres adúltero, pero matas a un hombre, la ley está quebrantada.
For example, [God] said, “Do not commit adultery,” but he also said, “Do not murder anyone.” [So] if you [(sg)] do not commit adultery but you [(sg)] murder someone, you [(sg)] have become a person who disobeys [God’s] laws.
12 Sean sus palabras y sus actos los de hombres que han de ser juzgados por la ley de la libertad.
Continually speak and act [toward others] as people should who will be judged {whom [God] will judge} by the law that frees us [from being punished] {[God punishing us]} [for our sins].
13 Porque el hombre que no tuvo misericordia será juzgado sin misericordia, pero la misericordia se enorgullece de vencer el juicio.
[Speak and act like that], because when [God] judges us, he will not act mercifully toward those who do not act mercifully toward others. But when we [are] merciful [to others, we can rejoice], because [our being] merciful [shows] that [we are acting like people whom God] has mercifully saved from being judged (OR, [we can rejoice] because [God] will judge us mercifully).
14 ¿De qué sirve, mis hermanos, que un hombre diga que tiene fe, y no tiene obras? ¿Tal fe le dará la salvación?
My fellow believers, [there are some people who say], “I believe [in the Lord Jesus Christ],” but they do not do good things [for other people]. (Their saying that will certainly not do them any good!/What good will their saying that do for them?) [RHQ] [God] will certainly not save [people like that who say that they believe, but do not do good things]! [RHQ]
15 Si un hermano o hermana está sin ropa y necesita la comida del día,
[To illustrate], suppose that fellow believers, either men or women, don’t have enough clothing or food for each day.
16 Y uno de ustedes les dice: Ve en paz, abrígate y coman todo lo que quieran; pero no le dan las cosas que sus cuerpos necesitan, ¿qué beneficio hay en esto?
And suppose that one of you says to them, “May [God] bless you and supply the clothing and food that you need!” but you [(sg)] do not give them the things that they need. (That would be no help [to them]!/What help is that [to them]?) [RHQ]
17 Así es con la fe, sin obras está muerta.
Similarly, [those who do] not do good things [to help others, what they have said about] their believing [in Christ] is [as useless] [MET] [as] a dead person [is useless]. They do not [really believe in Christ].
18 Pero alguno puede decir: Tú tienes fe y yo tengo obras; déjame ver tu fe sin tus obras, y haré que mi fe sea más clara para ti a través de mis obras.
But someone may say [to me], “[God saves] some people only [because] they trust [in him], and [he saves] others [because] they do good deeds [to people].” [I would answer that person], “[You(sg) cannot] prove to me that people truly trust [in God if] they do not do good things [for others]. But by doing good things [for others] I will prove to you that I truly trust [in God”]
19 Ustedes tiene la creencia de que Dios es uno; y hacen bien: los espíritus malignos tienen la misma creencia, y tiemblan de miedo.
[Think about it]! You believe that there is only one God, and you are right [to believe that]. But the demons also believe that, but they tremble [with fear because they know that God is going to punish them].
20 ¿No ves, oh hombre necio, que la fe sin obras es muerta?
Also, you foolish person, I will [RHQ] prove to you [(sg)] that [if someone says], “I trust [in God],” but he does not do good things, [what that person says] will not benefit him.
21 ¿No fue justificado Abraham, nuestro padre por sus obras, cuando hizo una ofrenda de Isaac su hijo sobre el altar?
(It was certainly [because of] what our [revered] ancestor Abraham did, when he [prepared to] sacrifice his son Isaac, that he was considered [by God] {that [God] considered him} to be a righteous, [obedient] person./Was it not [because of] what our [revered] ancestor Abraham did, when he [prepared to] sacrifice his son Isaac, that he was considered [by God] {that [God] considered him} to be a righteous, [obedient] person?) [RHQ]
22 Ustedes ven que su fe estaba ayudando a sus obras y que la fe se perfeccionó por las obras;
You [(sg)] can realize that he was not only trusting [in God], but he was also doing [what God told him to do], and [you(sg) can realize] that he was able to trust [in God more] completely because of having done [what God told him to do].
23 Y se llevaron a cabo las Sagradas Escrituras que decían: “Y Abraham tuvo fe en Dios y fue puesto a su cuenta como justicia”; y fue nombrado amigo de Dios.
And [so it happened as it is written in the] Scriptures: “Because Abraham truly trusted in God, he was considered [by God] to be {[God] considered that he was} righteous.” And [God also] said [about Abraham], “He is my friend.”
24 Ustedes ven que un hombre es juzgado por sus obras y no solo por su fe.
[From the example of Abraham], you can realize that it is because people do good things that [God] considers them to be righteous, and not only because they trust [in him].
25 Y de la misma manera, ¿no fue justificada Rahab, la mujer ramera, juzgada por sus obras, cuando ella tomó en su casa a los que fueron enviados y los dejó salir por otro camino?
Similarly, it was certainly [RHQ] [because of] what Rahab did, that [God] considered her to be a righteous, [obedient] person. Rahab was [previously] a prostitute, but she cared for the Israelite men who came [to] ([spy out the land/see what that area was like]) and she [helped them to escape by] sending them home on a different road [from the one that they came on].
26 Porque así como el cuerpo sin el espíritu está muerto, así también la fe sin obras está muerta.
Remember that when our spirits [permanently leave our] bodies, [our bodies] are dead [and useless]. Similarly [SIM], [if someone says], “I trust [in God],” but does not do [things to help others, what that person says about trusting in God] is useless.
