Santiago 3
1 No todos sean maestros, mis hermanos, porque los maestros serán juzgados con más severidad.
My fellow believers, not many of you should [desire to] become teachers [of God’s truth, because] you know [that God] will judge us [(exc)], who teach others, more severely [than he will judge other people].
2 Porque todos ofendemos en varias cosas. Si un hombre nunca ofende en su charla, entonces él es un hombre perfecto y capaz de mantener todo su cuerpo bajo control.
It is true that we all in many ways do things that are wrong [MET]. But those who always [LIT] control what they say will be all that God intends/wants them to be. They will be able to control all their actions [MTY].
3 Ahora bien, si ponemos freno en la boca de los caballos para que puedan ser guiados por nosotros, tenemos el control total de sus cuerpos.
[To illustrate], if we put [a small metal] bit into the mouth of a horse in order to cause the horse to obey us, we can cause the horse to turn [and go where we want it to] [MET].
4 Y de nuevo las naves, aunque son tan grandes y se mueven por vientos violentos, son gobernadas por un pequeño timón, y los guían por donde quieren.
Think also about ships. [Although] a ship may be very large and [although] it can be moved by strong winds {strong winds can move it}, by [turning] a very small (rudder/steering paddle) people can direct the ship wherever they want [it to go].
5 Aun así, la lengua es una pequeña parte del cuerpo, pero se jacta de grandes cosas. ¡Qué bosque tan grande puede quemarse por un fuego muy pequeño!
Similarly, [although] our tongues are very small, [if we do not control them], we can [harm] many people by what we proudly say [MTY]. Think [also] about how [just] a small [flame of] fire can cause a large forest (OR, a large area of brushwood) to burn.
6 Y la lengua es fuego; es el poder del mal colocado en nuestro cuerpo, que contamina todo el cuerpo. Está encendida por él mismo infierno, a su vez hace arder todo el curso de la vida. (Geenna g1067)
[Just like a fire damages a forest] [MET], when we say things that are evil, [we harm many people]. What we say [MTY] reveals that we are very evil. What we say contaminates/defiles everything that we think and do [PRS, MET]. [Just like a flame of fire easily] causes [the whole surrounding area] [MET] to burn, what we say [MTY] can cause [others] to want to do evil. It is the devil himself [MTY] who causes us to say evil things. (Geenna g1067)
7 Porque todo tipo de bestias y aves, y todo ser vivo en la tierra y en el mar, ha sido controlado por el hombre y está bajo su autoridad;
Indeed, although people are able to tame/control all kinds of wild animals, birds, reptiles and creatures that live in the water, and people have actually tamed/controlled them,
8 Pero la lengua no puede ser controlada por el hombre; es un mal incontenible, está lleno del veneno de la muerte.
no person ([on his own/by himself]) is able to control what he says [MTY]. And when people say evil things, [it shows that] they are unstable/uncontrolled and wicked [MTY]. [As] the poison [of a snake kills people] [MTY], [we harm others] [MET] by what we say.
9 Con ella alabamos a nuestro Señor y Padre; y con ella maldecimos a los hombres que están hechos a la imagen de Dios.
We use our tongue to praise God, who is our Lord and Father, but we also use our same tongue to ask God to say evil things to people. [That is very wrong]! God made people like himself, [so we should speak as respectfully to others as we speak to God].
10 Fuera de la misma boca viene la bendición y la maldición. Mis hermanos, no es correcto que estas cosas sean así.
We praise [God], but with our same mouth we also ask for evil [things to happen to others]. My fellow believers, this should not be!
11 ¿La fuente envía desde el mismo punto de salida agua dulce y amarga?
Surely bitter water and good water do not come out of the same spring! [RHQ]
12 ¿Acaso una higuera puede darnos aceitunas, hermanos míos, o tenemos higos de una vid, o agua dulce del mar salado?
My fellow believers, a fig tree cannot [RHQ] produce olives. Nor can [RHQ] a grapevine produce figs. Neither can a salty spring produce good [water]. [Similarly, we should say only good things, and we should not say evil things] [MET].
13 ¿Quién tiene sabiduría y sensatez entre ustedes? deje que su buena conducta lo demuestre con la humildad que su sabiduría le da.
If any of you thinks [RHQ] that [you are] wise and know a lot, you should always act in a good way to show people that your good actions are the result of your [being truly] wise. Being wise [helps us to act] gently [toward others].
14 Pero si tienes contención y una amarga envidia en tu corazón y el deseo de vencer a los demás, no te enorgullezcas de ello, hablando falsamente contra lo que es verdad.
But if you are very [MET] jealous/unhappy when you see that someone else is succeeding, and always want to have what you want, regardless of what others want, you should not say [that you are wise, for by boasting like that], you are saying that ([God’s message/what God says about you]) is not true.
15 Esta sabiduría no es del cielo, sino de la tierra, animal y del Maligno.
Those who have such [attitudes are] not wise [MTY] in the way that God [wants them to be]. Instead, they are only thinking and acting like ([ungodly people/people who do not please God]). They think and act according to their own [evil] desires. They do what the demons [want them to do] (OR, they think and act as demons [do]).
16 Porque donde está la envidia y el deseo de vencer a los demás, no hay orden, sino todo tipo de maldad.
[Keep in mind that] people who have such attitudes (are unruly/do not submit to authority) and [do] all kinds of evil things.
17 Pero la sabiduría que viene del cielo es primero santa, luego gentil, que cede fácilmente en discusión, llena de paz y misericordia y buenas obras, sin dudar, sin parecer otra cosa que lo que es.
But [when people] are wise [PRS] in the way that God [MTY] [wants them to be], they are pure in every way, which God considers to be very important. They also act peaceably towards [others], they (are considerate of/think about the rights and feelings of) others, they are willing to yield to [the wishes of] others, they act compassionately [toward others], and they do all kinds of good things [for others] [MET]. [How they treat others does] not depend on (others’ status/whether others are important or not), and they are sincere [in all they do].
18 Y el fruto de la justicia es plantado en paz para los que hacen las paces.
Those who [act] peaceably [toward others] cause [others to also] act peaceably, with the result that they all live together [acting toward each other] in a righteous way [MET].
