1 J ames, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered abroad: Greetings ( rejoice)!

Santiago, siervo de Dios y del Señor Jesucristo, a las doce tribus que están en la dispersión: Saludos. La sabiduría de lo alto

2 C onsider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.

Hermanos míos, tened por sumo gozo cuando os halléis en diversas pruebas,

3 B e assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.

sabiendo que la prueba de vuestra fe produce paciencia.

4 B ut let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfectly and fully developed, lacking in nothing.

Mas tenga la paciencia su obra completa, para que seáis perfectos y cabales, sin que os falte cosa alguna.

5 I f any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.

Y si alguno de vosotros tiene falta de sabiduría, que la pida a Dios, el cual da a todos abundantemente y sin reproche, y le será dada.

6 O nly it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.

Pero pida con fe, no dudando nada; porque el que duda es semejante a la ola del mar, que es arrastrada por el viento y echada de una parte a otra.

7 F or truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything from the Lord,

No piense, pues, ese hombre, que recibirá cosa alguna del Señor.

8 a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything.

El hombre de doble ánimo es inconstante en todos sus caminos.

9 L et the brother in humble circumstances glory in his elevation,

El hermano que es de humilde condición, gloríese en su exaltación;

10 A nd the rich in being humbled, because like the flower of the grass he will pass away.

pero el que es rico, en su humillación; porque él pasará como la flor de la hierba.

11 F or the sun comes up with a scorching heat and parches the grass; its flower falls off and its beauty fades away. Even so will the rich man wither and die in the midst of his pursuits.

Porque cuando sale el sol con calor abrasador, la hierba se seca, su flor se cae, y perece su hermosa apariencia; así también se marchitará el rico en todas sus empresas. Pruebas y tentaciones

12 B lessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.

Dichoso el varón que soporta la tentación; porque cuando haya resistido la prueba, recibirá la corona de la vida, que el Señor ha prometido a los que le aman.

13 L et no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by evil and He Himself tempts no one.

Que nadie diga cuando es tentado: Estoy siendo tentado de parte de Dios; porque Dios no puede ser tentado por el mal, ni él tienta a nadie;

14 B ut every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions).

sino que cada uno es tentado, cuando es atraído y seducido por su propia concupiscencia.

15 T hen the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death.

Entonces la concupiscencia, después que ha concebido, da a luz el pecado; y cuando el pecado es consumado, produce la muerte.

16 D o not be misled, my beloved brethren.

Amados hermanos míos, no erréis.

17 E very good gift and every perfect ( free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all light, in Whom there can be no variation or shadow cast by His turning.

Toda buena dádiva y todo don perfecto viene de arriba; desciende de parte del Padre de las luces, en el cual no hay fases ni períodos de sombra.

18 A nd it was of His own will that He gave us birth by Word of Truth, so that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Él, por designio de su voluntad, nos hizo nacer por la palabra de la verdad, para que fuésemos como primicias de sus criaturas. Hacedores de la Palabra

19 U nderstand, my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry.

Por esto, mis amados hermanos, todo hombre sea pronto para oír; tardo para hablar, tardo para airarse;

20 F or man’s anger does not promote the righteousness God.

porque la ira del hombre no obra la justicia de Dios.

21 S o get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted contains the power to save your souls.

Por lo cual, desechando toda inmundicia y abundancia de malicia, recibid con mansedumbre la palabra implantada, la cual puede salvar vuestras almas.

22 B ut be doers of the Word, and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves.

Pero sed hacedores de la palabra, y no tan solamente oidores, engañándoos a vosotros mismos.

23 F or if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his natural face in a mirror;

Porque si alguno es oidor de la palabra pero no hacedor de ella, éste es semejante al hombre que considera en un espejo su rostro natural.

24 F or he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.

Porque él se considera a sí mismo, y se va, y luego olvida cómo era.

25 B ut he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer, he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).

Mas el que mira atentamente a la ley perfecta, la de la libertad, y persevera en ella, no siendo oidor olvidadizo, sino hacedor de la obra, éste será dichoso en lo que hace.

26 I f anyone thinks himself to be religious (piously observant of the external duties of his faith) and does not bridle his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person’s religious service is worthless (futile, barren).

Si alguno se cree religioso entre vosotros, y no refrena su lengua, sino que engaña su corazón, la religión del tal es vana.

27 E xternal religious worship '> religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.

La religión pura e incontaminada delante de nuestro Dios y Padre es esta: Visitar a los huérfanos y a las viudas en sus tribulaciones, y guardarse sin mancha del mundo.