1 W hat leads to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members?

¿De dónde vienen las guerras y los conflictos entre ustedes ? ¿No vienen de las pasiones que combaten en sus miembros ?

2 Y ou are jealous and covet and your desires go unfulfilled; you become murderers. You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain, so you fight and war. You do not have, because you do not ask.

Ustedes codician y no tienen, por eso cometen homicidio. Son envidiosos y no pueden obtener, por eso combaten y hacen guerra. No tienen, porque no piden.

3 y ou do ask and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is to spend it in sensual pleasures.

Piden y no reciben, porque piden con malos propósitos, para gastar lo en sus placeres.

4 Y ou unfaithful wives! Do you not know that being the world’s friend is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God.

¡ Oh almas adúlteras (infieles)! ¿No saben ustedes que la amistad del mundo es enemistad hacia Dios ? Por tanto, el que quiere ser amigo del mundo, se constituye enemigo de Dios.

5 O r do you suppose that the Scripture is speaking to no purpose that says, The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit with a jealous love?

¿O piensan que la Escritura dice en vano: “Dios celosamente anhela el Espíritu que ha hecho morar en nosotros?”

6 B ut He gives us more and more grace ( power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it).

Pero El da mayor gracia. Por eso dice: “ Dios resiste a los soberbios pero da gracia a los humildes.”

7 S o be subject to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Por tanto, sométanse a Dios. Resistan, pues, al diablo y huirá de ustedes.

8 C ome close to God and He will come close to you. sinners, get your soiled hands clean; wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts.

Acérquense a Dios, y El se acercará a ustedes. Limpien sus manos, pecadores; y ustedes de doble ánimo (que dudan), purifiquen sus corazones.

9 b e deeply penitent and grieve, even weep. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame.

Aflíjanse, laméntense y lloren. Que su risa se convierta en lamento y su gozo en tristeza.

10 H umble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

Humíllense en la presencia del Señor y El los exaltará.

11 b rethren, do not speak evil about or accuse one another. He that maligns a brother or judges his brother is maligning and criticizing the Law and judging the Law. But if you judge the Law, you are not a practicer of the Law but a censor and judge.

Hermanos, no hablen mal los unos de los otros. El que habla mal de un hermano o juzga a su hermano, habla mal de la ley y juzga a la ley. Pero si tú juzgas a la ley, no eres cumplidor de la ley, sino juez de ella.

12 O ne only is the Lawgiver and Judge Who is able to save and to destroy. who are you that pass judgment on your neighbor?

Sólo hay un Legislador y Juez, que es poderoso para salvar y para destruir. Pero tú, ¿quién eres que juzgas a tu prójimo ? La Incertidumbre de la Vida

13 C ome now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city and spend a year there and carry on our business and make money.

Oigan ahora, ustedes que dicen: “Hoy o mañana iremos a tal o cual ciudad y pasaremos allá un año, haremos negocio y tendremos ganancia.”

14 Y et you do not know about what may happen tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? You are but a wisp of vapor (a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then disappears.

Sin embargo, ustedes no saben cómo será su vida mañana. Sólo son un vapor que aparece por un poco de tiempo y luego se desvanece.

15 Y ou ought instead to say, If the Lord is willing, we shall live and we shall do this or that.

Más bien, debieran decir: Si el Señor quiere, viviremos y haremos esto o aquello.

16 B ut as it is, you boast in your presumption and your self-conceit. All such boasting is wrong.

Pero ahora se jactan en su arrogancia. Toda jactancia semejante es mala.

17 S o any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin.

A aquél, pues, que sabe hacer lo bueno y no lo hace, le es pecado.