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

This letter is from James. I am a servant owned by God and the Lord Jesus Christ. I greet the twelve family groups of the Jewish nation living in many parts of the world. Take Hope When Tests Come

2 H ermanos míos, tened por sumo gozo cuando os halléis en diversas pruebas,

My Christian brothers, you should be happy when you have all kinds of tests.

3 s abiendo que la prueba de vuestra fe produce paciencia.

You know these prove your faith. It helps you not to give up.

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

Learn well how to wait so you will be strong and complete and in need of nothing.

5 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.

If you do not have wisdom, ask God for it. He is always ready to give it to you and will never say you are wrong for asking.

6 P ero 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.

You must have faith as you ask Him. You must not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like a wave which is pushed around by the sea.

7 N o piense, pues, ese hombre, que recibirá cosa alguna del Señor.

Such a man will get nothing from the Lord.

8 E l hombre de doble ánimo es inconstante en todos sus caminos.

The man who has two ways of thinking changes in everything he does.

9 E l hermano que es de humilde condición, gloríese en su exaltación;

A Christian brother who has few riches of this world should be happy for what he has. He is great in the eyes of God.

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

But a rich man should be happy even if he loses everything. He is like a flower that will die.

11 P orque 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

The sun comes up with burning heat. The grass dries up and the flower falls off. It is no longer beautiful. The rich man will die also and all his riches will be gone.

12 D ichoso 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.

The man who does not give up when tests come is happy. After the test is over, he will receive the crown of life. God has promised this to those who love Him. God Does Not Tempt Us

13 Q ue 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;

When you are tempted to do wrong, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God cannot be tempted. He will never tempt anyone.

14 s ino que cada uno es tentado, cuando es atraído y seducido por su propia concupiscencia.

A man is tempted to do wrong when he lets himself be led by what his bad thoughts tell him to do.

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

When he does what his bad thoughts tell him to do, he sins. When sin completes its work, it brings death.

16 A mados hermanos míos, no erréis.

My Christian brothers, do not be fooled about this.

17 T oda 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.

Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God. He is the One Who made all light. He does not change. No shadow is made by His turning.

18 É l, 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

He gave us our new lives through the truth of His Word only because He wanted to. We are the first children in His family.

19 P or esto, mis amados hermanos, todo hombre sea pronto para oír; tardo para hablar, tardo para airarse;

My Christian brothers, you know everyone should listen much and speak little. He should be slow to become angry.

20 p orque la ira del hombre no obra la justicia de Dios.

A man’s anger does not allow him to be right with God.

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

Put out of your life all that is unclean and wrong. Receive with a gentle spirit the Word that was taught. It has the power to save your souls from the punishment of sin.

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

Obey the Word of God. If you hear only and do not act, you are only fooling yourself.

23 P orque 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.

Anyone who hears the Word of God and does not obey is like a man looking at his face in a mirror.

24 P orque él se considera a sí mismo, y se va, y luego olvida cómo era.

After he sees himself and goes away, he forgets what he looks like.

25 M as 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.

But the one who keeps looking into God’s perfect Law and does not forget it will do what it says and be happy as he does it. God’s Word makes men free.

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

If a person thinks he is religious, but does not keep his tongue from speaking bad things, he is fooling himself. His religion is worth nothing.

27 L a 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.

Religion that is pure and good before God the Father is to help children who have no parents and to care for women whose husbands have died who have troubles. Pure religion is also to keep yourself clean from the sinful things of the world.