Giacomo 2
1 FRATELLI miei, non abbiate la fede della gloria di Gesù Cristo, Signor nostro, con riguardi alle qualità delle persone.
My fellow believers, [because] you trust our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is glorious/wonderful, stop honoring some people more than others.
2 Perciocchè, se nella vostra raunanza entra un uomo con l'anel d'oro, in vestimento splendido; e [v]'entra parimente un povero, in vestimento sozzo;
[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 e voi riguardate a colui che porta il vestimento splendido, e gli dite: Tu, siedi qui onorevolmente; e al povero dite: Tu, stattene quivi in piè, o siedi qui sotto allo scannello de' miei piedi;
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 non avete voi fatta differenza in voi stessi? e non siete voi divenuti de' giudici con malvagi pensieri?
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 Ascoltate, fratelli miei diletti: non ha Iddio eletti i poveri del mondo, [per esser] ricchi in fede, ed eredi dell'eredità ch'egli ha promessa a coloro che l'amano?
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 Ma voi avete disonorato il povero. I ricchi non son eglino quelli che vi tiranneggiano? non [son eglino quelli] che vi traggono alle corti?
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 Non son eglino quelli che bestemmiano il buon nome, del quale voi siete nominati?
(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 Se invero voi adempiete la legge reale, secondo la scrittura: Ama il tuo prossimo, come te stesso, fate bene.
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 Ma, se avete riguardo alla qualità delle persone, voi commettete peccato, essendo dalla legge convinti, come trasgressori.
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 Perciocchè, chiunque avrà osservata tutta la legge, ed avrà fallito in un sol [capo], è colpevole di tutti.
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 Poichè colui che ha detto: Non commettere adulterio; ha ancor detto: Non uccidere; che se tu non commetti adulterio, ma uccidi, tu sei divenuto trasgressor della legge.
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 Così parlate, e così operate, come avendo da esser giudicati per la legge della libertà.
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 Perciocchè il giudicio senza misericordia [sarà] contro a colui che non avrà usata misericordia; e misericordia si gloria contro a giudicio.
[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 CHE utilità [vi è], fratelli miei, se alcuno dice d'aver fede, e non ha opere? può la fede salvarlo?
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 Che se un fratello, o sorella, son nudi, e bisognosi del nudrimento cotidiano;
[To illustrate], suppose that fellow believers, either men or women, don’t have enough clothing or food for each day.
16 ed alcun di voi dice loro: Andatevene in pace, scaldatevi, e satollatevi; e voi non date loro i bisogni del corpo; qual pro [fate loro]?
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 Così ancora la fede a parte, se non ha le opere, è per sè stessa morta.
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 Anzi alcuno dirà; Tu hai la fede, ed io ho le opere; mostrami la tua fede senza le tue opere, ed io ti mostrerò la fede mia per le mie opere.
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 Tu credi che Iddio è un solo; ben fai; i demoni [lo] credono anch'essi, e tremano.
[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 Ora, o uomo vano, vuoi tu conoscere che la fede senza le opere è morta?
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 Non fu Abrahamo, nostro padre, giustificato per le opere, avendo offerto il suo figliuolo Isacco sopra l'altare?
(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 Tu vedi che la fede operava insieme con le opere d'esso, e che per le opere la fede fu compiuta.
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 E fu adempiuta la scrittura, che dice: Ed Abrahamo credette a Dio, e [ciò] gli fu imputato a giustizia; ed egli fu chiamato: Amico di Dio.
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 Voi vedete adunque che l'uomo è giustificato per le opere, e non per la fede solamente.
[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 Simigliantemente ancora non fu Raab, la meretrice, giustificata per le opere, avendo accolti i messi, e mandati[li] via per un altro cammino?
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 Poichè, siccome il corpo senza spirito è morto, così ancora la fede senza le opere è morta.
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.
