Iacobi 2
1 Fratres mei, nolite in personarum acceptione habere fidem Domini nostri Iesu Christi gloriae.
My fellow believers, [because] you trust our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is glorious/wonderful, stop honoring some people more than others.
2 Etenim si introierit in conventum vestrum vir aureum annulum habens in veste candida, introierit autem et pauper in sordido habitu,
[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 et intendatis in eum, qui indutus est veste praeclara, et dixeritis ei: Tu sede hic bene: pauperi autem dicatis: Tu sta illic; aut sede sub scabello pedum meorum:
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 nonne iudicatis apud vosmetipsos, et facti estis iudices cogitationum iniquarum?
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 Audite fratres mei dilectissimi, nonne Deus elegit pauperes in hoc mundo, divites in fide, et heredes regni, quod repromisit Deus diligentibus se?
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 Vos autem exhonorastis pauperem. Nonne divites per potentiam opprimunt vos, et ipsi trahunt vos ad iudicia?
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 Nonne ipsi blasphemant bonum nomen, quod invocatum est super vos?
(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 Si tamen legem perficitis regalem secundum Scripturas: Diliges proximum tuum sicut teipsum: bene facitis:
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 si autem personas accipitis, peccatum operamini, redarguti a lege quasi transgressores:
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 Quicumque autem totam legem servaverit, offendat autem in uno, factus est omnium reus.
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 Qui enim dixit, Non moechaberis, dixit et, Non occides. Quod si non moechaberis, occides autem, factus es transgressor legis.
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 Sic loquimini, et sic facite sicut per legem libertatis incipientes iudicari.
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 Iudicium enim sine misericordia illi, qui non facit misericordiam: superexaltat autem misericordia iudicium.
[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 Quid proderit fratres mei si fidem quis dicat se habere, opera autem non habeat? Numquid poterit fides salvare eum?
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 Si autem frater, et soror nudi sint, et indigeant victu quotidiano,
[To illustrate], suppose that fellow believers, either men or women, don’t have enough clothing or food for each day.
16 dicat autem aliquis ex vobis illis: Ite in pace, calefacimini et saturamini: non dederitis autem eis, quae necessaria sunt corpori, quid proderit?
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 Sic et fides, si non habeat opera, mortua est in semetipsa.
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 Sed dicet quis: Tu fidem habes, et ego opera habeo. ostende mihi fidem tuam sine operibus: et ego ostendam tibi ex operibus fidem meam.
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 credis quoniam unus est Deus: Benefacis: et daemones credunt, et contremiscunt.
[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 Vis autem scire o homo inanis, quoniam fides sine operibus mortua est?
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 Abraham pater noster nonne ex operibus iustificatus est, offerens Isaac filium suum super 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 Vides quoniam fides cooperabatur operibus illius: et ex operibus fides consummata est?
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 Et suppleta est Scriptura, dicens: Credidit Abraham Deo, et reputatum est illi ad iustitiam, et amicus Dei appellatus est.
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 Videtis quoniam ex operibus iustificatur homo, et non ex fide tantum?
[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 Similiter et Rahab meretrix, nonne ex operibus iustificata est, suscipiens nuncios, et alia via eiiciens?
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 Sicut enim corpus sine spiritu mortuum est, ita et fides sine operibus mortua est.
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.
