Lettera di Giacomo 2

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Fratres mei, nolite in persona rum acceptione habere fidem Domini nostriIesu Christi gloriae.	1 My brothers, do not let class distinction enter into your faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord.
2 Etenim, si introierit in synagogam vestram vir aureumanulum habens in veste candida, introierit autem et pauper in sordido habitu,	2 Now suppose a man comes into your synagogue, well-dressed and with a gold ring on, and at thesame time a poor man comes in, in shabby clothes,
3 et intendatis in eum, qui indutus est veste praeclara, et dixeritis: “ Tu sedehic bene ”, pauperi autem dicatis: “ Tu sta illic aut sede sub scabello meo”;	3 and you take notice of the wel -dressed man, and say, 'Come this way to the best seats'; then you tellthe poor man, 'Stand over there' or 'You can sit on the floor by my foot-rest.'
4 nonne iudicatis apud vosmetipsos et facti estis iudices cogitationuminiquarum?	4 In making this distinction among yourselves have you not used a corrupt standard?
5 Audite, fratres mei dilectissimi. Nonne Deus elegit, qui pauperes sunt mundo,divites in fide et heredes regni, quod repromisit diligentibus se?	5 Listen, my dear brothers: it was those who were poor according to the world that God chose, to be richin faith and to be the heirs to the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.
6 Vos autemexhonorastis pauperem. Nonne divites opprimunt vos et ipsi trahunt vos adiudicia?	6 You, on the other hand, have dishonoured the poor. Is it not the rich who lord it over you?
7 Nonne ipsi blasphemant bonum nomen, quod invocatum est super vos?	7 Are not they the ones who drag you into court, who insult the honourable name which has beenpronounced over you?
8 Si tamen legem perficitis regalem secundum Scripturam: “ Diliges proximum tuumsicut teipsum ”, bene facitis;	8 Well, the right thing to do is to keep the supreme Law of scripture: you will love your neighbour asyourself;
9 si autem personas accipitis, peccatumoperamini, redarguti a lege quasi transgressores.	9 but as soon as you make class distinctions, you are committing sin and under condemnation forbreaking the Law.
10 Quicumque autem totam legemservaverit, offendat autem in uno, factus est omnium reus.	10 You see, anyone who keeps the whole of the Law but trips up on a single point, is stil guilty ofbreaking it al .
11 Qui enim dixit:“ Non moechaberis ”, dixit et: “ Non occides ”; quod si non moecharis,occidis autem, factus es transgressor legis.	11 He who said, 'You must not commit adultery' said also, 'You must not kil .' Now if you commit murder,you need not commit adultery as wel to become a breaker of the Law.
12 Sic loquimini et sic facitesicut per legem libertatis iudicandi.	12 Talk and behave like people who are going to be judged by the law of freedom.
13 Iudicium enim sine misericordia illi,qui non fecit misericordiam; superexsultat misericordia iudicio.	13 Whoever acts without mercy wil be judged without mercy but mercy can afford to laugh at judgement.
14 Quid proderit, fratres mei, si fidem quis dicat se habere, opera autem nonhabeat? Numquid poterit fides salvare eum?	14 How does it help, my brothers, when someone who has never done a single good act claims to havefaith? Wil that faith bring salvation?
15 Si frater aut soror nudi sunt etindigent victu cotidiano,	15 If one of the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on,
16 dicat autem aliquis de vobis illis: “ Ite inpace, calefacimini et saturamini ”, non dederitis autem eis, quae necessariasunt corporis, quid proderit?	16 and one of you says to them, 'I wish you well; keep yourself warm and eat plenty,' without giving themthese bare necessities of life, then what good is that?
17 Sic et fides, si non habeat opera, mortua estin semetipsa.	17 In the same way faith, if good deeds do not go with it, is quite dead.
18 Sed dicet quis: “ Tu fidem habes, et ego opera habeo ”.Ostende mihi fidem tuam sine operibus, et ego tibi ostendam ex operibus meisfidem.	18 But someone may say: So you have faith and I have good deeds? Show me this faith of yours withoutdeeds, then! It is by my deeds that I will show you my faith.
19 Tu credis quoniam unus est Deus? Bene facis; et daemones credunt etcontremiscunt!	19 You believe in the one God -- that is creditable enough, but even the demons have the same belief,and they tremble with fear.
20 Vis autem scire, o homo inanis, quoniam fides sine operibusotiosa est?	20 Fool! Would you not like to know that faith without deeds is useless?
21 Abraham, pater noster, nonne ex operibus iustificatus estofferens Isaac filium suum super altare?	21 Was not Abraham our father justified by his deed, because he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22 Vides quoniam fides cooperabaturoperibus illius, et ex operibus fides consummata est;	22 So you can see that his faith was working together with his deeds; his faith became perfect by what hedid.
23 et suppleta estScriptura dicens: “ Credidit Abraham Deo, et reputatum est illi ad iustitiam”, et amicus Dei appellatus est.	23 In this way the scripture was fulfil ed: Abraham put his faith in God, and this was considered asmaking him upright; and he received the name 'friend of God'.
24 Videtis quoniam ex operibus iustificaturhomo et non ex fide tantum.	24 You see now that it is by deeds, and not only by believing, that someone is justified.
25 Similiter autem et Rahab, meretrix nonne exoperibus iustificata est suscipiens nuntios et alia via eiciens?	25 There is another example of the same kind: Rahab the prostitute, was she not justified by her deedsbecause she welcomed the messengers and showed them a different way to leave?
26 Sicut enimcorpus sine spiritu emortuum est, ita et fides sine operibus mortua est.	26 As a body without a spirit is dead, so is faith without deeds.