Semisi 2
1 ʻE hoku kāinga, ʻoua naʻa mou maʻu ʻi he filifilimānako ki he kakai, ʻae tui ʻa hotau ʻEiki nāunauʻia ko Sisu Kalaisi.
My friends, are you really trying to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with discrimination?
2 He kapau ʻe hū mai ki homou falelotu ha taha ʻoku ai ha mama koula ʻi hono nima, pea ai mo e kofu lelei, pea hū mai foki mo ha taha masiva mo e kofu kovi;
Suppose a visitor should enter your synagogue, with gold rings and in grand clothes, and suppose a poor man should come in also, in shabby clothes,
3 Pea mou tokangaʻi ia ʻoku ne ʻai ʻae kofu lelei, mo pehē kiate ia, “Nofo koe ki heni ʻi he potu lelei;” kae pehē ki he masiva, “Tuʻu koe ki hena,” pe, “Nofo heni ʻi lalo hoku tuʻungavaʻe:”
and you show more respect to the visitor who is wearing grand clothes, and say – “There is a good seat for you here,” but to the poor man – “You must stand; or sit down there by my footstool,”
4 ʻIkai ʻoku mou filifilimānako ʻiate kimoutolu, pea hoko ai ko e kau fakamaau mahalo kovi?
Haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves, and used evil standards of judgement?
5 Fanongo, ʻe hoku kāinga ʻofeina, ʻIkai kuo fili ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae masiva ʻoe māmani ke koloaʻia ʻi he tui, pea ko e kau hoko ki he puleʻanga ʻaia kuo ne talaʻofa ki ai kiate kinautolu ʻoku ʻofa kiate ia?
Listen, my dear friends. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the things of this world to be rich through their faith, and to possess the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him?
6 Ka kuo mou fakamamahiʻi ʻae masiva. ʻIkai ʻoku fakamālohiʻi ʻakimoutolu ʻe he kakai koloaʻia, pea fetoho ʻakimoutolu ki he ngaahi fakamaauʻanga?
But you – you insult the poor man! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you? Isn’t it they who drag you into law courts?
7 ʻIkai ʻoku nau lauʻikovi ʻae huafa lelei ko ia, ʻaia kuo ui ʻaki ʻakimoutolu?
Isn’t it they who malign that honorable name spoken over you at your baptism?
8 Ko eni, kapau te mou fakamoʻoni ki he fono fakaʻeiki, ʻo fakatatau ki he tohi, “Ke ke ʻofa ki ho kaungāʻapi ʻo hangē pe ko koe,” ʻoku mou fai lelei ai:
If you keep the royal law which runs – ‘You must love your neighbor as you love yourself,’ you are doing right;
9 Ka ʻoka mou ka filifilimānako ki he kakai, ʻoku mou fai angahala ai, pea ʻoku fakahalaia ʻakimoutolu ʻe he fono ko e kau talangataʻa.
but, if you discriminate, you commit a sin, and stand convicted by that same law of being offenders against it.
10 He ko ia te ne fai kotoa pē ʻae fono, kae hala ʻi hono meʻa ʻe taha, ʻoku halaia ia ʻi hono meʻa kotoa pē.
For a person who has laid the Law, as a whole, to heart, but has failed in one particular, is accountable for breaking all its provisions.
11 He ko ia ia naʻe pehē, “ʻOua naʻa ke tono fefine,” naʻe pehē foki ʻe ia, “ʻOua naʻa ke fakapō.” Ko eni, kapau ʻe ʻikai te ke tono fefine, ka ke fakapō, kuo ke hoko ko e maumau fono.
He who said ‘You must not commit adultery’ also said ‘You must not murder.’ If, then, you commit murder but not adultery, you are still an offender against the Law.
12 Ke pehē pe hoʻomou lea, pea pehē mo hoʻomou ngāue, ʻo taau mo kinautolu ʻe fakamaau ʻaki ʻae fono ʻoe tauʻatāina.
Therefore, speak and act as people who are to be judged by the ‘Law of freedom.’
13 He ko ia naʻe ʻikai ke fakahā ʻae ʻofa, ʻe maʻu ʻe ia ʻae fakamaau taʻehaʻofa; pea ʻoku fiefia ʻae ʻofa ki he fakamaau.
For there will be justice without mercy for the person who has not acted mercifully. Mercy triumphs over Justice.
14 ʻE hoku kāinga, neongo ʻoku pehē ʻe ha taha ʻoku ʻiate ia ʻae tui, ka ʻoku ʻikai ʻi ai mo e ngaahi ngāue, ko e hā hono ʻaonga? ʻE fakamoʻui ia ʻe he tui [pe]?
My friends, what good is it if someone claims that they have faith, but they do not prove it by actions? Can such faith save them?
15 Kapau ʻe telefua pea fiekaia ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ha tokoua pe ko e tuofefine,
Suppose some brother or sister should be in need of clothes and of daily bread,
16 Pea pehē ʻe homou tokotaha ki ai, “ʻAlu ʻo ke fiemālie, pea ke mafana, pea ke mākona:” kae ʻikai siʻi te mou ʻatu ki ai ʻae ngaahi meʻa ʻoku ʻaonga ki he sino; ko e hā hono ʻaonga?
and one of you says to them – “Go, and peace be with you; keep warm and eat well!” and yet you do not actually give them the necessities of life, what good would it be to them?
17 ʻOku pehē foki ʻae tui, kapau ʻoku ʻikai ʻi ai ʻae ngaahi ngāue, ʻoku mate ia, pea ʻoku tuʻu taha pe ia.
In just the same way faith, if not followed by actions, is, by itself, a lifeless thing.
18 ʻIo, ʻe pehē nai ʻe ha taha, “ʻOku ʻiate au ʻae ngaahi ngāue: fakahā mai kiate au hoʻo tui taʻehanongaahingāue, pea te u fakahā kiate koe ʻa ʻeku tui ʻaki ʻeku ngaahi ngāue.”
Someone, indeed, may say – “You are a man of faith, and I am a man of action.” “Then show me your faith,” I reply, “apart from any actions, and I will show you my faith by my actions.”
19 ʻOku ke tui ʻoku ai ʻae ʻOtua pe taha; ko hoʻo fai lelei ia: ʻoku tui foki ʻae kau tēvolo, pea nau tetetete.
It is a part of your faith, is it not, that there is one God? Good; yet even the demons have that faith, and tremble at the thought.
20 Ka ʻoku ke loto ke ke ʻilo, ʻe tangata vale, ko e tui taʻeʻiai ʻae ngaahi ngāue, ʻoku mate ia?
Now do you really want to understand, fool, how it is that faith without actions leads to nothing?
21 ʻIkai naʻe fakatonuhiaʻi ʻe he ngaahi ngāue ʻa ʻetau tamai ko ʻEpalahame, ʻi heʻene ʻohake ʻa ʻAisake ko hono foha ʻi he funga ʻesifeilaulau?
Look at our ancestor, Abraham. Was he not justified by his actions after he had offered his son, Isaac, on the altar?
22 ʻOku ke mamata ki he ngāue ʻoe tui ʻi heʻene ngaahi ngāue, pea naʻe fakahaohaoa ʻae tui ʻe he ngaahi ngāue?
You see how, in his case, faith and actions went together; that his faith was perfected as the result of his actions;
23 Pea naʻe fakamoʻoni ʻae tohi ʻaia ʻoku pehē, Na’e tui’a’Epalahame ki he’Otua, pea na’e lau ia kiate ia ko e mā’oni’oni: pea naʻe ui ia ko e Kāinga ʻoe ʻOtua.
and that in this way the words of scripture came true – “Abraham believed God, and that was regarded by God as righteousness,” and “He was called the friend of God.”
24 Ko eni, ʻoku mou mamata ʻoku fakatonuhia ʻae tangata ʻe he ngaahi ngāue, kae ʻikai ʻi he tui pe.
You see, then, that a person is justified by actions, and not by faith alone.
25 ʻIkai naʻe fakatonuhia pehē foki ʻa Lehapi ko e fefine feʻauaki ʻe he ngaahi ngāue, ʻi heʻene tali pea ne fekau ʻae kau mataki ʻi he hala kehe?
Wasn’t it the same with the prostitute, Rahab? Was she not justified by her actions, after she had welcomed the messengers and helped them escape by another road?
26 He ʻoku hangē ʻoku mate ʻae sino taʻeʻiai ʻae laumālie, ʻoku pehē ʻae tui taʻeʻiai-ʻae-ngaahi-ngāue, ʻoku mate foki ia.
Just as a body is dead without a spirit, so faith is dead without actions.
