1 Kolinitō 4

1 Ko ia ke pehē ʻae lau ʻe he tangata kiate kimautolu, ʻo taau mo e kau tamaioʻeiki ʻa Kalaisi, mo e kau tauhi ʻoe ngaahi meʻa fakalilolilo ʻae ʻOtua.

As for us Apostles, let any one take this view of us--we are Christ's officers, and stewards of God's secret truths.

2 Ko eni foki, ʻoku ʻamanaki ki he kau tauhi, ke nau fai totonu.

This being so, it follows that fidelity is what is required in stewards.

3 Ka ko e meʻa siʻi ʻaupito kiate au ke fakamaau au ʻekimoutolu, pe ko e fakamaau ʻae tangata: ʻio, ʻoku ʻikai te u fakamaau au ʻeau.

I however am very little concerned at undergoing your scrutiny, or that of other men; in fact I do not even scrutinize myself.

4 He ʻoku ʻikai te u ʻilo ha meʻa ʻiate au pe; ka ʻoku ʻikai te u tonuhia ai: ka ko ia ʻoku ne fakamaau au, ko e ʻEiki ia.

Though I am not conscious of having been in any way unfaithful, yet I do not for that reason stand acquitted; but He whose scrutiny I must undergo is the Lord.

5 Ko ia ʻoua naʻa fakamaau ha meʻa ʻi he teʻeki hoko hono kuonga, pea ʻoua ke hoko mai ʻae ʻEiki, ʻaia te ne ʻomi ki he maama ʻae ngaahi meʻa fufū ʻoe poʻuli, pea te ne fakahā ʻae ngaahi filioʻi ʻoe loto: pea ʻe toki maʻu ai ʻo taki taha kotoa pē ʻae fakamālō mei he ʻOtua.

Therefore form no premature judgements, but wait until the Lord returns. He will both bring to light the secrets of darkness and will openly disclose the motives that have been in people's hearts; and then the praise which each man deserves will come to him from God.

6 Pea ko e meʻa ni, ʻe kāinga, kuo u fakahoko fakatātā kiate au mo ʻApolosi koeʻuhi ko kimoutolu; koeʻuhi ke mou ʻilo ʻiate kimaua ke ʻoua naʻa lahi hoʻomou lau ʻi he meʻa kuo tohi, “Ke ʻoua naʻa ai hamou tokotaha ʻe fielahi ʻi he filifilimānako ki ha taha kae kovi ki ha taha.”

In writing this much, brethren, with special reference to Apollos and myself, I have done so for your sakes, in order to teach you by our example what those words mean, which say, "Nothing beyond what is written!" --so that you may cease to take sides in boastful rivalry, for one teacher against another.

7 He ko hai ʻoku ne fakakeheʻi koe? Pea ko e hā ʻoku ʻaʻau, naʻe ʻikai te ke maʻu? Pea kapau naʻa ke maʻu ia, ko e hā ʻoku ke vikiviki ai ʻo hangē naʻe ʻikai te ke maʻu ia?

Why, who gives you your superiority, my brother? Or what have you that you did not receive? And if you really did receive it, why boast as if this were not so?

8 Pea ko eni, ʻoku mou mākona, kuo mou mohu meʻa, kuo mou pule, ʻo hangē ko e ngaahi tuʻi, pea taʻekau ʻakimautolu: pea ʻoku ʻamusiaange ʻeau ʻoku mou pule, koeʻuhi ke tau pule mo kimoutolu foki.

Every one of you already has all that heart can desire; already you have grown rich; without waiting for us, you have ascended your thrones! Yes indeed, would to God that you had ascended your thrones, that we also might reign with you!

9 He ʻoku ou ʻilo ʻeau kuo tuku ʻe he ʻOtua ʻakimautolu ʻae kau ʻaposetolo ki mui, ʻo hangē ko e tukupau ki he mate, he kuo ngaohi ʻakimautolu ko e siofiaʻanga ʻo māmani, mo e kau ʻāngelo, mo e kakai.

God, it seems to me, has exhibited us Apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; for we have come to be a spectacle to all creation--alike to angels and to men.

10 Ko e kau vale ʻakimautolu koeʻuhi ko Kalaisi, ka ʻoku poto ʻakimoutolu ʻia Kalaisi; ʻoku mau vaivai, ka ʻoku mālohi ʻakimoutolu; ʻoku ʻapasia ʻakimoutolu, ka ʻoku manukia ʻakimautolu.

We, for Christ's sake, are labeled as "foolish"; you, as Christians, are men of shrewd intelligence. We are mere weaklings: you are strong. You are in high repute: we are outcasts.

11 [ʻIo], ʻo aʻu ki he feituʻulaʻā ni ʻoku mau fiekaia, mo fieinu, ʻoku mau telefua, pea sipiʻi, pea ʻoku ʻikai hamau nofoʻanga maʻu:

To this very moment we endure both hunger and thirst, with scanty clothing and many a blow.

12 ‌ʻO ngāue, pea fai ʻaki homau nima ʻomautolu: kuo manukia, ka mau tāpuaki; kuo fakatangaʻi, ka mau kātaki ia:

Homes we have none. Wearily we toil, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we bear it patiently;

13 Kuo lauʻikovi, ka ʻoku mau kole; kuo hoko ʻakimautolu ʻo hangē ko e ʻuli ʻoe fonua, pea mo e efe ʻoe meʻa kotoa pē ʻo aʻu ki he ʻaho ni.

when slandered, we try to conciliate. We have come to be regarded as the mere dirt and filth of the world--the refuse of the universe, even to this hour.

14 ‌ʻOku ʻikai te u tohi ʻae ngaahi meʻa ni ke fakamā ʻakimoutolu, ka ko ʻeku valoki ki heʻeku fānau ʻoku ou ʻofa ai.

I am not writing all this to shame you, but I am offering you advice as my dearly-loved children.

15 He neongo ʻoku toko mano hoʻomou akonaki ʻia Kalaisi, ʻoku ʻikai tokolahi ʻae tamai: he ko au ne u fakatupu ʻakimoutolu ia.

For even if you were to have ten thousand spiritual instructors--for all that you could not have several fathers. It is I who in Christ Jesus became your father through the Good News.

16 Ko ia ʻoku ou kole ai kiate kimoutolu, ke mou faʻifaʻitaki kiate au.

I entreat you therefore to become like me.

17 Ko e meʻa ko ia kuo u fekau atu ai kiate kimoutolu ʻa Timote, ʻaia ko hoku foha ʻofa, mo e angatonu ʻi he ʻEiki, pea te ne fakamanatu kiate kimoutolu hoku ngaahi ʻaluʻanga ʻaia ʻoku ʻia Kalaisi, ʻo hangē ko ia ʻoku ou ako ʻaki ʻi he potu kotoa pē mo e siasi kotoa pē.

For this reason I have sent Timothy to you. Spiritually he is my dearly-loved and faithful child. He will remind you of my habits as a Christian teacher--the manner in which I teach everywhere in every Church.

18 Ka kuo fielahi ʻae niʻihi, ʻo hangē ʻe ʻikai te u ʻalu atu kiate kimoutolu.

But some of you have been puffed up through getting the idea that I am not coming to Corinth.

19 Ka te u ʻalu vave atu kiate kimoutolu, ʻo kapau ko e finangalo ia ʻoe ʻEiki, pea te u ʻeke, kae ʻikai ki he lea pē ʻanautolu ʻoku fakafuofua lahi, ka ko ʻenau mālohi.

But, if the Lord is willing, I shall come to you without delay; and then I shall know not the fine speeches of these conceited people, but their power.

20 He ko e puleʻanga ʻoe ʻOtua ʻoku ʻikai ʻi he lea pe, ka ʻoku ʻi he mālohi.

For Apostolic authority is not a thing of words, but of power.

21 Ko e hā homou loto? Te u ʻalu atu kiate kimoutolu mo e meʻa tā, pe ʻi he ʻofa, pe ʻi he loto angavaivai?

Which shall it be? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in a loving and tender spirit?