1 Timote 1

1 Ko au Paula, ko e ʻaposetolo ʻa Sisu Kalaisi, ʻi he fekau ʻae ʻOtua ko hotau Fakamoʻui, mo e ʻEiki ko Sisu Kalaisi, ko hotau ʻamanaki leleiʻanga;

[I], Paul, [am writing this letter. You know that] I am an apostle. I [represent] Christ Jesus because God and Christ Jesus commanded me to do it. God is the one who saved us, and Jesus is the one for whom we are confidently waiting [to return].

2 Ko e ʻaloʻofa, mo e ʻofa mataʻataʻatā pe, mo e melino, mei he ʻOtua ko ʻetau Tamai, mo Sisu Kalaisi ko hotau ʻEiki; kia Timote, ko hoku foha moʻoni ʻi he tui.

[You], Timothy, [are like] [MET] a true son [to me] because [you] trusted [in Christ after I told you about him]. [I pray/desire that] God, who is our Father, and Christ Jesus, who is our Lord, will [continue to act] kindly and mercifully to you, and [that they will give you inner] peace.

3 ‌ʻO hangē ko ʻeku kole kiate koe ke ke nofo pe ʻi ʻEfesō, ʻi heʻeku ʻalu ki Masitōnia, koeʻuhi ke ke fekaua ʻae niʻihi ke ʻoua te nau ako ʻaki ha akonaki kehe,

[I urge you now], just like I urged you when I was going to Macedonia [province], that you remain there in Ephesus [city]. Stay there so that you may command certain persons [who teach other believers] that they not teach false [doctrines].

4 Ke ʻoua foki ʻe tokanga ki he ngaahi talatupuʻa mo e hohoko taʻetuku, ʻaia ʻoku langa ai ʻae fakakikihi, kae ʻikai ko e felangaʻaki hake fakaʻotua ʻaia ʻoku ʻi he tui.

And tell people to not continually give their attention to stories [that tell about our ancestors], stories in which there are (genealogies/lists of our ancestors’ names) that [seem to be] endless. [You must command your congregation not to think that these stories are valuable], because [whenever people think] that, they [just] start arguing about things uselessly, instead of [teaching] God’s plan, which [is concerned with] what we believe (OR, which [we know because] we trust [in Christ]).

5 Pea ko eni, ko hono ʻuhinga ʻoe fekau, ko e ʻofa mei he loto maʻa, mo e ʻatamai lelei, mo e tui taʻemalualoi:

[Teach them] to have pure desires [MTY] and [so to know that God] approves of what they do, and to sincerely believe [the true teaching]. By doing that, [they will] love [God well].

6 ‌ʻAia kuo afe mei ai ʻae niʻihi, pea kuo nau he ki he ngaahi launoa;

There are some people who have turned away from these true teachings. As a result, they [just] discuss what is useless.

7 ‌ʻO holi ke hoko ko e kau akonaki ʻi he fono; ka ʻoku ʻikai te nau ʻilo ʻaia ʻoku nau lau, pe ko ia ʻoku nau lea fakapapau ki ai.

They desire to teach the laws [that God gave to Moses], but they do not understand what they are really saying, or the things about which they (confidently speak/say that they understand well).

8 Ka ʻoku tau ʻilo ʻoku lelei ʻae fono, ʻo kapau ʻoku ngaue ʻaonga ʻaki ia ʻe he tangata;

We know that the laws [that God gave to Moses are] good if people consider correctly [what God intended them for].

9 ‌ʻO ʻilo eni, naʻe ʻikai ngaohi ʻae fono ki he tangata māʻoniʻoni, ka ki he kau liʻaki fono, mo e talangataʻa, mo e taʻelotu, mo e kau angahala, ki he taʻemaʻa, mo e manuki, ki he kau tāmateʻi ʻoe tamai mo e tāmateʻi ʻoe faʻē, mo e kau tāmateʻi ʻoe tangata,

We must remember that God did not give Moses those laws in order [to condemn] righteous people. By those laws he [condemns people who act as though there were no] laws and who refuse to obey [anyone. He condemns] those who do not revere God and those who sin habitually. [By them he condemns] those who refuse to perform rituals that are pleasing to God and who show no respect for religion. [He condemns] those who murder their fathers and who murder their mothers and who murder [other] people.

10 Ki he kau feʻauaki, kiate kinautolu ʻoku fefakaʻuliʻaki ʻakinautolu mo e kakai, ki he kau kaihaʻa tangata, ki he kau loi, ki he kau fuakava loi, pea mo ia kotoa pē ʻoku tuʻu kehe mo e akonaki totonu;

[He condemns] those who are sexually immoral and those who are homosexuals. [He condemns] those who kidnap/steal people [in order to make them slaves]. [He condemns] those who lie and those who promise something strongly but do not do what they promised. He condemns every other action that is contrary to our true teaching.

11 ‌ʻO fakatatau mo e ongoongolelei nāunauʻia ʻoe ʻOtua monūʻia, ʻaia naʻe tuku mai ke u tauhi ia.

This is what we teach people when we tell them the glorious/wonderful message about Christ that our awesome God [has revealed] and that he gave to me to teach.

12 Pea ʻoku ou fakafetaʻi kia Kalaisi Sisu ko hotau ʻEiki, ʻaia kuo ne fakamālohiʻi au, ʻi heʻene lau au ko e angatonu, ʻo ne fakahoko au ki he ngaue;

I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord who enabled me to do this work, because he considered that I could be trusted. So he appointed me in order that I [would serve him].

13 A au naʻaku lauʻikoviʻi [ia ]ʻi muʻa, mo fakatangaʻi, mo fai kovi: ka naʻaku maʻu ʻae ʻaloʻofa, he naʻaku taʻetui ko e fai ʻi he taʻeʻilo.

Formerly I said evil things [about him], I caused [his people] to suffer, and I acted very cruelly toward them. But [Christ acted] in a kind way toward me since I (acted ignorantly/did not know that I was doing wrong) because I did not believe [in him].

14 Pea naʻe lahi hake ʻaupito ʻaupito ʻae ʻofa ʻa hotau ʻEiki, ʻi he tui mo e ʻofa ʻaia ʻoku ʻia Kalaisi Sisu.

Our Lord kindly did for me what I did not deserve, so that I now believe [in Christ Jesus] and I love others (OR, him) [because I belong to him].

15 Ko e tala moʻoni eni, pea ʻoku taau mo e kakai kotoa pē ke maʻu ia, naʻe hāʻele ʻa Kalaisi Sisu ki māmani ke fakamoʻui ʻae kakai angahala; pea ko hono fungani au.

[Something that all we believers] say is certainly true and is worthy for us to fully accept is that Christ Jesus came into the world in order to save sinful people [so that God would not punish them for their sins]. As for me, I [consider that I have sinned] more than all others.

16 Ka koe meʻa ni naʻaku maʻu ai ʻae ʻaloʻofa, koeʻuhi ke fakahā atu ʻe Sisu Kalaisi ʻiate au, ko e fungani, ʻae kātaki ʻofa kotoa pē, pea ke u hoko ko e fakaʻilonga kiate kinautolu ʻe tui kiate ia ʻamui ki he moʻui taʻengata. (aiōnios g166)

Yet Christ Jesus acted mercifully to me in order that he might demonstrate [to people that he is perfectly patient with them]. He did that by his being patient with me, one who has sinned worse than everyone else. He wanted what he did for me (to be an example/to demonstrate his patience) to people who would [later] believe in him, and as a result would live forever. (aiōnios g166)

17 Pea ko eni, ke ʻi he Tuʻi ʻi muʻa ʻi muʻa, mo taʻemate, mo taʻehāmai, ki he ʻOtua poto taha pe, ʻae fakaʻapaʻapa mo e ongoongolelei ʻo taʻengata pea taʻengata. ʻEmeni. (aiōn g165)

I desire that people will honor and praise the only [true] God forever! Even though no one can see him, he is the King who rules for all time, who will never die! (Amen!/That is true!) (aiōn g165)

18 E foha ko Timote, ʻoku ou tuku atu ʻae fekau ni kiate koe, ʻo fakatatau mo e ngaahi kikite ʻi muʻa naʻe kau kiate koe, koeʻuhi ke ke faʻa fai mei ai ʻae tau lelei:

Timothy, you [are like] [MET] a son [to me]. So, (based on/in accordance with) what [someone] previously (prophesied/told what God revealed to them) about you, I am instructing you [to strongly oppose those who teach false doctrines. You should oppose them like] [MET] a soldier (fights strongly against/opposes) [those who attack his countrymen].

19 ‌ʻO puke maʻu ʻae tui, mo e ʻatamai lelei; ʻaia kuo siʻaki ʻe he niʻihi, pea ko ʻenau tui kuo tūkia ʻo mate:

Continue to believe [the true teaching] and do only what you know to be right! Remember that some people have (pushed aside/rejected) the true teaching. As a result, they no longer believe [MET] what is true.

20 ‌ʻAia ʻoku ʻi ai ʻa ʻAiminia mo ʻAlekisānita; kuo u tukuange ʻakinaua kia Sētane, ke na ʻilo ke ʻoua te na lauʻikovi.

Among the ones who have done that are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I put in the hands of Satan, in order that [when Satan punishes them] they may learn not to teach wrong teaching.