ʻEfesō 4

1 Pea ko eni, ko au ko e pōpula ʻae ʻEiki, ʻoku ou kole kiate kimoutolu, ke mou ʻaʻeva ʻo taau mo e ui ʻaia kuo uiuiʻi ʻaki ʻakimoutolu,

Therefore I, who am in prison because [I serve] the Lord [Jesus], urge you, whom God has chosen [to be his people, to do these things]: Conduct your lives as [God’s people] should.

2 ‌ʻI he angavaivai kotoa pē mo e angamalū, mo e kātaki fuoloa, ʻo fekātakiʻaki ʻi he ʻofa;

Always be humble, and do not demand your own rights. Be patient [with each other], and, because you love each other, endure each other’s ([irritating] behavior/behavior that you do not like).

3 ‌ʻO ʻahiʻahi lahi ke tauhi ʻae feʻofoʻofani ʻoe Laumālie ʻi he noʻo ʻoe melino.

[God’s] Spirit has caused you to be united [with one another], so do all that you can to remain united [with one another] by acting peacefully [toward each other].

4 ‌ʻOku taha pe ʻae sino pea taha ʻae Laumālie, ʻio, ʻo hangē kuo ui ʻakimoutolu ki he ʻamanaki lelei pe taha ʻo homou uiuiʻi;

[All we believers form just one group] [MET], and we have only one [Holy] Spirit. Similarly, you were chosen {[God] chose you} in order that you all might confidently keep expecting one [set of good] things [from God].

5 Ko e ʻEiki pe taha, ko e tui pe taha, ko e papitaiso pe taha,

There is only one Lord, [Jesus Christ]. We all believe the same [teaching about him. It was to show that we belong to him] alone that [we had someone] baptize us.

6 Ko e ʻOtua pe taha mo e Tamai ʻatautolu kotoa pē, ʻaia ʻoku māʻolunga he meʻa kotoa pē, pea ʻi he meʻa kotoa pē, pea ʻoku nofoʻia ʻakimoutolu kotoa pē.

There is one God, who is the [spiritual] Father of all [us believers]. He [rules] over all his people; he enables all his people [to do powerful things] (OR, he sustains all his people); and his [Spirit lives] in all his people.

7 Ka kuo foaki kiate kitautolu taki taha kotoa pē ʻae ʻofa, ʻo fakatatau ki hono lahi ʻoe foaki ʻa Kalaisi.

Christ has generously given to each one of us spiritual gifts, just like he decided to give them.

8 Ko ia ʻoku ne pehē ai, “ʻI heʻene ʻalu hake ki ʻolunga, naʻa ne taki pōpula ʻae fakapōpula, ʻo ne ʻatu ʻae ngaahi foaki ki he kakai.”

[When Christ gave] gifts to his people, [it was similar to what the Psalmist said about God receiving tribute money] from those whom he had conquered, When he ascended to heaven, he gave as gifts to people the things [that he had taken] from the people whom he captured:

9 (Pea ko ʻene “ʻalu hake,” ko e hā ia ka koeʻuhi naʻe tomuʻa ʻalu hifo ia ki he ngaahi potu ʻi mama ki lalo ni?

The words ‘he ascended’ certainly imply/indicate [RHQ] that Christ had also previously descended to the earth.

10 Ko ia naʻa ne ʻalu hifo, ko ia ia foki naʻa ne ʻalu hake ʻo māʻolunga lahi ʻaupito ʻi he ngaahi langi kotoa pē, koeʻuhi ke ne fakafonu ʻae ngaahi meʻa kotoa pē.)

Christ, who descended [to earth], is also the one who ascended to the most exalted position in heaven, in order that he might show his power [MTY] throughout the universe.

11 Pea “naʻa ne foaki ʻae niʻihi,” ko e kau ʻaposetolo; mo e niʻihi, ko e kau palōfita; mo e niʻihi, ko e kau ʻevangeliō; mo e niʻihi, ko e kau faifekau mo e kau akonaki;

He appointed some people to be apostles. He appointed some people to be (prophets/ones who reveal messages that come directly from God). He appointed some people to be (evangelists/ones whose work is to tell others the message about Christ). He appointed some people to lead and teach [the congregations].

12 Ko hono fakahaohaoa ʻoe kakai māʻoniʻoni, mo e ngāue fakafaifekau, ke langa hake ʻae sino ʻo Kalaisi:

[He appointed all of these] in order that they would prepare God’s people to do [God’s] work, so that all the people who belong to Christ [MET] might become [spiritually] mature.

13 Kae ʻoua ke tau hoko kotoa pē ki he fakataha ʻi he tui, pea mo e ʻiloʻi ʻoe ʻAlo ʻoe ʻOtua, ki he tangata haohaoa, ki he fuofua ʻo hono lahi ʻoe fonu ʻo Kalaisi:

He wants all of us [believers] to be united [because] we all believe in the Son of God (OR, the man who was also God) and [because] we all know [him]. He wants us to become spiritually mature; that is, he wants us to be (perfect/all that God wants us to be), [just like] Christ was ([perfect/all that God wanted him to be]).

14 Koeʻuhi ke ʻoua naʻa tau kei fakatamaiki, ʻo feliliʻaki, mo feʻaveʻaki fano ʻe he matangi ʻoe akonaki kotoa pē, ʻi he poto kākā ʻoe tangata, mo e poto ʻi he fiemuʻa, ʻaia ʻoku nau toka tataʻo ai ke kākaaʻi;

Then we will no longer be [spiritually immature], like [MET] little children [are immature]. We will no longer be constantly [changing what we believe, like] [MET] waves of the sea are [constantly changing as the wind blows and] tosses them back and forth. We will not allow people who teach [what is false] and who scheme to deceive/influence us.

15 Kae lea ʻaki ʻae moʻoni ʻi he ʻofa, pea tupu hake ʻiate ia, ʻaia ko Kalaisi ko e ʻulu, ʻi he meʻa kotoa pē:

Instead, by loving [others] as we behave as [God’s] truth requires (OR, speak in a loving manner what is true), we will become more and more like Christ in every way. He is the one [who controls/guides all his people] [MET], [just like a person’s] head [controls/guides his] body.

16 ‌ʻAia ʻoku fakahokohoko ai ʻae sino kotoa, pea fakataha ʻi he meʻa ʻoku tokoni ʻaki ʻe he kupu kotoa pē, ʻo fakatatau ki hono faʻa fai ʻi he fua ʻoe potu kotoa pē, ʻoku tupulaki ai ʻae sino, pea langa hake ia ʻi he ʻofa.

He [enables all those who belong to him to mature spiritually. A person’s body grows stronger, as] each part of the body is joined to the others by the ligaments and as each part (functions properly/works as it should). Similarly, believers will become mature [spiritually] by loving each other and by each of them doing the work [that God wants them to do] [MET].

17 Pea ko e meʻa ni, ʻoku ou tala mo fakapapau ʻi he ʻEiki, ke ʻoua te mou kei ʻaʻeva ʻo hangē ko e ʻaʻeva ʻae Senitaile kehe, ʻi he vale ʻo honau loto,

The Lord [Jesus] has authorized me to strongly tell you that you must no longer conduct your lives like unbelievers do. The futile/worthless way in which they think [MET] [controls how they conduct their lives].

18 Kuo fakapoʻuli honau loto, kuo fakamavaheʻi mei he moʻui fakaʻotua, ʻi he vale ʻoku ʻiate kinautolu, ko e meʻa ʻi he fefeka ʻo honau loto:

They are unable to think clearly [MET] [about what is right and what is wrong]. Because they have decided that they do not want to know about God and because they stubbornly [IDM] refuse to [listen to his message], they do not have the [eternal] life that God [gives us].

19 ‌ʻAkinautolu ʻoku taʻeongoʻi, kuo nau tukuange ʻakinautolu ki he anga fakalielia, ke fai ʻae meʻa ʻuli kotoa pē ʻi he fiefie fai.

The result is that because they have ceased (to care/to be concerned) [about what is right and what is wrong], they have (deliberately committed themselves to doing/wholeheartedly decided to do) the shameful things that their bodies want, and they commit all kinds of immoral acts, and continually are eager to do more of those things.

20 Ka kuo ʻikai pehē hono akonekina ʻakimoutolu meia Kalaisi;

But when you learned [about] Christ, you did not learn [to behave] like that.

21 He kuo fanongo ʻakimoutolu kiate ia, pea kuo akonekina ʻakimoutolu meiate ia, ʻo fakatatau ki he moʻoni ʻoku ʻia Sisu:

I am sure that you heard the message about [Christ], and because you are people who have a close relationship with him, you were taught {[others] taught you} the true [way to live] that Jesus [showed us].

22 Pea ko e meʻa ʻi he ʻulungāanga motuʻa, ke mou siʻaki ʻae tangata motuʻa, ʻaia ʻoku fakalielia, pea tatau mo e ngaahi holi kovi fakakākā;

[You were taught] {[They taught you]} that you must put aside [MET] your evil nature; [that is, that you must not behave like you formerly did]. Your evil desires deceived you, making you want to do evil things and causing you to think that [doing that was good for you]; and your thinking like that was destroying you [spiritually].

23 Pea ke fakafoʻou ʻakimoutolu ʻi he tefito ʻo homou loto;

Others taught you that instead, you must let [God’s Spirit] change the way you think,

24 Pea ke ʻai ʻekimoutolu ʻae tangata foʻou, ʻaia ʻoku fakatupu ke tatau mo e ʻOtua ʻi he angatonu mo e māʻoniʻoni moʻoni.

and that you must start being [MET] the new persons that God made you to become. That is, your [behavior] must be righteous and truly/genuinely devout.

25 Ko ia ke liʻaki ʻae loi, kae taki taha lea ʻaki ʻae moʻoni ki hono kaungāʻapi: he ʻoku tau fekupuʻaki ʻakitautolu.

Therefore, quit lying to one another. Instead, because we all belong to just one group [of believers], speak truthfully to each other.

26 Ke mou ʻita, kae ʻalu hifo ʻae laʻā mo hoʻomou ʻita:

If you get angry, do not sin [as a result of] getting angry. Before the end of the day [MTY], stop being angry;

27 Pea ʻoua naʻa fakaʻataʻatā ki he tēvolo.

[by doing that], you will not allow the devil to make you do evil.

28 Ko ia ia naʻe kaihaʻa, ke ʻoua ʻe toe kaihaʻa: ka ne ngāue muʻa, ʻo fai ʻaki hono nima ʻae meʻa ʻoku lelei, koeʻuhi ke ne maʻu ke foaki kiate ia ʻoku masiva.

Those who have been stealing must not steal any longer. Instead, they should work hard to earn (their living/what they need) ([by] their own efforts/[by] what they do themselves) [MTY], in order that they may have [something] to give to those who are needy.

29 Ke ʻoua naʻa haʻu ha talanoa ʻuli mei homou ngutu, ka ko ia ʻoku lelei ʻo ʻaonga ke langaʻaki hake, koeʻuhi ke tupu ai ʻae tokoni ki he kau fanongo.

Do not use [MTY] foul language. Instead, say only things that are useful for helping people when they need help, things that will help [spiritually] the people that you talk to.

30 Pea ʻoua naʻa fakamamahi ki he Laumālie Māʻoniʻoni ʻoe ʻOtua, ʻaia kuo silaʻi ʻaki ʻakimoutolu ki he ʻaho ʻoe huhuʻi.

[God has given you his] Spirit (to confirm/to assure you) that some day [God will claim all] you people [whom Christ has] redeemed [MET], [just like people confirm that something belongs to them by] putting their seal on it. So do not cause God’s Holy Spirit to be sad ([by the way you talk/by the things that you say]).

31 Tuku ke mamaʻo ʻiate kimoutolu ʻae loto kovi kotoa pē, mo e ʻita, mo e lili, mo e feʻiohoʻaki, mo e lea fakakovi, mo e fakafasifasi kotoa pē:

Do not be resentful at all towards others. Do not become angry in any way. Never shout abusively at others. Never (slander/say bad things about) others. Never act maliciously/be mean in any way.

32 Kae feangaleleiʻaki ʻakimoutolu kiate kimoutolu, ʻo manavaʻofa, ʻo fefakamolemoleʻaki ʻakimoutolu, ʻo hangē ko e fakamolemolea ʻakimoutolu ʻe he ʻOtua koeʻuhi ko Kalaisi.

Be kind to one another. Act mercifully toward each other. Forgive each other, just like God forgave you because of [what] Christ [has done].