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 brethren, you must not make distinctions between one man and another while you are striving to maintain faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our glory.
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;
For suppose a man comes into one of your meetings wearing gold rings and fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man wearing 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 pay court to the one who wears the fine clothes, and say, "Sit here; this is a good place;" while to the poor man you say, "Stand there, or sit on the floor at my feet;"
4 ʻIkai ʻoku mou filifilimānako ʻiate kimoutolu, pea hoko ai ko e kau fakamaau mahalo kovi?
is it not plain that in your hearts you have little faith, seeing that you have become judges full of wrong thoughts?
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 dearly-loved brethren. Has not God chosen those whom the world regards as poor to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which He has promised to those that 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 have put dishonour upon the poor man. Yet is it not the rich who grind you down? Are not they the very people who drag you into the Law courts? --
7 ʻIkai ʻoku nau lauʻikovi ʻae huafa lelei ko ia, ʻaia kuo ui ʻaki ʻakimoutolu?
and the very people who speak evil of the noble Name by which you are called?
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, however, you are keeping the Law as supreme, in obedience to the Commandment which says "You are to love your fellow man just as you love yourself," you are acting rightly.
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 are making distinctions between one man and another, you are guilty of sin, and are convicted by the Law as offenders.
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.
A man who has kept the Law as a whole, but has failed to keep some one command, has become guilty of violating all.
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.
For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit murder," and if you are a murderer, although not an adulterer, you have become 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.
Speak and act as those should who are expecting 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 he who shows no mercy will have judgement given against him without mercy; but mercy triumphs over judgement.
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]?
What good is it, my brethren, if a man professes to have faith, and yet his actions do not correspond? Can such faith save him?
15 Kapau ʻe telefua pea fiekaia ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ha tokoua pe ko e tuofefine,
Suppose a Christian brother or sister is poorly clad or lacks daily food,
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, "I wish you well; keep yourselves warm and well fed," and yet you do not give them what they need; what is the use of that?
17 ʻOku pehē foki ʻae tui, kapau ʻoku ʻikai ʻi ai ʻae ngaahi ngāue, ʻoku mate ia, pea ʻoku tuʻu taha pe ia.
So also faith, if it is unaccompanied by obedience, has no life in it--so long as it stands alone.
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.”
Nay, some one will say, "You have faith, I have actions: prove to me your faith apart from corresponding actions and I will prove mine to you 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.
You believe that God is one, and you are quite right: evil spirits also believe this, and shudder."
20 Ka ʻoku ke loto ke ke ʻilo, ʻe tangata vale, ko e tui taʻeʻiai ʻae ngaahi ngāue, ʻoku mate ia?
But, idle boaster, are you willing to be taught how it is that faith apart from obedience is worthless? Take the case of Abraham our forefather.
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?
Was it, or was it not, because of his actions that he was declared to be righteous as the result of his having offered up his son Isaac upon 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 notice that his faith was co-operating with his actions, and that by his actions his faith was perfected;
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 the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And Abraham believed God, and his faith was placed to his credit as righteousness," and he received the name of 'God's friend.'
24 Ko eni, ʻoku mou mamata ʻoku fakatonuhia ʻae tangata ʻe he ngaahi ngāue, kae ʻikai ʻi he tui pe.
You all see that it is because of actions that a man is pronounced righteous, and not simply because of faith.
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?
In the same way also was not the notorious sinner Rahab declared to be righteous because of her actions when she welcomed the spies and hurriedly helped them to escape another way?
26 He ʻoku hangē ʻoku mate ʻae sino taʻeʻiai ʻae laumālie, ʻoku pehē ʻae tui taʻeʻiai-ʻae-ngaahi-ngāue, ʻoku mate foki ia.
For just as a human body without a spirit is lifeless, so also faith is lifeless if it is unaccompanied by obedience.
