Loma 13

1 Ke fakavaivai ʻae tangata kotoa pē ki ke pule ʻoku māʻolunga. He ʻoku ʻikai ha pule kae mei he ʻOtua: pea ko e kau pule ʻoku ai, ʻoku tuʻutuʻuni ia ʻe he ʻOtua.

Every [believer] must be subject to the authorities. [Remember that] God is the only one [who gives officials their] authority. Furthermore, those officials that exist are ones who have been appointed by God {God has appointed}.

2 Ko ia ʻoku angatuʻu ki he pule, ʻoku angatuʻu ki he tuʻutuʻuni ʻae ʻOtua: pea ko kinautolu ʻoku angatuʻu, te nau maʻu kiate kinautolu ʻae tautea.

So whoever resists the officials is resisting what God has established. Furthermore, those who resist officials will bring on themselves [from the officials] the punishment [that God considers fitting].

3 He ko e kau pule ʻoku ʻikai ko e fakailifia ki he ngaahi ngāue lelei, ka ki he kovi. Pea ko ho loto ke ʻoua naʻa manavahē koe ki he pule? Fai ʻaia ʻoku lelei, pea te ke maʻu mei ai ʻae fakamālō:

What rulers [do] is not [to cause people who] do good deeds to be afraid. Instead, [what they do is to cause people who do] evil to be afraid. So, if any of you [RHQ] wants to be unafraid of officials, do what is good! [If you(sg) do good], they will commend you [instead of punishing you!]

4 He ko e tamaioʻeiki ʻae ʻOtua ia kiate koe ki he lelei. Pea kapau ʻoku ke fai ʻaia ʻoku kovi, ke ke manavahē; he ʻoku ʻikai ke toʻo noa pē ʻe ia ʻae heletā: he ko e tamaioʻeiki ia ʻae ʻOtua, ko e fai totongi ia ke tautea kiate ia ʻoku fai kovi.

It is in order to serve God [by doing their work that every official exists], in order that they may benefit each of you. If any of you does what is evil, you [(sg) will rightfully have reason to] be afraid, because the authority that they have to punish people [MTY] is very real [LIT]! The officials exist to serve God. That is, they act as God’s agents as they punish those who do evil.

5 Ko ia ʻoku totonu ke mou fakavaivai, ʻo ʻikai pe naʻa ai ha tautea, ka koeʻuhi ko hono totonu.

So, it is necessary for you [(pl)] to be subject [to officials], not only because they will punish you [MTY] [if you disobey them], but also because you know [that you should be subject to them]

6 Ko e meʻa ko ia ke mou ʻatu ai ʻae tukuhau foki: he ko e kau tamaioʻeiki ʻae ʻOtua ʻakinautolu, ʻoku tokanga ʻo fai maʻu ki he meʻa ni pē.

It is for this reason that you also pay taxes, because the officials are ones who serve God as they continually do their work.

7 Ko ia ke ʻatu ki he kakai kotoa pē ʻaia ʻoku totonu: ʻae tukuhau kiate ia ʻoku totonu ki ai ʻae tukuhau; ko e totongi kiate ia ʻoku ʻaʻana totonu ʻae totongi; ko e manavahē kiate ia ʻoku ʻaʻana totonu ʻae manavahē; mo e fakaʻapaʻapa kiate ia ʻoku ʻaʻana totonu ʻae fakaʻapaʻapa.

Give to all [the officials] what you are supposed to give to them! Pay taxes to [those who require that you pay taxes]. Pay duties [on goods to those who require that you pay those] duties. Respect [those who ought to] be respected. Honor [those who ought to] be honored.

8 ‌ʻOua naʻa taʻetotongi ha meʻa ki ha taha, ka mou feʻofaʻaki pē kiate kimoutolu: he ko ia ʻoku ʻofa ki ha tokotaha, kuo fakamoʻoni ia ki he fono.

Pay all of your debts [when you are supposed to pay them]. The only thing [that is like] a debt that [you] should never stop paying is to love one another. Whoever loves others has fulfilled all that [God requires in] his laws.

9 Ko ia foki, “ʻOua naʻa ke tono fefine, ʻoua naʻa ke fakapō, ʻoua naʻa ke kaihaʻa, ʻoua naʻa ke fakamoʻoni loi, ʻoua naʻa ke manumanu;” pea ka ai mo ha fekau kehe, ʻoku lau fakataha ia ʻi he fekau ni, ʻa eni, “Ke ke ʻofa ki ho kaungāʻapi ʻo hangē pē ko koe.”

[There are many things that God] commanded [in his laws, such as] do not commit adultery, do not murder [anyone], do not steal, and do not desire anything that belongs to someone else. But the command by which they are all summed up {that includes them all} is this: Each of you must love the people with whom you come in contact, just like you [(sg)] love yourself.

10 ‌ʻOku ʻikai fai ʻe he ʻofa ha kovi ki hono kaungāʻapi: ko ia ko e ʻofa ko hono fakamoʻoni ia ʻoe fono.

If you love people with whom you come in contact [PRS], you will not do any evil to them [LIT]. So, whoever loves [others] fulfills all that [God’s] laws [require].

11 Pea ʻāsili pe ʻi hoʻomou ʻilo ʻae kuonga, kuo hokosia ʻaupito ʻae feituʻulaʻā ke ʻā ai mei he mohe: he ʻoku ofi lahi eni hotau fakamoʻui, ʻi heʻetau tomuʻa tui.

[Do] what I have just told you, especially since you know [the significance of] the time [in which we are living. You know that it is] time for you to be [fully alert and active] [MET], [like people who have] awakened from sleeping [MET], because [the time when Christ will finally] deliver us [from this world’s pain/sin and sorrow] is near. That time (is closer than/was not so close) when we first believed [in Christ].

12 Kuo tei ʻosi ʻae pō, ʻoku ofi ʻae ʻaho: ko ia ke tau liʻaki ʻae ngaahi ngāue ʻoe poʻuli, pea tau ʻai ʻae mahafu ʻoe maama.

[Our time to live in this world] [MTY] [is almost ended] [MET], [like] a night that is nearly ended. The time [when Christ will return] [MTY] is near. So we must quit doing wicked deeds [MET] [such as people do] in the darkness, and [we must be doing the things that will help us resist Satan/evil] [MET], [as soldiers who] put on their armor in the daytime [get ready to resist their enemies].

13 Ke tau felakaʻi ʻo matamatalelei, ʻo taau mo e ʻaho; ʻikai ʻi he kātoanga kai mo e faʻa konā, pe ʻi he feʻauaki mo e angafakalielia, pea ʻikai ʻi he fekeʻikeʻi mo e meheka.

We must behave properly, as though the time [when Christ will return] [MTY] [were already here]. We must not participate in drunken carousing [HEN]. We must not commit any kind of sexual immorality [MTY, DOU]. We must not quarrel. We must not be jealous [of other people].

14 Ka ke ʻai ʻekimoutolu ʻae ʻEiki ko Sisu Kalaisi, pea ʻoua naʻa tokonaki maʻae ngaahi holi ʻoe kakano.

On the contrary, you/we should [be like] the Lord Jesus Christ [so that others will see that we belong to him], just as [people] put on [special clothes so that others will see what group they belong to] [MET]. You/We should stop thinking about [doing the things that your/our] self-directed nature desires.