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.

Let every individual be obedient to those who rule over him; for no one is a ruler except by God's permission, and our present rulers have had their rank and power assigned to them by Him.

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.

Therefore the man who rebels against his ruler is resisting God's will; and those who thus resist will bring punishment upon themselves.

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:

For judges and magistrates are to be feared not by right-doers but by wrong-doers. You desire--do you not? --to have no reason to fear your ruler. Well, do the thing that is right, and then he will commend 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.

For he is God's servant for your benefit. But if you do what is wrong, be afraid. He does not wear the sword to no purpose: he is God's servant--an administrator to inflict punishment upon evil-doers.

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

We must obey therefore, not only in order to escape punishment, but also for conscience' sake.

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.

Why, this is really the reason you pay taxes; for tax-gatherers are ministers of God, devoting their energies to this very 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.

Pay promptly to all men what is due to them: taxes to those to whom taxes are due, toll to those to whom toll is due, respect to those to whom respect is due, honour to those to whom honour is due.

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.

Owe nothing to any one except mutual love; for he who loves his fellow man has satisfied the demands of Law.

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.”

For the precepts, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," "Thou shalt do no murder," "Thou shalt not steal," "Thou shalt not covet," and all other precepts, are summed up in this one command, "Thou shalt love thy fellow man as much as thou lovest thyself."

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

Love avoids doing any wrong to one's fellow man, and is therefore complete obedience to Law.

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.

Carry out these injunctions because you know the critical period at which we are living, and that it is now high time, to rouse yourselves from sleep; for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first became believers.

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.

The night is far advanced, and day is about to dawn. We must therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness, and clothe ourselves with the armour of Light.

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.

Living as we do in broad daylight, let us conduct ourselves becomingly, not indulging in revelry and drunkenness, nor in lust and debauchery, nor in quarrelling and jealousy.

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

On the contrary, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for gratifying your earthly cravings.