Loma 9
1 ʻOku ou lea moʻoni ʻia Kalaisi, ʻoku ʻikai te u loi, pea ʻoku fakamoʻoni au foki ʻi hoku loto ʻi he Laumālie Māʻoniʻoni,
[Now I would like to discuss the fact that most of my fellow Israelites have rejected Christ]. Because of my relationship with Christ, I say completely truthfully [what I will now tell you]. I am not lying [DOU]! My conscience confirms what I [say] because the Holy Spirit [controls it].
2 ʻOku ou māfasia lahi pea mamahi maʻuaipē ʻi hoku loto.
[I tell you that] I grieve very greatly and deeply [DOU] [about my fellow Israelites].
3 (He kuo u meimei fakaʻamu ke tuku au ko e motuhi meia Kalaisi), koeʻuhi ko hoku kāinga, ʻa hoku kāinga fakakakano:
I personally would be willing to let [God] curse me [and, as a result, be separated] from Christ, [if that would] help my fellow Israelites, my natural kinsmen, [to believe in Christ].
4 Ko e kakai ʻIsileli ʻakinautolu; ʻoku ʻonautolu ʻae ohia, mo e nāunau, mo e ngaahi fuakava, mo e foaki ʻoe fono, mo e ngāue fakalotu, mo e ngaahi talaʻofa;
We [Jews] are [Israelites, God’s chosen] descendants of [Jacob]. [God has always considered] us as his children [MET]. It was to our ancestors [that he used to appear] gloriously [while they were in the desert]. It was with them that [God made] covenants [several times]. It was to them [that God] gave the laws [at Sinai Mountain]. They were the ones [to whom God showed how they should] worship him. They were the ones [to whom God] promised many things, [especially that the Messiah would come from their race].
5 ʻOku ʻanautolu ʻae ngaahi tamai, ʻakinautolu naʻe mei ai ʻae sino ʻo Kalaisi, ʻaia ʻoku māʻolunga taha pē, ko e ʻOtua monūʻia ʻo taʻengata. ʻEmeni. (aiōn g165)
It was our ancestors, [Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whom God chose to found our nation]. And, [most importantly], it was from us Israelites that the Messiah received his human nature. [Nevertheless, most of my fellow Israelites have rejected Christ], who is the one who controls all things! He is God, the one who is worthy that we praise him forever! This is true! (OR, Amen!) (aiōn g165)
6 Ka ʻoku ʻikai ke hangē kuo taʻeʻaonga ʻaupito ʻae folofola ʻae ʻOtua. He ʻoku ʻikai ko e ʻIsileli kotoa pē, ʻaia ʻoku meia ʻIsileli:
[God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that their descendants would all inherit his blessings]. But [although most of my fellow Israelites have rejected Christ], that does not [prove] that God has failed [to do] the things that he promised, because it is not all who are descended from Jacob and who [call themselves the people of] Israel whom [God considers] to be truly his people.
7 Pea ʻoku ʻikai ko e fānau kotoa pē. Koeʻuhi ko e hako ʻakinautolu ʻo ʻEpalahame: ka, “Ko ʻAisake ʻe ui ai ho hako.”
And it is also not all of Abraham’s natural descendants that [God considers] to be his people. Instead, [God considers only some of them to be Abraham’s children]. [This agrees with what God told Abraham]: “It is Isaac, [not any of your(sg) other sons], whom [I] will consider [to be the true father of] your descendants.”
8 Ko hono ʻuhinga, ʻIlonga ʻae fānau ʻae kakano, ʻoku ʻikai ko e fānau ʻae ʻOtua ʻakinautolu: kae lau ko e hako ʻae fānau pē ʻoe talaʻofa.
That means that it is not all the natural-born descendants [of Abraham] whom God [considers as] his children. Instead, it is those who [believed what God] promised whom [he] considers to be his children.
9 He ko e lea eni ʻoe talaʻofa, “ʻI he kuonga ni te u haʻu, pea ʻe maʻu ʻe Sela ha tama.”
[You know that what God] promised [to Abraham] was this: “About this time [next year] Sarah [your wife] will bear a son [as a result of my enabling] [MTY] [her to do so].” [So Abraham knew that it was not through Ishmael, the son that he already had, that God would fulfill what he had promised him] (OR, [that his true descendants would come]).
10 Pea ʻoku ʻikai ko ia pē, ka ʻi he feitama ʻa Lepeka mei he tokotaha, ko ʻetau tamai ko ʻAisake;
And not only then did God show [that he did not determine who would be his true children according to who their ancestors were. He showed it again] when Rebecca conceived [twins] by our ancestor Isaac.
11 (He naʻe teʻeki ai ke fanauʻi ʻakinaua, pea teʻeki fai ha lelei pe ha kovi, pea koeʻuhi ke tuʻumaʻu ʻae tuʻutuʻuni ʻae ʻOtua, ʻo fakatatau ki he fili, ʻikai ʻi he ngaahi ngāue, kae ʻiate ia ʻoku ne ui; )
Before [the twins, Jacob and Esau], were born, when neither one had yet done anything good or bad, [God] said to Rebecca [about the twins she was to bear], “The older one shall later serve the younger one, [contrary to normal custom].” [God said this] in order that [we] might [clearly] understand that what he purposed [for people] was according to what he himself determined. That is, people’s [eternal destiny] does not depend on what they do. Instead, their destiny depends on [God], the one who chooses them.
12 Naʻe pehē kiate ia, “ʻE tauhi ʻe he ʻuluaki ʻae kimui.”
13 ʻO hangē ko ia kuo tohi, “Kuo u ʻofa kia Sēkope, ka kuo u fehiʻa kia ʻIsoa.”
And [this teaching is] ([supported/shown to be true]) [by] what is written [in the Scriptures] {what [a prophet] recorded} [that God said]: “I favored Jacob, [the younger son]. I did not favor [HYP] Esau, [the older son].”
14 Pea ka ko ia, pea tau pehē ko e hā? ʻOku ʻi he ʻOtua ʻae taʻeangatonu? ʻIkai ʻaupito.
[Someone] might say, “(Is God unjust [by choosing the ones he wants to choose?/I think] that God is unjust [by choosing the ones he wants to choose!])” [RHQ] [I would reply], “[He is] certainly not [unjust]!”
15 He naʻe pehē ʻe ia kia Mōsese, “Te u ʻaloʻofa kiate ia ʻoku ou loto ke u ʻaloʻofa ki ai, pea te u angaʻofa kiate ia ʻoku ou loto ke u angaʻofa ki ai.”
God told Moses, “I will pity and help anyone whom I choose [DOU]!”
16 Pea ko ia, ʻoku ʻikai meiate ia ʻoku loto, pe meiate ia ʻoku lele, kae mei he ʻOtua ʻoku fakahā ʻae ʻaloʻofa.
So [God chooses people], not because they want [God to choose them] or because they try hard [to do things so that he] will [accept them]. Instead he chooses people because he himself has mercy [on undeserving ones].
17 He ʻoku pehē ʻae tohi kia Felo, “Ko e meʻa ni pē kuo u fokotuʻu hake ai koe, koeʻuhi ke u fakahā ʻiate koe hoku mālohi, pea koeʻuhi ke ongoongoa ai hoku hingoa ʻi māmani kotoa pē.”
[Moses] recorded [PRS] [that God had told] Pharaoh, “This is why I gave you [(sg)] authority [MTY]: It was in order that I might show [by how I oppose] you [how exceedingly] powerful I am, and in order that people everywhere [HYP] would hear about me [MTY].”
18 Pea ko ia, ʻoku ʻaloʻofa ia kiate ia ʻoku ne loto ki ai, pea ʻoku ne fakafefeka ʻaia ʻoku loto ia ki ai.
So [we conclude that God] kindly helps the ones he wants to act kindly towards. But he makes stubborn the ones [such as Pharaoh] that he wants [to make stubborn].
19 Pea te ke pehē ai kiate au, “Pea ko e hā ʻoku ne kei lāunga ai? Pe ko hai kuo ne taʻofia hono loto?”
[One of] you may [object to this by] saying to me, “[Because God determines ahead of time everything that people do, that also implies that he wants us to do everything that we do]. (No one has resisted what God has willed!/Who has resisted what God has willed?) [RHQ] Therefore, (it would not be right that God would still condemn [a person for having sinned]!/why does God still condemn [a person for having sinned]?) [RHQ]”
20 ʻIkai, ʻe tangata, he ko hai koe ʻoku ke kikihi ki he ʻOtua? ʻE lea ʻae meʻa kuo ngaohi kiate ia naʻa ne ngaohi ia, “Ko e hā kuo ke ngaohi ai au ke pehē ni?”
[I would reply that since] you [(sg)] are [just a] human being, (you do not [have any right at all to] criticize God!/[who are you to] say that what God does is wrong?) [RHQ] [As a potter is the one who creates a clay pot, God is the one who created you]. (A clay pot [MET] certainly would not [have a right to criticize] the potter by asking [PRS], “Why did you [(sg)] make me this way?”/Would a clay pot [have a right to criticize] the potter by asking [PRS], “Why did you [(sg)] make me this way?”) [RHQ]
21 He ʻikai ʻoku ʻi he ʻumea, ke ne ngaohi mei he takaonga pe taha ʻae ipu ʻe taha ke ʻaonga lahi, mo e taha ke ʻaonga siʻi?
Instead, (the potter certainly has the right to [take] some clay and from one lump [of clay] make one pot that people will honor and [make another] one for ordinary purposes [MET]./does not a potter have the right to [take] some clay and from one lump [of clay] make one pot that people will honor and [make another] pot for ordinary purposes?) [MET, RHQ] [Similarly, God has the right to carry out what he purposes for people].
22 Pea kapau kuo finangalo ʻae ʻOtua ke fakahā hono houhau, pea fakaʻilo mo hono mālohi, naʻa ne kātaki ʻi he kātaki fuoloa ʻae ngaahi ipu ʻoe houhau naʻe taau mo e malaʻia:
Although God desires to show that he is angry [about sin], and [although he desires to] make clear that he can powerfully [punish people who have sinned], he tolerated very patiently the people [MET] who caused him to be angry and who deserved to be destroyed (OR, who were made to be destroyed).
23 Pea koeʻuhi ke ne fakahā hono lahi ʻo ʻene lelei ki he ngaahi ipu ʻoe ʻaloʻofa, ʻakinautolu naʻa ne tomuʻa teuʻi ki he hakeakiʻi,
[God has been patient] in order that he might make clear how very wonderfully [he acts toward those] [MET] whom he intended to act mercifully towards and whom he prepared ahead of time in order that they might [live] gloriously [in heaven].
24 ʻIo, ʻakitautolu kuo ne ui, ʻikai mei he kakai Siu pē, ka mei he kakai Senitaile foki?
That means us whom he chose—not only [us] Jews but also non-Jews.
25 ʻO hangē ko ʻene folofola ʻia Hosea, “Te u ui ʻakinautolu ‘Ko hoku kakai,’ ʻaia naʻe ʻikai ko hoku kakai; pea ‘Ko e ʻofeina ia,’ ʻaia naʻe ʻikai ko e ʻofeina.
[These words that] Hosea wrote [MTY] that [God] said also (show that God has the right/[support God’s right]) [to choose from among both Jews and non-Jews] [MTY]: I will declare that many people who were not my people are now my people. I will declare that many people whom I did not love [HYP] before, I love now.
26 Pea ʻe pehē, ʻi he potu ko ia naʻe pehē ai kiate kinautolu, ‘ʻOku ʻikai ko hoku kakai ʻakimoutolu;’ ʻe ui ai ʻakinautolu ko e fānau ʻae ʻOtua moʻui.
And [another prophet wrote]: What will happen is that in the places where [God] told them before, “You are not my people,” in those same places [people] will declare truthfully that they are children of God, who is completely powerful.
27 ʻOku kalanga foki ʻa ʻIsaia ʻia ʻIsileli, [ʻo pehē], “Kapau ʻe tatau hono lau ʻoe fānau ʻa ʻIsileli mo e ʻoneʻone ʻoe tahi, ko e toenga pē ʻe fakamoʻui:
Isaiah also exclaimed concerning the Israelites: Even though the Israelites are [so many that no one can count them, like] sand [particles on the beach beside] the ocean, [only] a small part of them will be saved {[God] will save [only] a small part of them},
28 He te ne fakaʻosi mo tuʻusi ke vave ʻae ngāue ʻi he māʻoniʻoni: koeʻuhi ʻe fakatoʻotoʻo ʻae ngāue ʻa Sihova ʻi he māmani.”
because the Lord will punish completely and speedily the [people who live on] this earth, as he said that he would do.
29 Pea hangē ko e tomuʻa lea ʻa ʻIsaia, “Ka ne taʻeʻoua ʻae fakatoe ʻe Sihova ʻoe ngaahi tokolahi ha hako kiate kitautolu, pehē, kuo tau tatau mo Sotoma, pea ngaohi ʻo fakatatau mo Komola.”
[Also, we can understand from what the prophet] Isaiah said [that God would not save] anyone if he did not show mercy: If the Lord, who controls everything in heaven, had not mercifully allowed some of our descendants to survive, we would have become like the people of [the cities of] Sodom and Gomorrah, who were [SIM, DOU] completely destroyed.
30 Pea ka ko ia, pea tau pehē ko e hā? Ko eni, ko e kakai Senitaile, naʻe ʻikai tuli ki he fakatonuhia, kuo lavaʻi ʻekinautolu ʻae fakatonuhia, ʻio, ʻae fakatonuhia ʻoku ʻi he tui.
We must conclude this: [RHQ] Although non-Jews did not search out [a way by which] God would erase the record of their sins, they actually found that way because they trusted [in what Christ did for them].
31 Ka ko ʻIsileli, naʻe tuli ki he fono māʻoniʻoni, kuo ʻikai lavaʻi ʻe ia ʻae fono māʻoniʻoni.
But although [the people of] Israel sought a basis [by which God would] erase the record of their sins, they did not succeed in [fulfilling the true purpose of the] laws [that God gave to Moses].
32 Ko e hā naʻe pehē ai? Koeʻuhi naʻe ʻikai ha tui, ka ko e ngāue pe. He naʻa nau tūkia ʻi he “Maka tūkiaʻanga” ko ia;
The reason [RHQ] [that they did not succeed] is that they did not trust that [God would provide a way to save them]. Instead, they were trying to do certain things [in order that God would accept them. Because they did not expect the Messiah to die, the Israelites] felt disgusted about [Jesus’ death, which is like] the stone [MET] on which people stumble.
33 ʻO hangē ko ia kuo tohi, “Vakai, ʻoku ou ʻai ʻi Saione ʻae maka tūkiaʻanga mo e maka fakaʻita: pea ko ia ʻe tui kiate ia ʻe ʻikai te ne mā.”
This is what [a prophet] predicted when he wrote these words that [God said about the Messiah]: Listen! I am placing in Israel [MTY] [one who is like] a stone [MET] on which people will stumble. What he does will offend people [DOU]. Nevertheless, those who believe in him will not be disappointed.
