Taitusi 1

1 Ko au Paula, ko e tamaioʻeiki ʻae ʻOtua, mo e ʻaposetolo ʻa Sisu Kalaisi, ʻo fakatatau ki he tui ʻae kakai kuo fili ʻe he ʻOtua, pea mo e ʻiloʻi ʻoe moʻoni ʻaia ʻoku taau mo e anga fakaʻotua;

I, Paul, [am writing this letter to you, Titus]. [God appointed me to be] his servant and [to be] an apostle [who represents] Jesus Christ. [God appointed me in order that I might teach] those whom God has chosen [to be his people] to [correctly] believe [in him]. He wants me to teach them the true [teachings about God], in order that they will learn to behave (in a [godly manner/] a [manner that pleases God]).

2 ‌ʻI he ʻamanaki lelei ki he moʻui taʻengata, ʻaia naʻe fakaʻilo ʻe he ʻOtua, ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai ʻaupito loi, ʻi he teʻeki ai tuʻu ʻa māmani; (aiōnios g166)

[As a result of my doing these things, his people] confidently expect that God will cause them to live forever. God, who never lies, promised before he created the world that [his people] would live forever. (aiōnios g166)

3 Ka kuo fakahā ʻi hono kuonga totonu ʻa ʻene folofola ʻi he malanga, ʻaia kuo tuku kiate au, ʻo fakatatau ki he fekau ʻae ʻOtua ko hotau Fakamoʻui;

Then at the time that he [chose], he revealed [to us his] message. [Specifically], God our Savior gave this message to me, and he trusted me to proclaim it to people.

4 Ke ʻia Taitusi, ko e foha moʻoni ʻo taau mo e tui ʻatautolu kotoa pē, ʻae ʻaloʻofa, mo e ʻofa mataʻataʻatā, mo e melino, mei he ʻOtua ko e Tamai, mo e ʻEiki ko Sisu Kalaisi ko hotau Fakamoʻui.

Titus, [I am writing this letter] to [you because you are like] a true son [MET] [to me because I led/helped you to] believe the same [teachings about Christ that I do]. ([I pray that/May]) [God our Father and Christ Jesus our Savior will continue to] act kindly toward you and cause you to have [inner] peace.

5 Ko e meʻa ni naʻaku tuku ai koe ʻi Keliti, koeʻuhi ke ke fakatonutonu ʻae ngaahi meʻa naʻe ʻikai fakaʻosi, ʻo fakanofo ʻae kau mātuʻa ʻi he kolo kotoa pē, ʻo hangē ko ia naʻaku fekau kiate koe:

When I [asked you] to stay on Crete [island], I wanted you to do these things: [Teach the believers what they need to know so that they] can understand correctly the [spiritual] matters about which some are teaching wrongly. Appoint elders [in the congregation] in each town in the manner in which I told you to do.

6 Kapau ʻoku taʻehala ha tokotaha, koe husepāniti ʻoe fefine pe taha, ʻoku tui ʻene fānau, pea ʻoku ʻikai valokia ʻi ha fakamaveuveu pe ha talangataʻa.

[When you appoint men as elders], you must choose men whom no one can [justly] accuse of [habitually] doing what is wrong (OR, whom everyone speaks well of). Specifically, appoint men who have been faithful to their wives. Appoint men whose children faithfully obey [them. Do not appoint men whose children habitually] do all the things that their bodies urge them to do, or who refuse to obey their parents.

7 He ʻoku totonu ke taʻehalaia ʻae tauhi, ʻo taau mo e tauhi koloa ʻae ʻOtua; ʻo ʻikai fai ki hono loto, pe ʻitangofua, pe tokanga ki he uaine, pe faʻa tā, pe tokanga ki he koloa ʻuli;

Leaders [of the congregation] must be [men] who, as everyone knows, habitually do what is good (OR, [whom] no one can [justly] accuse of doing what is wrong), because it is on God’s behalf that they will direct/serve [the congregation. Specifically, they must] not be arrogant/proud. They must not easily become angry. They must not [be men who] drink much alcohol. They must not [be men who] ([act] violently/fight) [when they are angry. They must] not [be men who are] (greedy for/strongly desire to get) money.

8 Kae ʻofa ia ki he fai angalelei, pea ʻofa ki he kakai angalelei, ke ne anga fakapotopoto, mo angatotonu, mo māʻoniʻoni, mo angamaau;

Instead, they must be ones who welcome and take care of guests. They must (be devoted to/like to do) what is good. They must do [what God considers] to be right. They must be (holy/completely dedicated to God). They must be men who do what their minds tell them is right to do [and not what their emotions/desires urge them to do].

9 ‌ʻO ne puke ke maʻu ʻae lea moʻoni, ʻo hangē ko hono akonekina, koeʻuhi ke ne faʻa fai ke enginaki mo valoki tonu ʻae kau lea kovi ʻaki ʻae akonaki totonu.

They must firmly believe in the message [about Jesus Christ] exactly as [I/we(inc)] taught it, in order that they might be able to teach [the believers] what is correct and to urge [them to follow it well. If they firmly accept our message], they will be able to convince those who oppose [what is correct that they are wrong].

10 He ʻoku ai ʻae tokolahi ʻoku angatuʻu, ko e kau launoa mo e kau kākā, pea ʻoku tuʻu muʻa ai ʻakinautolu ʻoe kamu:

[I say this] because there are many [people who oppose the correct teachings]. They refuse to obey people who have authority over them, they talk ([on and on/without stopping]), saying what helps no one, and they deceive people. The Jewish [believers] [MTY] [who insist we must obey all the Jewish rituals are] especially [doing this].

11 ‌ʻAkinautolu ʻoku totonu ke tāpuni honau ngutu; ʻoku nau fakahēʻi ʻae ngaahi fale kotoa, ʻo ako ʻaki ʻae ngaahi meʻa ʻoku ʻikai totonu, ka nau maʻu ai ʻae koloa ʻuli.

[You and the leaders whom you appoint] should prevent such people from teaching [the believers]. They are causing whole families to stop believing in the correct teachings [MET] by means of their teaching [people wrong ideas/teachings. They are teaching people only] in order that people will give them money, [which is very] shameful [for them to do].

12 Ko honau tokotaha, ko e tangata kikite pe ʻonautolu, naʻe pehē, “ʻOku loi maʻuaipē ʻae kakai Keliti, ko e fanga manu fekai mo kovi, ko e kau faʻa kai fakapikopiko.”

A man from Crete [island] whom [they consider] a prophet said, “[My fellow] Cretan people are always lying [to one another! They are like dangerous] wild animals [MET]! They are lazy and always eat too much food [SYN]!”

13 Ko e fakamoʻoni ni ʻoku moʻoni. Ko ia ke ke valoki māsila ʻakinautolu, ke nau haohaoa ʻi he tui;

The words that this man said [about the Cretan people] are [still] true, [especially about their being liars]. So, rigorously convince/show [those Cretan believers] that those [false teachings] are wrong. Tell them to [firmly] believe in the correct teachings.

14 ‌ʻOua naʻa tokanga ki he ngaahi talatupuʻa fakaSiu, mo e ngaahi fekau ʻae kakai, ʻakinautolu ʻoku afe mei he moʻoni.

[Teach them that] they should no [longer] listen to the stories that the Jews (made up/invented). [Especially] they should refuse to obey those who reject our true teachings, because those people are teaching things that only come from human beings, [not from God].

15 ‌ʻOku maʻa ʻae meʻa kotoa pē kiate kinautolu ʻoku loto maʻa: ka ʻoku ʻikai maʻa ha meʻa ʻe taha kiate kinautolu ʻoku anga ʻuli mo taʻetui; he ko honau loto mo honau ʻatamai kuo ʻuliʻi.

[Believers should reject] what they teach about food, [because] no [food that we eat] can make us unacceptable to God if we are pure [in our] ([inner beings/hearts]). But if people are evil and they do not trust [in Christ Jesus], there is no [ritual] that can make them acceptable to God. Such people’s way of thinking has been ruined {Such people have ruined their way of thinking}, and they do not even feel guilty [when they do what is evil].

16 ‌ʻOku nau lau ʻoku nau ʻilo ʻae ʻOtua ka ʻi heʻenau ngaahi ngaue ʻoku nau siʻaki ia, ʻoku nau anga fakalielia, mo talangataʻa, pea taʻehafifili lelei ki he ngaahi ngaue lelei kotoa pē.

Even though they claim/say that they know God, by what they do they [show that they] do not know (God/his true teaching). They do not obey [God], and they are unable to do anything that he considers to be good. [So God considers them to be absolutely] disgusting!