Jo-Rumi 9
1 Awacho adiera kuom Kristo kendo ok ariambi; chunya bende bedo janeno kuom wach ma awachoni ni en adier kuom Roho Maler.
I am speaking the truth as one in union with Christ; it is no lie; and my conscience, enlightened by the Holy Spirit,
2 An gi kuyo maduongʼ kod lit ma ok rum e chunya.
bears me out when I say that there is a great weight of sorrow upon me and that my heart is never free from pain.
3 Nimar daher mondo an awuon ema okwongʼa kendo ongʼad kara oko kuom Kristo, nikech wach owetena, kendo ogandana korka ringruok, ma gin jo-Israel.
I could wish that I were myself accursed and severed from the Christ, for the sake of my Brothers — my own countrymen.
4 Gin ema noketgi yawuot Nyasaye; gin ema nomigi duongʼ mar Nyasaye gi muma, gi chik, gi lemo, kod singruok.
For they are Israelites, and theirs are the adoption as Sons, the visible Presence, the Covenants, the revealed Law, the Temple worship, and the Promises.
5 Gin bende ema kwerewa madongo noa kuomgi, kendo kata mana Kristo, kuom anywolane kaka dhano, bende oa kuomgi; En ma en Nyasaye kuom duto, kendo mipako nyaka chiengʼ! Amin. (aiōn g165)
They are descended from the Patriarchs; and, as far as his human nature was concerned, from them came the Christ — he who is supreme over all things, God for ever blessed. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 Mano ok onyiso ni wach Nyasaye orem mak ochopo chenrone, nikech nyikwa Israel duto ok gin jo-Israel adier.
Not that God’s Word has failed. For it is not all who are descended from Israel who are true Israelites;
7 To bende, nyikwa Ibrahim duto ok gin kothe madier. To en mana kaka Nyasaye nonyiso Ibrahim niya, “Kuom wuodi Isaka ema kothi duto nowuogie.”
nor, because they are Abraham’s descendants, are they all his Children; but — ‘It is Isaac’s children who will be called thy descendants.’
8 Ma nyiso ni nyithind ringruok ok ema nyithind Nyasaye, to mana nyithind singruok ema ikwano kaka koth Ibrahim.
This means that it is not the children born in the course of nature who are God’s Children, but it is the children born in fulfilment of the Promise who are to be regarded as Abraham’s descendants.
9 Nimar kama e kaka Nyasaye noketo singruok: “Ka kinde moketi ochopo, to anaduogi kendo Sara noyud wuowi.”
For these words are the words of a promise — ‘About this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.’
10 To ok mano kende; kwarwa Isaka nonywolo nyithindo ariyo gi Rebeka chiege.
Nor is that all. There is also the case of Rebecca, when she was about to bear children to our ancestor Isaac.
11 To kapok chiege nonywolo nyithindo marudego, kendo kapok negitimo gimoro maber kata marach, mondo chenro mar Nyasaye ochop kare
For in order that the purpose of God, working through selection, might not fail — a selection depending, not on obedience, but on his Call — Rebecca was told, before her children were born and before they had done anything either right or wrong,
12 to ok kuom tim, to kuom Nyasaye mayiero joge mane onyise niya, “Wuowi maduongʼ noti ne wuowi matin.”
that ‘the elder would be a servant to the younger.’
13 Mana kaka ondiki niya, “Jakobo ahero, to Esau nasin-go.”
The words of Scripture are — ‘I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.’
14 Koro wanyalo wacho angʼo? Wanyalo wacho ni Nyasaye ok jangʼad bura makare koso? Ok nyal bet kamano ngangʼ!
What are we to say, then? Is God guilty of injustice? Heaven forbid!
15 Nimar owacho ne Musa niya, “Anakech ngʼama adwaro kecho, kendo anangʼwon-ne ngʼama adwaro ngʼwonone.”
For his words to Moses are — ‘I will take pity on whom I take pity, and be merciful to whom I am merciful.’
16 Omiyo ok otenore kuom dwaro kata tich mar ngʼato, to en kuom kech mar Nyasaye.
So, then, all depends, not on human wishes or human efforts, but on God’s mercy.
17 Nimar Ndiko wacho ne Farao niya, “Natingʼi malo mana ne wachni, ni mondo anyis tekona kuomi kendo mondo nyinga olandi e piny duto.”
In Scripture, again, it is said to Pharaoh — ‘It was for this very purpose that I raised thee to the throne, to show my power by my dealings with thee, and to make my name known throughout the world.’
18 Kuom mano, wayudo ni ka Nyasaye dwaro kecho ngʼato to okeche, kendo ka odwaro miyo chuny ngʼato doko matek to otimo kamano.
So, then, where God wills, he takes pity, and where he wills, he hardens the heart.
19 To ngʼato kuomu nyalo nyisa niya, “Ka kamano to Nyasaye pod kwanowa kaka joketho nangʼo? Koso en ngʼa ma ditam dwarone timore?”
Perhaps you will say to me — ‘How can any one still be blamed? For who withstands his purpose?’
20 To in, in ngʼa yaye dhano, ma diduokri gi Nyasaye? “Gima ochwe bende nyalo wachone ngʼat mochweye ni, ‘Angʼo momiyo ne ichweya machal kama?’”
I might rather ask ‘Who are you who are arguing with God?’ Does a thing which a man has moulded say to him who has moulded it ‘Why did you make me like this?’
21 Donge jachwe agulu nigi ratiro mar tiyo gi lop chwecho kaka ohero; kochweyo kode agulni moko ni tich mogen, to moko ni tich aticha mapile?
Has not the potter absolute power over his clay, so that out of the same lump he makes one thing for better, and another for common, use?
22 To ere rachne ka Nyasaye noyiere mar nyiso mirimbe, kendo mar nyiso ji tekone, to osetimo kinda kohore mos amingʼa mak otoyo mirimbe kuom joma owinjore okum, ma gin joma noyik ne tho?
And what if God, intending to reveal his displeasure and make his power known, bore most patiently with the objects of his displeasure, though they were fit only to be destroyed,
23 Donge dibed ni notimo kamano mondo omi mwandu mar duongʼne ongʼe gi jogo modwaro kecho mane osechano chon ne duongʼ,
so as to make known his surpassing glory in dealing with the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared beforehand for glory,
24 ma oriwo wan bende, wan moseluongowa, ok kuom jo-Yahudi kende, to kuom joma ok jo-Yahudi bende?
and whom he called — even us — Not only from among the Jews but from among the Gentiles also!
25 Mana kaka owacho e Hosea niya: “Joma ne ok joga, abiro luongo ni jaherana kendo jal mane ok oher abiro luongo ni moher,”
This, indeed, is what he says in the Book of Hosea — ‘I will call those my People who were not my People, and her my beloved who was not beloved.
26 kendo niya, “Kama ne owachnegi ni, ‘Ok un joga,’ kanyo ema ibiro luongogi ni ‘yawuot Nyasaye mangima.’”
And in the very place where it was said to them — “Ye are not my People”, they shall be called Sons of the Living God.’
27 Isaya bende nowuoyo kuom jo-Israel kawacho niya, “Kata bed ni nyithind Israel ngʼeny ka kwoyo manie dho nam, to ji manok kuomu kende ema noresi.
And Isaiah cries aloud over Israel — ‘Though the Sons of Israel are like the sand of the sea in number, only a remnant of them shall escape!
28 Nimar Jehova Nyasaye biro ngʼado bura ni piny ngima mapiyo piyo kendo dichiel.”
For the Lord will execute his sentence upon the world, fully and without delay.’
29 En mana kaka Isaya nowacho motelo ni, “Ka dine Jehova Nyasaye Maratego ok oweyonwa nyikwayo, to dine wachalo gi jo-Sodom, adier, dikoro ne wachalo kaka jo-Gomora.”
It is as Isaiah foretold — ‘Had not the Lord of Hosts spared some few of our race to us, we should have become like Sodom and been made to resemble Gomorrah.’
30 Koro wanyalo wacho angʼo? Bende wanyalo wacho ni joma ok jo-Yahudi mane ok otemo matek mondo oyud ngima ema koro oseyudo ngima makare nogo miyudo kuom yie;
What are we to say, then? Why, that Gentiles, who were not in search of righteousness, secured it — a righteousness which was the result of faith;
31 to Israel mane otemo matek mondo oyud ngima makare motenore kuom Chik to pok oyude.
while Israel, which was in search of a Law which would ensure righteousness, failed to discover one.
32 Kamano nangʼo? Nikech ne ok gidware kuom yie, to ne gidware ka giparo ni iyude kuom tim. Negichwanyore e kidi mar chwanyruok.
And why? Because they looked to obedience, and not to faith, to secure it. They stumbled over ‘the Stumbling-block.’
33 Mana kaka ondiki niya, “Ne, aketo kidi machwanyo ji e Sayun kendo lwanda mamiyo gipodho, kendo ngʼat moyie kuome ok none wichkuot.”
As Scripture says — ‘See, I place a Stumbling-block in Zion — a Rock which shall prove a hindrance; and he who believes in him shall have no cause for shame.’
