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 telling you the truth as a Christian man--it is no falsehood, for my conscience enlightened, as it is, by the Holy Spirit adds its testimony to mine--
2 An gi kuyo maduongʼ kod lit ma ok rum e chunya.
when I declare that I have deep grief and unceasing anguish of heart.
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.
For I could pray to be accursed from Christ on behalf of my brethren, my human kinsfolk--for such the Israelites are.
4 Gin ema noketgi yawuot Nyasaye; gin ema nomigi duongʼ mar Nyasaye gi muma, gi chik, gi lemo, kod singruok.
To them belongs recognition as God's sons, and they have His glorious Presence and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the Temple service, and the ancient 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)
To them the Patriarchs belong, and from them in respect of His human lineage came the Christ, who is exalted above all, God blessed throughout the Ages. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 Mano ok onyiso ni wach Nyasaye orem mak ochopo chenrone, nikech nyikwa Israel duto ok gin jo-Israel adier.
Not however that God's word has failed; for all who have sprung from Israel do not count as Israel,
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 true children. But the promise was "Through Isaac shall your posterity be reckoned."
8 Ma nyiso ni nyithind ringruok ok ema nyithind Nyasaye, to mana nyithind singruok ema ikwano kaka koth Ibrahim.
In other words, it is not the children by natural descent who count as God's children, but the children made such by the promise are regarded as Abraham's posterity.
9 Nimar kama e kaka Nyasaye noketo singruok: “Ka kinde moketi ochopo, to anaduogi kendo Sara noyud wuowi.”
For the words are the language of promise and run thus, "About this time next year 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: later on there was Rebecca too. She was soon to bear two children to her husband, our forefather Isaac--
11 To kapok chiege nonywolo nyithindo marudego, kendo kapok negitimo gimoro maber kata marach, mondo chenro mar Nyasaye ochop kare
and even then, though they were not then born and had not done anything either good or evil, yet in order that God's electing purpose might not be frustrated, based, as it was, not on their actions but on the will of Him who called them, she was told,
12 to ok kuom tim, to kuom Nyasaye mayiero joge mane onyise niya, “Wuowi maduongʼ noti ne wuowi matin.”
"The elder of them will be bondservant to the younger."
13 Mana kaka ondiki niya, “Jakobo ahero, to Esau nasin-go.”
This agrees with the other Scripture which says, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
14 Koro wanyalo wacho angʼo? Wanyalo wacho ni Nyasaye ok jangʼad bura makare koso? Ok nyal bet kamano ngangʼ!
What then are we to infer? That there is injustice in God?
15 Nimar owacho ne Musa niya, “Anakech ngʼama adwaro kecho, kendo anangʼwon-ne ngʼama adwaro ngʼwonone.”
No, indeed; the solution is found in His words to Moses, "Wherever I show mercy it shall be nothing but mercy, and wherever I show compassion it shall be simply compassion."
16 Omiyo ok otenore kuom dwaro kata tich mar ngʼato, to en kuom kech mar Nyasaye.
And from this we learn that everything is dependent not on man's will or endeavour, but upon God who has mercy. For the Scripture said to Pharaoh,
17 Nimar Ndiko wacho ne Farao niya, “Natingʼi malo mana ne wachni, ni mondo anyis tekona kuomi kendo mondo nyinga olandi e piny duto.”
"It is for this very purpose that I have lifted you so high--that I may make manifest in you My power, and that My name may be proclaimed far and wide in all the earth."
18 Kuom mano, wayudo ni ka Nyasaye dwaro kecho ngʼato to okeche, kendo ka odwaro miyo chuny ngʼato doko matek to otimo kamano.
This is a proof that wherever He chooses He shows mercy, and wherever he chooses 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?”
"Why then does God still find fault?" you will ask; "for who is resisting His will?"
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?’”
Nay, but who are you, a mere man, that you should cavil against GOD? Shall the thing moulded say to him who moulded it, "Why have you made me thus?"
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?
Or has not the potter rightful power over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for more honourable and another for less honourable uses?
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, while choosing to make manifest the terrors of His anger and to show what is possible with Him, has yet borne with long-forbearing patience with the subjects of His anger who stand ready for destruction,
23 Donge dibed ni notimo kamano mondo omi mwandu mar duongʼne ongʼe gi jogo modwaro kecho mane osechano chon ne duongʼ,
in order to make known His infinite goodness towards the subjects of His mercy whom He has prepared beforehand for glory,
24 ma oriwo wan bende, wan moseluongowa, ok kuom jo-Yahudi kende, to kuom joma ok jo-Yahudi bende?
even towards us whom He has called not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles?
25 Mana kaka owacho e Hosea niya: “Joma ne ok joga, abiro luongo ni jaherana kendo jal mane ok oher abiro luongo ni moher,”
So also in Hosea He says, "I will call that nation My People which was not My People, and I will call her 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 place where it was said to them, 'No people of Mine are you,' there shall they be called sons of the everliving 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 concerning Israel, "Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sands of the sea, only a remnant of them shall be saved;
28 Nimar Jehova Nyasaye biro ngʼado bura ni piny ngima mapiyo piyo kendo dichiel.”
for the Lord will hold a reckoning upon the earth, making it efficacious and brief."
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.”
Even as Isaiah says in an earlier place, "Were it not that the Lord, the God of Hosts, had left us some few descendants, we should have become like Sodom, and have come 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;
To what conclusion does this bring us? Why, that the Gentiles, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have overtaken it--a righteousness, however, which arises from faith;
31 to Israel mane otemo matek mondo oyud ngima makare motenore kuom Chik to pok oyude.
while the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a Law that could give righteousness, have not arrived at 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 were pursuing a righteousness which should arise not from faith, but from what they regarded as merit. They stuck their foot against the stone which lay in their way;
33 Mana kaka ondiki niya, “Ne, aketo kidi machwanyo ji e Sayun kendo lwanda mamiyo gipodho, kendo ngʼat moyie kuome ok none wichkuot.”
in agreement with the statement of Scripture, "See, I am placing on Mount Zion a stone for people to stumble at, and a rock for them to trip over, and yet he whose faith rests upon it shall never have reason to feel ashamed."
