Ba Loma 11
1 Ndamba kuti, ino Leza wakabakaka na bantu bakwe? Takukwe nichitabi boobo. Nkaambo ambe ndili munaIzilayeli, silunyungu lwaAbbulahamu, wamukowa waBenjamini.
I ask then, did God reject his people? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 Leza tewakaka bantu bakwe, mbakaziba kale. Tamuzi na malembe kuti atyeni aElija, mbakakombelezya Leza kubana Izilayeli?
God didn’t reject his people, whom he foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel:
3 “Mwami, bakajeya basinsimi bako, bakapwayila ansi zipayililo zyabo. Imebo andike ndime wakachaala, alubo balikuyandula bwangu bumi.”
“Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have broken down your altars. I am left alone, and they seek my life.”
4 Pesi Leza nsandulo yake ityeni kulinguwe? “Ndakalibambila musanu ababili zyulu zyabalumi batana kutyola zwi kuli Bbaala.”
But how does God answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
5 Nikuba obo lino, kuli chechino chiindi chasunu kuli bacheede akambo kakusalwa kwaluzyalo.
Even so too at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6 Pesi na nzyakuluzyalo, tazichili zyakumilimu. Ateni luzyalo taluchike kuyoba luzyalo. Amwi malembe alabalwa pesi na zyitwa amilimu, mpawo tazichili zyaluzyalo; akutali kuti mulimu tuchili mulimu.
And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
7 Niyi lino? Chintu bana Izilayeli nchibayandula, nchibakatajana, abayingi bakayumisigwa.
What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened.
8 Chili mbuli mbuchilembedwe: “Leza wakabapa Muuya wabufubafuba, meso kuchitila kuti bataboni, a matwi kuchitila kuti batamvwi, kusika muli obuno buzuba.”
According as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.”
9 Mpawo Davida wamba kuti, “Muleke tafula lyabo libe kanyandi akakole, lyakubaleba akubabeda chumyo kulimbabo.
David says, “Let their table be made a snare, a trap, a stumbling block, and a retribution to them.
10 Muleke menso abo asizigwe kuchitila kuti bataboni, akutyola misana yabo lyonse.”
Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Always keep their backs bent.”
11 Ndamba, “Bakalebwa na kusikila kukuwa?” Chitakabi obo. Pele, achibi chabo, lufutuko lwasika kuli baMasi, kuchitila kuti basungilizigwe kubuzuba.
I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.
12 Lino na chibi chabo mbuvubi bwakunyika, na kuswekelwa kwabo mbuvubi bwabaMasi, buyoba bupati kukuzuzikizya kwabo?
Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
13 Pesi lino ndilikwambula kulindinywe nibaMasi, kufumbwa kuti kandili apositoli kuli baMasi, ndilalutangalo mumulimu wangu.
For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry,
14 Ateni ndilakusungilizya kubuzuba kulibabo bayangu nyama. Ateni twali kunofutuka bamwi babo.
if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them.
15 Kuti kukaka kwabo kwamba kuyandana kwakunyika, kuyoba nzi kutambula kwabo pesi buumi kuzwa kubafwide?
For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead?
16 Kuti michelo mitanzi kayisalala, mbubede munsuma wachinkwa. Kuti muyanda kusalala, mbibede amitabi,
If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 Pesi na imwi mitabi yakakuzuka, na webo uli mutabi wamuOlifa wamusokwe, wakabikwa akati kabo, alubo na wakaabana ambabo mumuvubi bwamuyanda wamunsamu muOlifa,
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in amongst them and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree,
18 mutakalikankayizyi atala amitabi. Pesi na mwalikaknkayizya, teensi ndinywe munyampula mayanda, pesi muyanda ngumunyampula.
don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you.
19 Muyowamba kuti, “Mitabi yakatyoka kuchitila kuti ndibike mukati.”
You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.”
20 Eyo ninchonzyo nkaambo kakutasyoma kwabo bakakuzuka, pesi muliima nji nkaambo kalusyomo lwanu. Mutayeyi loko atala andinywe, pesi akuyowa.
True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear;
21 Kuti na Leza takabika kulubazu mitabi yabube, takukwe mbayomu mbayobika kulubazu anywebo.
for if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
22 Mulange, mpawo, zyiito zyabuya abuyumu bwaLeza: buyumu bwakasikila baJuda bakawa, pesi bubotu bwaLeza buza alindinywe na mwayendelela mubuya bwakwe. Atela anywebo muyogwisigwa.
See then the goodness and severity of God. Towards those who fell, severity; but towards you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
23 Alubo nikuba mbabo nikuba mbabo na tebendelela mukutasyoma kwabo, nkambo Leza ulakonzya kubabika alubo.
They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
24 Na mwakaligwisigilwe kuli zyabube bwamunsamu wamusokwe muOlifa, akukazyana abube bwakabikwa mumunsamu mubotu muOlifa, bayoba biyeni kuli eyi mitabi, bakabikwe lubo kumunyina muOlifa?
For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 Nkambo tandiyandi kuti mutabi batakwe luzibo, nibakwesu asinswa eyi, kuti mutakabi basongo mukuyeya kwanu. Kuyumya kumwi kwasikila Izilayeli kusikila mwelwe woonse wabamasi banjila.
For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,
26 Nkaako Izilayeli woonse uyokufutulwa, mbuli mbukulembedwe: “Kuzwa muZiyoni nkwayozwa munununi. Uyogwisya kubula Leza kuzwa kuli Jakobe,
and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
27 alimwi eechi chiyoba chizuminano ambabo, nintakagwisye zibi zyabo.”
This is my covenant with them, when I will take away their sins.”
28 Mbuli makani mabotu mbalangide, mbasinkondonyokwe kuchitila ndinywe. Pesi mbulilusalo mbolubede, baliyandidwe akaambo kaba similimu bakale.
Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake.
29 Nkaambo zipego akwiitwa kwaLeza tazisanduliki.
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
30 Mbuli mbumwakali bataswilili kuli Leza, lino mwatambula luse akambo kakutaswilila kwabo.
For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,
31 Munzila njiyonya eyo, lino aba baJuda bakaba bataswilili. Mpindu yakali yakuti aluse lutondezedwe kulindinywe bakatambula luse alubo.
even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy.
32 Nkaambo Leza wakazijalila zyoonse mukutaswilila kuchitila kuti atondezye luse kuli bonse. (eleēsē g1653)
For God has bound all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Aah, kunika kwakuvubi antomwe bwabusongo a luzibo lwaLeza! Taziyanduuliki biyeni mbeteko, anzila zyakwe zyiinda kubbutula!
Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past tracing out!
34 “Nguni wakaziba miyeeyyo yaMwami na nguni wakaba sikumuchenjezya?
“For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor?”
35 Na nguni wakatalika kupa chintu kuliLeza, kuti Leza amubwedezye?”
“Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?”
