Romans 11
1 I say then: Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
Lapho-ke ngiyabuza ngithi: Kanti uNkulunkulu wabalahla yini abantu bakhe? Hatshi akunjalo! Mina uqobo ngingumʼIsrayeli inzalo ka-Abhrahama, owesizwana sikaBhenjamini.
2 God hath not cast away his people, which he foreknew. Know you not what the scripture saith of Elias; how he calleth on God against Israel?
UNkulunkulu kabalahlanga abantu bakhe abazi kuqala. Kalikwazi yini ukuthi uMbhalo uthini esahlukwaneni ngo-Elija, ukuthi wakhalaza njani kuNkulunkulu esola u-Israyeli esithi:
3 Lord, they have slain thy prophets, they have dug down thy altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
“Nkosi, bababulele abaphrofethi bakho, badiliza lama-alithare akho; yimi ngedwa engiseleyo, njalo bafuna ukungibulala?”
4 But what saith the divine answer to him? I have left me seven thousand men, that have not bowed their knees to Baal.
Impendulo kaNkulunkulu kuye yathini na? Yathi, “Ngizigodlele mina ngokwami abazinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa abangamkhothamelanga uBhali.”
5 Even so then at this present time also, there is a remnant saved according to the election of grace.
Ngakho futhi, ngalesisikhathi kulensalela ezakhethwa ngomusa.
6 And if by grace, it is not now by works: otherwise grace is no more grace.
Njalo nxa kungomusa, ngakho akuseyikho ngemisebenzi; nxa kwakunjalo, umusa wawungeke ube usaba ngumusa.
7 What then? That which Israel sought, he hath not obtained: but the election hath obtained it; and the rest have been blinded.
Pho-ke? Lokho u-Israyeli akufuna ngokuzimisela kakuzuzanga, kodwa abakhethiweyo bakuthola. Abanye baba lukhuni,
8 As it is written: God hath given them the spirit of insensibility; eyes that they should not see; and ears that they should not hear, until this present day.
njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “UNkulunkulu wabanika umoya wokozela, lamehlo ukuze bangaboni, lendlebe ukuze bangezwa, kuze kube lamhla.”
9 And David saith: Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a recompense unto them.
Njalo uDavida uthi: “Sengathi itafula yabo ingaba ngumjibila lesifu, isikhubekiso kanye lesijeziso kubo.
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see: and bow down their back always.
Sengathi amehlo abo angafiphala ukuze bangaboni, lamaqolo abo akhokhobe kokuphela.”
11 I say then, have they so stumbled, that they should fall? God forbid. But by their offence, salvation is come to the Gentiles, that they may be emulous of them.
Ngiyabuza njalo ngithi: Kambe bangabe bakhubeka bawa okungangokuthi kakuselakuphepha na? Akunjalo! Kodwa ngenxa yesiphambeko sabo, ukusindiswa sekufikile kwabeZizwe ukuba kwenze u-Israyeli abe lomona.
12 Now if the offence of them be the riches of the world, and the diminution of them, the riches of the Gentiles; how much more the fulness of them?
Kodwa nxa isiphambeko sabo sisitsho inotho emhlabeni, lencithakalo yabo isitsho inotho kwabeZizwe, inkulu kangakanani inotho elethwa yikuphelela kwabo!
13 For I say to you, Gentiles: as long indeed as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I will honour my ministry,
Ngikhuluma lani lina abeZizwe. Njengoba ngingumpostoli wabezizwe, ngikhulisa inkonzo yami
14 If, by any means, I may provoke to emulation them who are my flesh, and may save some of them.
ngethemba lokuthi mhlawumbe ngingavusa umona ebantwini bakithi ngisilise abanye babo.
15 For if the loss of them be the reconciliation of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
Ngoba nxa ukulahlwa kwabo kuyikubuyisana komhlaba, ukwamukelwa kwabo kuzakuba yini na ngaphandle kokuphila okuvela kwabafileyo?
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, so is the lump also: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
Nxa ingxenye yenhlama enikelwe njengezithelo zakuqala ingcwele, injalo yonke enye; nxa impande zingcwele, zinjalo lezingatsha.
17 And if some of the branches be broken, and thou, being a wild olive, art ingrafted in them, and art made partaker of the root, and of the fatness of the olive tree,
Nxa ezinye ingatsha zephulwe, njalo wena, lanxa ulihlumela lomʼoliva weganga, usuxhunyelelwe phakathi kwezinye njalo usuhlanganyela emhluzini okhulisayo ovela empandeni zomʼoliva,
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
ungazincomi ngalezongatsha. Nxa ukwenza, cabanga ngalokhu: Impande kakusuwe oyithwalayo, kodwa impande yiyo ekuthweleyo.
19 Thou wilt say then: The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
Lapho-ke lina lizakuthi, “Ingatsha zephulwa ukuze mina ngixhunyelelwe.”
20 Well: because of unbelief they were broken off. But thou standest by faith: be not highminded, but fear.
Yebo. Kodwa zephulwa ngenxa yokungakholwa, kodwa lina limi ngokukholwa. Lingazikhukhumezi, kodwa yesabani.
21 For if God hath not spared the natural branches, fear lest perhaps he also spare not thee.
Ngoba nxa uNkulunkulu engaziyekelanga ingatsha zemvelo, lani kasoze aliyekele.
22 See then the goodness and the severity of God: towards them indeed that are fallen, the severity; but towards thee, the goodness of God, if thou abide in goodness, otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
Ngakho cabangani ngesisa njalo lobulukhuni bukaNkulunkulu: ubulukhuni kulabo abawayo, kodwa isisa kini, nxa liqhubeka esiseni sakhe. Kungenjalo, lani lizaqunywa.
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
Njalo nxa bengaphikeleli ngokungakholwa, bazaxhunyelelwa, ngoba uNkulunkulu uyenelisa ukubaxhumelela futhi.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the wild olive tree, which is natural to thee; and, contrary to nature, were grafted into the good olive tree; how much more shall they that are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
Phezu kwalokho, nxa laliqunywe esihlahleni somʼoliva weganga ngemvelo, kwathi ngokuphambene lemvelo laxhunyelelwa esihlahleni se-oliva esilinywayo, pho kuzakuba lula kakhulu okunjani kulezi, ingatsha zemvelo, ukuba zixhunyelelwe esihlahleni sazo se-oliva.
25 For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this mystery, (lest you should be wise in your own conceits), that blindness in part has happened in Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles should come in.
Bazalwane, kangifuni ukuthi lingaze lazi ngale imfihlakalo, ukuze lingazikhukhumezi: U-Israyeli useyibonile ingxenye yokuba lukhuni inani elipheleleyo labeZizwe lize lingene.
26 And so all Israel should be saved, as it is written: There shall come out of Sion, he that shall deliver, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
Ngokunjalo u-Israyeli wonke uzasindiswa, njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Umkhululi uzafika eZiyoni: uzasusa kuJakhobe ukungakholwa.
27 And this is to them my covenant: when I shall take away their sins.
Lesi yisivumelwano sami labo lapho ngizisusa izono zabo.”
28 As concerning the gospel, indeed, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are most dear for the sake of the fathers.
Mayelana levangeli, bayizitha ngenxa yenu; kodwa mayelana lokukhetha, bayathandwa ngenxa yabokhokho,
29 For the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance.
ngoba izipho zikaNkulunkulu lokubiza kwakhe akuguquleki.
30 For as you also in times past did not believe God, but now have obtained mercy, through their unbelief;
Njengoba lina elake ladelela uNkulunkulu khathesi selamukele umusa ngenxa yokudelela kwabo,
31 So these also now have not believed, for your mercy, that they also may obtain mercy.
ngokunjalo labo, ngenxa yomusa kaNkulunkulu kini, kabasalaleli ukuze labo khathesi bamukele umusa.
Ngoba uNkulunkulu ubophele abantu bonke ekudeleleni ukuze abe lomusa kubo bonke. (eleēsē g1653)
33 O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments, and how unsearchable his ways!
Yeka ukuzika kwenotho yenhlakanipho kanye lokwazi kukaNkulunkulu! Yeka ukwahlulela kwakhe okungeke kuhlolwe, kanye lezindlela zakhe ezingeke zilandelwe!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor?
“Ngubani owake wayazi ingqondo yeNkosi na? Loba owake waba ngumcebisi wayo na?”
35 Or who hath first given to him, and recompense shall be made him?
“Ngubani owake wanika uNkulunkulu ulutho ukuba uNkulunkulu aluhlawule na?”
