Romans 11
1 I say then, Has God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
Ngakho ngithi: UNkulunkulu ubalahlile yini abantu bakhe? Phinde! Ngoba lami ngingumIsrayeli, owenzalo kaAbrahama, wesizwe sikaBhenjamini.
2 God has not cast away his people which he foreknew. Know you not what the scripture says of Elijah? how he makes intercession to God against Israel saying,
UNkulunkulu kabalahlanga abantu bakhe abazi ngaphambili. Kumbe kalazi yini kuElija ukuthi umbhalo uthini? Ukuthi walabhela njani kuNkulunkulu emelene loIsrayeli, esithi:
3 Lord, they have killed your prophets, and dig down your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
Nkosi, babulele abaprofethi bakho, badilizile amalathi akho; mina-ke ngisele ngedwa, sebedinga umphefumulo wami.
4 But what says the answer of God to him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
Kodwa impendulo kaNkulunkulu yathini kuye? Yathi: Ngizitshiyele amadoda azinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa, angaguqanga ngedolo kuBhali.
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Kunjalo-ke kukhona langalesisikhathi insali ngokukhetha komusa.
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Kodwa uba kungomusa, kakusayi ngemisebenzi; uba kungenjalo umusa kawuseyiwo umusa. Kodwa aluba kusiya ngemisebenzi, kakuseyiwo umusa; uba kungenjalo umsebenzi kawusengumsebenzi.
7 What then? Israel has not obtained that which he seeks for; but the election has obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
Pho-ke? Lokhu uIsrayeli ayekudinga, lokho kakutholanga, kodwa abakhethiweyo bakuthola, labanye benziwa baba lukhuni;
8 (According as it is written, God has given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear; ) to this day.
njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: UNkulunkulu wabanika umoya wobuthongo obukhulu, amehlo ukuze bangaboni, lendlebe ukuze bangezwa, kuze kube lusuku lwalamuhla.
9 And David says, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a recompense to them:
LoDavida uthi: Itafula labo libe ngumjibila lesifu, lesikhubekiso, lempindiselo kubo;
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back always.
amehlo abo kafiphazwe ukuze bangaboni, njalo ugobise umhlana wabo njalonjalo.
11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come to the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Ngakho ngithi: Bakhubeka ukuze bawe yini? Phinde! Kodwa ngesiphambeko sabo usindiso lufikile kwabezizwe, ukubavusela umona.
12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness?
Kodwa uba isiphambeko sabo siyinotho yomhlaba, lokwehluleka kwabo kuyinotho yabezizwe, kakhulu kangakanani ukugcwala kwabo?
13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify my office:
Ngoba ngikhuluma lani bezizwe, njengalokho mina ngingumphostoli wabezizwe; ngikhulisa inkonzo yami;
14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
ukuthi mhlawumbe ngibavusele umona abenyama yami, ngisindise abanye babo.
15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
Ngoba uba ukulahlwa kwabo kuyikubuyiswa komhlaba, kungaba yini ukwemukelwa, ngaphandle kokuthi kuyimpilo kwabafileyo?
16 For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
Njalo uba izithelo zokuqala zingcwele, lenhlama injalo; uba-ke impande ingcwele, lengatsha zinjalo.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them partake of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Kodwa uba kwephulwe ezinye ingatsha, lawe ongumhlwathi weganga waxhunyelelwa phakathi kwazo, uhlanganyele lazo impande lamafutha omhlwathi,
18 Boast not against the branches. But if you boast, you bore not the root, but the root you.
ungazincomi phezu kwengatsha; kodwa uba uzincoma phezu kwazo, kayisuwe othwele impande, kodwa impande wena.
19 You will say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
Uzakuthi-ke: Ingatsha zephulwa, ukuze mina ngixhunyelwe.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Be not high minded, but fear:
Kulungile; zephulwa ngokungakholwa, wena-ke umi ngokholo. Ungazikhukhumezi, kodwa yesaba;
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not you.
ngoba uba uNkulunkulu engayekelanga ingatsha zemvelo, hlezi lawe kayikukuyekela.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness: otherwise you also shall be cut off.
Khangela-ke ububele lobukhali bukaNkulunkulu; ubukhali, kulabo abawayo; kodwa kuwe, ububele, uba uhlala ebubeleni; uba kungenjalo uzaqunywa lawe.
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
Lalabo futhi, uba bengahlali ekungakholweni, bazaxhunyelwa, ngoba uNkulunkulu ulamandla okubuya abaxhume.
24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
Ngoba uba wena waqunywa emhlwathini weganga ngemvelo, wasuxhunyelelwa ngokuphambene lemvelo emhlwathini ohlanyelweyo, kakhulu kangakanani labo, abazingatsha ngemvelo, bazaxhunyelelwa esihlahleni sakibo somhlwathi?
25 For I would not, brothers, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.
Ngoba ngithanda ukuthi lingabi ngabangaziyo, bazalwane, ngalimfihlo, hlezi lizitshaye abahlakaniphileyo, ukuthi ubulukhuni sebehlele uIsrayeli nganxanye, kuze kungene ukugcwala kwabezizwe;
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
ngokunjalo-ke uIsrayeli wonke uzasindiswa; njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: Kuzavela eSiyoni uMkhululi, asuse ukungabi loNkulunkulu kuJakobe;
27 For this is my covenant to them, when I shall take away their sins.
njalo yilesi isivumelwano sami kubo, lapho ngizasusa izono zabo.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father’s sakes.
Ngokwevangeli bayizitha ngenxa yenu; kodwa ngokukhetha bangabathandiweyo ngenxa yabobaba;
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
ngoba izipho zomusa lokubiza kukaNkulunkulu kakulakuphenduka.
30 For as you in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Ngoba njengalokhu lani kade lingamlaleli uNkulunkulu, kodwa khathesi selihawukelwe ngenxa yokungalaleli kwabo;
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
ngokunjalo lalabo khathesi kabalalelanga, ukuze ngesihawu senu bahawukelwe labo;
ngoba uNkulunkulu ubavalele bonke ekungalalelini, ukuze abe lesihawu kubo bonke. (eleēsē g1653)
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Yeka ukujula kwenotho, kokubili eyenhlakanipho leyolwazi lukaNkulunkulu! Kakuphenyeki kangakanani ukwahlulela kwakhe, lendlela zakhe kazilandeleki!
34 For who has known the mind of the Lord? or who has been his counselor?
Ngoba ngubani owazi ingqondo yeNkosi? Kumbe ngubani owaba ngumeluleki wayo?
35 Or who has first given to him, and it shall be recompensed to him again?
Kumbe ngubani owamnika kuqala, njalo kubuyiselwe kuye?
