Romans 11
1 I ask then, has God rejected his people? Absolutely not. For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
Basi, nauliza: je, Mungu amewakataa watu wake? Hata kidogo! Mini binafsi ni Mwisraeli mzawa wa Abrahamu, wa kabila la Benyamini.
2 God did not reject his people, which he foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel:
Mungu hakuwakataa watu wake aliowateua tangu mwanzo. Mnakumbuka yasemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu juu ya Eliya wakati alipomnung'unikia Mungu kuhusu Israeli:
3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have broken down your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life."
“Bwana, wamewaua manabii wako na kubomoa madhabahu yako. Ni mimi tu peke yangu niliyebaki, nao wanataka kuniua?”
4 But how does God answer him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand people, who have not bowed the knee to Baal."
Je, Mungu alimjibu nini? Alimwambia: “Nimejiwekea elfu saba ambao hawakumwabudu Baali.”
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Basi, ndivyo ilivyo pia wakati huu wa sasa: ipo idadi ya waliobaki ambao Mungu aliwateua kwa sababu ya neema yake.
6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace.
Uteuzi wake unatokana na neema yake, na si kwa sababu ya matendo yao. Maana, kama uteuzi wake ungetegemea matendo ya watu, neema yake haingekuwa neema tena.
7 What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he did not obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened.
Sasa, je? Watu wa Israeli hawakukipata kile walichokuwa wanakitafuta; lakini wote walioteuliwa walikipata. Wengine walipumbazwa,
8 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.
kama yasemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu: “Mungu ameifanya mioyo yao kuwa mizito, na mpaka leo hii hawawezi kuona kwa macho yao wala kusikia kwa masikio yao.”
9 David says, "Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a retribution to them.
Naye Daudi anasema: “Karamu zao na ziwe mtego wa kuwanasa, waanguke na kuadhibiwa.
10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can't see, and their backs be bent continually."
Macho yao yatiwe giza wasiweze kuona. Migongo yao ipindike kwa taabu daima!”
11 I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? Absolutely not. But by their fall salvation has come to the non-Jews, to provoke them to jealousy.
Basi, nauliza: je, Wayahudi wamejikwaa hata wakaangamia kabisa? Hata kidogo! Kutokana na kosa lao ukombozi umewajia watu wa mataifa mengine, ili Wayahudi wapate kuwaonea wivu.
12 Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the non-Jews; how much more their fullness?
Kosa la Wayahudi limesababisha baraka nyingi kwa ulimwengu, na utovu wao kwa kiroho umeleta baraka nyingi kwa watu wa mataifa mengine. Basi, ni dhahiri zaidi kwamba utimilifu wao utasababisha baraka nyingi zaidi.
13 For I speak to you who are the non-Jews. Since then as I am an apostle to the non-Jews, I glorify my ministry;
Basi, sasa nawaambieni ninyi watu wa mataifa mengine: Maadamu mimi nimekuwa mtume kwa watu wa mataifa mengine, ninajivunia huduma yangu,
14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them.
nipate kuwafanya wananchi wenzangu wawaonee ninyi wivu, na hivyo nipate kuwaokoa baadhi yao.
15 For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead?
Maana ikiwa kukataliwa kwao kulisababisha ulimwengu upatanishwe na Mungu, itakuwaje wakati watakapokubaliwa na Mungu? Wafu watafufuka!
16 If the first part is holy, so is the whole batch. If the root is holy, so are the branches.
Ikiwa kipande cha kwanza cha mkate kimewekwa wakfu, mkate wote umewekwa wakfu; mizizi ya mti ikiwa mizuri, na matawi yake huwa mazuri pia.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree;
Naam, baadhi ya matawi ya mzeituni bustanini yalikatwa, na mahali pake tawi la mzeituni mwitu likapandikizwa. Ninyi watu wa mataifa mengine ndio hilo tawi la mzeituni mwitu; na sasa mnashiriki nguvu na utomvu wa mzeituni bustanini.
18 do not boast over the branches. But if you boast, it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you.
Basi, msiwadharau wale waliokatwa kama matawi! Na, hata kama kuna la kujivunia, kumbukeni kwamba si ninyi mnaoitegemeza mizizi, bali mizizi ndiyo inayowategemeza ninyi.
19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in."
Lakini utasema: “Matawi yalikatwa kusudi mimi nipandikizwe mahali pake.”
20 True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;
Sawa! Yalikatwa kwa sababu ya kukosa imani, bali wewe unasimama kwa imani yako. Lakini usijivune; ila uwe na tahadhari.
21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
Kwa maana, ikiwa Mungu hakuwahurumia Wayahudi ambao ni kama matawi ya asili, je, unadhani atakuhurumia wewe?
22 See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
Kumbuka, basi, jinsi Mungu alivyo mwema na mkali. Yeye ni mkali kwa wale walioanguka, na ni mwema kwako wewe ikiwa utaendelea katika wema wake; la sivyo, nawe pia utakatwa.
23 They also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
Nao Wayahudi, hali kadhalika; wakiacha utovu wao wa imani, watapandikizwa tena. Maana Mungu anao uwezo wa kuwapandikiza tena.
24 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?
Ninyi watu wa mataifa mengine, kwa asili ni kama tawi la mzeituni mwitu, lakini mmeondolewa huko, mkapandikizwa katika mzeituni bustanini mahali ambapo kwa asili si penu. Lakini, Wayahudi kwa asili ni kama mzeituni bustanini, na itakuwa jambo rahisi zaidi kwao kupandikizwa tena katika mti huohuo wao.
25 For I do not 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 non-Jews has come in,
Ndugu zangu, napenda mjue ukweli huu uliofichika msije mkajiona wenye akili sana. Ukaidi wa Wayahudi ulikuwa ni wa muda tu, mpaka watu wa mataifa mengine watakapokuwa wamemfikia Mungu.
26 and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, "There will come out of Zion the Deliverer; he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
Hapo ndipo taifa lote la Israeli litakapookolewa, kama yesemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu: “Mkombozi atakuja kutoka Sioni, atauondoa uovu wa Yakobo.
27 This is my covenant to them, when I will take away their sins."
Hili ndilo agano nitakalofanya nao wakati nitakapoziondoa dhambi zao.”
28 Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are loved for the fathers' sake.
Kwa sababu wanaikataa Habari Njema, Wayahudi wamekuwa adui wa Mungu, lakini kwa faida yenu nyinyi watu wa mataifa. Lakini, kwa kuwa waliteuliwa, bado ni rafiki wa Mungu kwa sababu ya baba zao.
29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Maana Mungu akisha wapa watu zawadi zake na kuwateua, hajuti kwamba amefanya hivyo.
30 For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,
Hapo awali ninyi mlikuwa mmemwasi Mungu, lakini sasa mmepata huruma yake kutokana na kuasi kwao.
31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may now also obtain mercy.
Hali kadhalika, kutokana na huruma mliyojaliwa ninyi, Wayahudi wanamwasi Mungu sasa ili nao pia wapokee sasa huruma ya Mungu.
Maana Mungu amewafunga watu wote katika uasi wao ili wapate kuwahurumia wote. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out.
Utajiri, hekima na elimu ya Mungu ni kuu mno! Huruma zake hazichunguziki, na njia zake hazieleweki! Kama yasemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu:
34 For "Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?"
“Nani aliyepata kuyajua mawazo ya Bwana? Nani awezaye kuwa mshauri wake?
35 "Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?"
Au, nani aliyempa yeye kitu kwanza hata aweze kulipwa tena kitu hicho?”
