< Romans 9 >
1 I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit,
Ngikhuluma iqiniso ngikuKhristu, kangiqambi manga, isazela sami siyakufakaza lokhu ngoMoya oNgcwele,
2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
Ngilosizi olukhulu lobuhlungu obungapheliyo enhliziyweni yami.
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers' sake, my physical relatives according to the flesh,
Ngoba ngangifisa ukuba ngabe mina uqobo ngiyaqalekiswa ngisuswe kuKhristu ngenxa yabazalwane bami, labo abohlanga lwami ngokwenyama,
4 who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service, and the promises;
abantu bako-Israyeli. Okwabo yikwamukelwa njengamadodana, ngeyabo inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu, lesivumelwano, lokwamukela umthetho, lenkonzo yasethempelini kanye lezithembiso.
5 of whom are the patriarchs, and from whom is the Christ, as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen. (aiōn )
Okhokho ngababo, njalo lusukela kubo usendo lwenyama lukaKhristu, onguNkulunkulu ophezu kwakho konke, odunyiswa kokuphela! Ameni. (aiōn )
6 But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel.
Akunjengokuthi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lehluleka. Ngoba akusibo bonke abayinzalo ka-Israyeli abangama-Israyeli.
7 Neither, because they are Abraham's descendants, are they all children. But, "In Isaac will your descendants be called."
Njalo ngoba yinzalo yakhe akusibo bonke abangabantwana baka-Abhrahama. Kodwa-ke, “Isizukulwane sakho sizabalwa ngo-Isaka.”
8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants.
Ngamanye amazwi, akusibantwana benyama abangabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, kodwa ngabantwana besithembiso ababalwa njengenzalo ka-Abhrahama.
9 For this is what the promise said, "At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son."
Ngoba isithembiso satshiwo kanje: “Ngesikhathi esimisiweyo ngizaphenduka, njalo uSara uzakuba lendodana.”
10 And not only that, but Rebekah also had conceived by one, our father Isaac.
Akusilokho kuphela, kodwa abantwana bakaRabheka bazalwa sikhathi sinye ngubaba wethu u-Isaka.
11 For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls,
Kodwa amaphahla engakazalwa loba ukwenza ulutho oluhle kumbe olubi, ukuba inhloso kaNkulunkulu yokukhetha iqhubeke;
12 it was said to her, "The elder will serve the younger."
hatshi ngemisebenzi kodwa ngaye obizayo, watshelwa ukuthi, “Omdala uzakhonza omncinyane.”
13 Even as it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
Njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi, “UJakhobe ngamthanda, kodwa u-Esawu ngamzonda.”
14 What should we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Absolutely not.
Pho sizakuthini na? UNkulunkulu kalunganga na? Akunjalo!
15 For he said to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
Ngoba uthi kuMosi: “Ngizakuba lesihawu kulowo engilesihawu kuye, njalo ngizakuba lozwelo kulowo engilozwelo kuye.”
16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.
Ngakho-ke, akuyi ngesifiso somuntu loba umzamo wakhe, kodwa ngesihawu sikaNkulunkulu.
17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."
Ngoba umbhalo uthi kuFaro, “Ngakuphakamisela injongo yonale kanye, ukuze ngibonakalise amandla ami kuwe lokuthi ibizo lami litshunyayelwe emhlabeni wonke.”
18 So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.
Ngakho uNkulunkulu ulesihawu kulowo athanda ukuba lesihawu kuye, njalo umenza abe lukhuni lowo athanda ukumenza abe lukhuni.
19 You will say then to me, "Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?"
Omunye wenu uzakuthi kimi: “Pho kungani uNkulunkulu esisola? Ngoba ngubani ongamelana lentando yakhe na?”
20 But who indeed are you, a human being, to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?"
Kodwa ungubani wena, ungumuntu, ukuba uphendule uNkulunkulu na? Kambe okubunjiweyo kungatsho yini kulowo owakubumbayo kuthi, “Kungani wangenza ngabanje na?”
21 Or hasn't the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?
Umbumbi kalalo yini ilungelo lokuba ngengxenye yebumba efanayo enze okunye okubunjiweyo okomsebenzi omuhle lokomsebenzi ojayelekileyo na?
22 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath made for destruction,
Kwakungaba njani-ke nxa uNkulunkulu wakhetha ukutshengisa ukubekezela okukhulu ezidalweni zentukuthelo yakhe ezazimiselwe ukubhujiswa etshengisa ulaka lwakhe lokwenza amandla akhe aziwe.
23 and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory,
Kube kunjani nxa wenza lokhu ukuze enze ubuhle benkazimulo yakhe bazakale ezintweni zesihawu sakhe, azilungisela inkazimulo ngaphambilini,
24 us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the non-Jews?
kanye lathi asibizayo, hatshi kumaJuda kuphela, kodwa lakwabeZizweni?
25 As he says also in Hosea, "I will call them which were not my people 'my people,' and her who was not loved, 'loved.'"
Njengoba esitsho kuHosiya ukuthi: “Ngizababiza ngokuthi ‘ngabantu bami,’ labo Abangasibantu bami; njalo ngizambiza ‘sithandwa sami,’ lowo ongasiso isithandwa sami,”
26 "It will be that in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' There they will be called 'children of the living God.'"
njalo, “Kuzakwenzakala ukuba kuyo kanye indawo lapho okwathiwa kubo, ‘Kalisibo bantu bami,’ bazabizwa ngokuthi ‘ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu ophilayo.’”
27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, "Though the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be kept safe.
U-Isaya uyamemezela ngo-Israyeli esithi: “Lanxa inani labako-Israyeli linjengetshebetshebe ngasolwandle, kuzasindiswa insalela kuphela.
28 For he will fulfill the word and decisively in righteousness; because the Lord will carry out the word decisively in the midst of the earth."
Ngoba iNkosi izasifeza isigwebo sayo emhlabeni ngesiqubu langokuphelelisa.”
29 As Isaiah has said before, "Unless the Lord of hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah."
Kunjengoba u-Isaya watsho mandulo ukuthi: “Aluba iNkosi uSomandla wayengasitshiyelanga inzalo, sasizakuba njengeSodoma, sasizafana leGomora.”
30 What should we say then? That the non-Jews, who did not follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;
Pho sizakuthini na? Sithi abeZizweni abangakudinganga ukulunga, sebekutholile, ukulunga okungokukholwa;
31 but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
kodwa u-Israyeli owalandela umthetho wokulunga, kakutholanga.
32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone;
Kungani na? Ngoba kabawulandelanga ngokukholwa, kodwa kwakungemisebenzi. Bakhubeka elitsheni elikhubayo.
33 even as it is written, "Look, I am laying in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock to trip over; and the one who believes in him will not be put to shame."
Njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Khangelani, ngibeka eZiyoni ilitshe elikhubekisa abantu ledwala elibenza bawe, njalo lowo okholwa kuye kazukuyangiswa.”