< Romans 9 >
1 I am speaking the truth as one in union with Christ; it is no lie; and my conscience, enlightened by the Holy Spirit,
Niĩ ngwaria ũhoro-wa-ma ndĩ thĩinĩ wa Kristũ, ti maheeni ndĩraaria, o nayo thamiri yakwa nĩyo mũira wakwa thĩinĩ wa Roho Mũtheru,
2 bears me out when I say that there is a great weight of sorrow on me and that my heart is never free from pain.
atĩ ndĩ na kĩeha kĩnene na ruo rwa ngoro rũtarathira.
3 I could wish that I were myself accursed and severed from the Christ, for the sake of my people – my own flesh and blood.
Nĩgũkorwo ingĩendire niĩ mwene nyiitwo nĩ kĩrũmi na nyingatwo ndigithanio na Kristũ handũ-inĩ ha ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ acio a rũrĩrĩ rwitũ kĩũmbe,
4 For they are Israelites, and theirs are the adoption as children, the visible presence, the covenants, the revealed Law, the Temple worship, and the promises.
nĩo andũ a Isiraeli. O nĩo Ngai aatuire ciana ciake; na nĩo maikaraga na riiri wake, na no-o matuĩtwo andũ a kĩrĩkanĩro, na a kwamũkĩra watho, na a kũhooyaga hekarũ-inĩ, o na ningĩ nĩo merĩirwo ciĩranĩro.
5 They are descended from the patriarchs, and, as far as his human nature was concerned, from them came the Christ – he who is supreme over all things, God for ever blessed. Amen. (aiōn )
Ningĩ maithe maitũ marĩa ma tene maarĩ a kĩruka kĩu, nake Kristũ aarĩ wa rũciaro rwao ha ũhoro wa mwĩrĩ, o we Ngai ũrĩa wathaga maũndũ mothe, ũrĩa ũgoocagwo nginya tene! Ameni. (aiōn )
6 Not that God’s Word has failed. For it is not all who are descended from Israel who are true Israelites;
Ũguo ti kuuga atĩ kiugo kĩa Ngai nĩkĩagĩte kũhinga. Nĩgũkorwo ti andũ othe arĩa maciarĩirwo Isiraeli marĩ andũ a Ngai a ma.
7 nor, because they are Abraham’s descendants, are they all his children; but – “It is Isaac’s children who will be called your descendants.”
O na ningĩ ti othe ciana cia Iburahĩmu, o na gũtuĩka nĩ a rũciaro rwake. No rĩrĩ, eerirwo atĩrĩ, “Rũciaro rũrĩa rũgeetanio nawe rũkoima harĩ Isaaka.”
8 This means that it is not the children born in the course of nature who are God’s children, but it is the children born in fulfilment of the promise who are to be regarded as Abraham’s descendants.
Ũguo nĩ ta kuuga atĩrĩ, ti ciana iria iciarĩtwo na njĩra ya ndũire ingĩtuĩka ciana cia Ngai, no nĩ ciana cia kĩĩranĩro ituuagwo cia mbeũ ya Iburahĩmu.
9 For these words are the words of a promise – “About this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”
Nĩgũkorwo kĩĩranĩro kĩoigĩte atĩrĩ: “Ihinda rĩrĩa rĩamũre rĩakinya nĩngacooka, nake Sara nĩakagĩa kaana ga kahĩĩ.”
10 Nor is that all. There is also the case of Rebecca, when she was about to bear children to our ancestor Isaac.
Na to ũguo wiki, o nacio ciana cia Rebeka ciarĩ cia ithe o ũmwe, na nĩwe ithe witũ Isaaka.
11 For in order that the purpose of God, working through selection, might not fail – a selection depending, not on obedience, but on his call – Rebecca was told, before her children were born and before they had done anything either right or wrong,
No rĩrĩ, ciana icio cia mahatha itanaciarwo, o na itekĩte ũndũ o na ũrĩkũ mwega kana mũũru, nĩguo mũbango ũrĩa Ngai aathugundĩte wa gwĩthuurĩra andũ ũhinge:
12 that the elder would be a servant to the younger.
ti na ũndũ wa ciĩko iria mekĩte, no nĩ ũndũ wa wendi wa ũcio wĩtanaga, nĩerire Rebeka atĩrĩ, “Ũrĩa mũkũrũ nĩagatungatĩra ũrĩa mũnini.”
13 The words of scripture are – “I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.”
O ta ũrĩa kwandĩkĩtwo atĩrĩ: “Nĩndendire Jakubu, no ngĩrega Esaũ.”
14 What are we to say, then? Is God guilty of injustice? Heaven forbid!
Tũkiuge atĩa nĩ ũndũ wa ũhoro ũcio? Ngai no atuanĩre ũndũ ũtarĩ wa kĩhooto? Kũroaga gũtuĩka ũguo!
15 For his words to Moses are – “I will take pity on whom I take pity, and be merciful to whom I am merciful.”
Nĩgũkorwo erire Musa atĩrĩ, “Nĩndĩiguagĩra tha ũrĩa ndenda kũiguĩra tha, na ngacaĩra ũrĩa ndenda gũcaĩra.”
16 So, then, all depends, not on human wishes or human efforts, but on God’s mercy.
Tondũ ũcio-rĩ, ũndũ ũcio nduonekaga nĩ ũndũ wa wendi wa mũndũ, kana nĩ ũndũ wa kĩyo gĩake, no nĩ ũndũ wa tha cia Ngai.
17 In scripture, again, it is said to Pharaoh – “It was for this purpose that I raised you to the throne, to show my power by my dealings with you, and to make my name known throughout the world.”
Nĩgũkorwo Maandĩko-inĩ Firaũni erĩtwo atĩrĩ: “Ndagũtũũgĩririe nĩ ũndũ wa gĩtũmi gĩkĩ kĩũmbe, nĩguo nyonanie hinya wakwa thĩinĩ waku, na nĩguo rĩĩtwa rĩakwa rĩhunjio thĩ yothe.”
18 So, then, where God wills, he takes pity, and where he wills, he hardens the heart.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Ngai aiguagĩra tha mũndũ ũrĩa enda kũiguĩra tha, na akoomia ngoro ya ũrĩa enda kũũmia.
19 Perhaps you will say to me – “How can anyone still be blamed? For who withstands his purpose?”
Ũmwe wanyu ahota kũnjũũria atĩrĩ: “Ngai atũire atũtuagĩra mahĩtia nĩkĩ? Tondũ nũũ ũngĩkĩhota kũregana na ũrĩa Ngai ekwenda?”
20 I might rather ask “Who are you who are arguing with God?” Does a thing which a person has moulded say to the person who has moulded it “Why did you make me like this?”
No wee-rĩ, ũkĩrĩ ũ mũndũ ũyũ nĩguo ũcookanĩrie na Ngai? “Kĩndũ kĩrĩa kĩombirwo-rĩ, no kĩũrie ũcio wakĩũmbire, ‘Wanyũmbire ũũ nĩkĩ?’”
21 Has not the potter absolute power over their clay, so that out of the same lump they make one thing for better, and another for common, use?
Githĩ mũũmbi wa nyũngũ ndarĩ na kĩhooto gĩa kũhũthĩra rĩũmba o ũrĩa angĩenda; kĩenyũ kĩmwe kĩa rĩũmba rĩu athondeke indo imwe cia kũhũthĩrwo na njĩra ya gũtĩĩka na ingĩ nĩ ũndũ wa mahũthĩro ma ndũire?
22 And what if God, intending to reveal his displeasure and make his power known, bore most patiently with the objects of his displeasure, though they were fit only to be destroyed,
Ĩ kũngĩkorwo Ngai, tondũ nĩathuurĩte kuonania mangʼũrĩ make na kũmenyithania hinya wake, nĩakirĩrĩirie mũno arĩ na wetereri mũnene andũ arĩa mahaana to indo icio cia kũrakarĩrwo, o icio ciahaarĩirio kwanangwo?
23 so as to make known his surpassing glory in dealing with the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared beforehand for glory,
Ĩ kũngĩkorwo ekaga ũguo nĩgeetha atũme ũingĩ wa riiri wake ũmenyeke nĩ arĩa mahaana ta indo iria akaiguĩra tha, arĩa aahaarĩirie o mbere matuĩke a kũgaya riiri ũcio,
24 and whom he called – even us – not only from among the Jews but from among the Gentiles also!
na nĩo ithuĩ, ithuĩ arĩa eetire, na to arĩa moimĩte kũrĩ Ayahudi, no nĩ kuuma o na kũrĩ andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ?
25 This, indeed, is what he says in the book of Hosea – “Those who were not my people, I will call my people, and those who were unloved I will love.
O ta ũrĩa oigĩte Ibuku-inĩ rĩa Hosea, atĩrĩ: “Andũ arĩa matarĩ akwa nĩo ngeeta ‘andũ akwa’; nake mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio ũtarĩ mwende nĩwe ngeeta ‘mwendwa wakwa.’”
26 And in the place where it was said to them – ‘You are not my people’, they will be called sons of the living God.”
na ningĩ, “Nĩgũgatuĩka atĩ, o handũ harĩa meerĩirwo atĩrĩ, ‘Inyuĩ mũtirĩ andũ akwa,’ no ho mageetĩrwo ‘ariũ a Ngai ũrĩa ũrĩ muoyo’.”
27 And Isaiah cries aloud over Israel – “Though the sons of Israel are like the sand of the sea in number, only a remnant of them will escape!
Naguo ũhoro ũkoniĩ Isiraeli, Isaia nĩanĩrĩire, akiuga atĩrĩ: “O na gũtuĩka andũ a Isiraeli maigana ta mũthanga wa iria-inĩ-rĩ, no matigari mao makaahonoka.
28 For the Lord will execute his sentence on the world, fully and without delay.”
Nĩgũkorwo Mwathani nĩagatuĩra andũ a gũkũ thĩ ciira o narua, na aũkinyie mũthia.”
29 It is as Isaiah foretold – “Had not the Lord of Hosts spared some few of our people to us, we should have become like Sodom and been made to resemble Gomorrah.”
Na o ta ũrĩa Isaia oigĩte o mbere ũndũ ũcio ũtanakinya, atĩrĩ: “Tiga Mwathani Mwene-Hinya-Wothe aatũtigĩirie njiaro-rĩ, ithuĩ tũngĩatuĩkire ta Sodomu, na tũhaane o ta Gomora.”
30 What are we to say, then? Why, that Gentiles, who were not in search of righteousness, secured it – a righteousness which was the result of faith;
Tũkiuge atĩa ha ũhoro ũcio? Atĩ andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ, arĩa mataathingatire ũthingu, nĩmagĩire naguo, ũthingu ũrĩa ũgĩĩagwo naguo na ũndũ wa gwĩtĩkia;
31 while Israel, which was in search of a Law which would ensure righteousness, failed to discover one.
no atĩ andũ a Isiraeli, arĩa maathingatire watho wa ũthingu-rĩ, matiigana kũgĩa na watho ũcio.
32 And why? Because they looked to obedience, and not to faith, to secure it. They stumbled over the stumbling-block.
Maagire kũgĩa naguo nĩkĩ? Tondũ matiaũthiingatire na njĩra ya wĩtĩkio, no maũcaririe na njĩra ya gwĩka maũndũ. O nao nĩmahĩngirwo nĩ “ihiga rĩrĩa rĩhĩnganaga”.
33 As scripture says – “See, I place a stumbling-block in Zion – a rock which will prove a hindrance; and he who believes in him will have no cause for shame.”
O ta ũrĩa kwandĩkĩtwo: “Atĩrĩrĩ, kũu Zayuni nĩnjigĩte ihiga rĩrĩa rĩtũmaga andũ mahĩngwo, na ngaiga rwaro rwa ihiga rũrĩa rũtũmaga magũe, nake mũndũ ũrĩa ũmwĩhokete ndarĩ hĩndĩ agaaconorithio.”