Romans 3
1 What, then, is the preeminence of the Jew? Or what, the profit of his circumcision?
Basi, Myahudi ana nini zaidi kuliko watu wengine? Au kutahiriwa kuna faida gani?
2 Much, every way: —First, indeed, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.
Naam, iko faida kwa kila upande. Kwanza, Mungu aliwakabidhi Wayahudi ujumbe wake.
3 For what? If some distrusted, shall their distrust make, the trust of God, void?
Lakini itakuwaje iwapo baadhi yao hawakuwa waaminifu? Je, jambo hilo litaondoa uaminifu wa Mungu?
4 Far be it! But let, God, prove to be, true, albeit, every man, be false! Even as it is written—That thou mightest be declared righteous in thy words, and overcome when thou art in judgment.
Hata kidogo! Mungu hubaki mwaminifu daima, ingawaje kila binadamu ni mwongo. Kama Maandiko Matakatifu yasemavyo: “Kila usemapo, maneno yako ni ya haki; na katika hukumu, wewe hushinda.”
5 But, if, our unrighteousness, commendeth, God’s righteousness, what shall we say? Surely, not unrighteous, is God who visiteth with his anger? After the manner of men, I am speaking, —
Lakini, ikiwa uovu wetu unathibitisha kwamba Mungu anatenda kwa haki, tutasema nini? Je, tutasema kwamba anakosa haki akituadhibu? (Hapa naongea kibinadamu).
6 Far be it! Else how shall God judge the world?
Hata kidogo! Ingekuwa hivyo, Mungu angewezaje kuuhukumu ulimwengu?
7 But, if, the truth of God, by my falsehood, hath the more abounded unto his glory, why, any longer, am, even I, as a sinner, to be judged?
Labda utasema: “Ikiwa ukosefu wa uaminifu kwa upande wangu unamdhihirisha Mungu kuwa mwaminifu zaidi na hivyo kumpatia utukufu, basi singepaswa kuhukumiwa kuwa mwenye dhambi!”
8 And why not, according as we are injuriously charged, [and] according as some affirm that we say, Let us do the bad things, that the good ones may come? whose sentence is, just.
Ni sawa na kusema: tufanye maovu ili tupate mema! Ndivyo wengine walivyotukashifu kwa kutushtaki kwamba tumefundisha hivyo. Watahukumiwa wanavyostahili!
9 What then? do we screen ourselves? Not at all! For we have before accused both Jews and Greeks of being, all under sin;
Tuseme nini, basi? Je, sisi Wayahudi ni bora zaidi kuliko wengine? Hata kidogo! Kwa maana nimekwisha bainisha hapo mwanzoni kwamba Wayahudi na watu wa mataifa mengine wote wako chini ya utawala wa dhambi.
10 Even as it is written—there is none righteous, not even one,
Kama Maandiko Matakatifu yasemavyo: “Hakuna hata mmoja aliye mwadilifu!
11 There is none that discerneth, There is none that seeketh out God:
Hakuna mtu anayeelewa, wala anayemtafuta Mungu.
12 All, have turned aside, together, have become useless, There is none that doeth kindness, not so much as one:
Wote wamepotoka wote wamekosa; hakuna atendaye mema, hakuna hata mmoja.
13 A sepulchre opened, is their throat, with their tongues, have they used deceit, the poison of asps, is under their lips,
Makoo yao ni kama kaburi wazi, ndimi zao zimejaa udanganyifu, midomoni mwao mwatoka maneno yenye sumu kama ya nyoka.
14 Whose mouth, of cursing and bitterness, is full,
Vinywa vyao vimejaa laana chungu.
15 Swift, are their feet to shed blood;
Miguu yao iko mbioni kumwaga damu,
16 Destruction and misery, are in their ways,
popote waendapo husababisha maafa na mateso;
17 And, the way of peace, have they not known:
njia ya amani hawaijui.
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Hawajali kabisa kumcha Mungu.”
19 Now we know that, whatsoever things the law saith, to them who are within the law, it speaketh, in order that, every mouth, may be stopped and all the world come, under penal sentence, unto God.
Tunajua kwamba Sheria huwahusu walio chini ya Sheria hiyo, hata hawawezi kuwa na kisingizio chochote, na ulimwengu wote uko chini ya hukumu ya Mungu.
20 Inasmuch as, by works of law, shall no flesh be declared righteous before him, —through law, in fact, is discovery of sin.
Maana hakuna binadamu yeyote anayekubaliwa kuwa mwadilifu mbele yake Mungu kwa kuishika Sheria; kazi ya Sheria ni kumwonyesha tu mtu kwamba ametenda dhambi.
21 But now, apart from law, a righteousness of God hath been manifested, borne witness to by the law and the prophets, —
Lakini sasa, njia ya Mungu ya kuwakubali watu kuwa waadilifu imekwisha dhihirishwa, tena bila kutegemea Sheria. Sheria na manabii hushuhudia jambo hili.
22 A righteousness of God, through faith in [Jesus] Christ, unto all that have faith; for there is no distinction, —
Mungu huwakubali watu kuwa waadilifu kwa njia ya imani yao kwa Yesu Kristo; Mungu hufanya hivyo kwa wote wanaoamini; hakuna ubaguzi wowote.
23 For, all, have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;
Watu wote wametenda dhambi na wametindikiwa utukufu wa Mungu.
24 Being declared righteous freely by his favour through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: —
Lakini kwa zawadi ya neema ya Mungu, watu wote hukubaliwa kuwa waadilifu kwa njia ya Yesu Kristo anayewakomboa.
25 Whom God hath set forth as a propitiatory covering, through faith in his blood, for a showing forth of his righteousness, by reason of the passing-by of the previously committed sins,
Mungu alimtoa Yesu kusudi, kwa damu yake, awe njia ya kuwaondolea watu dhambi zao kwa imani yao kwake. Alifanya hivyo ili apate kuonyesha kwamba yeye ni mwadilifu. Hapo zamani Mungu alikuwa mvumilivu bila kuzijali dhambi za watu;
26 In the forbearance of God, —with a view to a showing forth of his righteousness in the present season, that he might be righteous even when declaring righteous him that hath faith in Jesus.
lakini sasa, wakati huu, anazikabili dhambi za watu apate kuonyesha uadilifu wake. Kwa namna hiyo Mungu mwenyewe huonyesha kwamba yeye ni mwadilifu na kwamba humkubali kuwa mwadilifu mtu yeyote anayemwamini Yesu.
27 Where, then, the boasting! It is excluded. Through what kind of law? Of works? Nay! but through a law of faith:
Basi, tunaweza kujivunia nini? Hakuna! Kwa nini? Je, kwa sababu ya kutimiza Sheria? La! Bali kwa sababu tunaamini.
28 For we reckon that a man is to be declared righteous by faith, apart from works of law.
Maana mtu hukubaliwa kuwa mwadilifu kwa imani, wala si kwa kutimiza matakwa ya Sheria.
29 Or, [is God] the God, of Jews only, and not of the nations also? Yea! of the nations also: —
Au je, Mungu nu Mungu wa Wayahudi tu, ama pia wa watu wa mataifa mengine? Naam, wa mataifa mengine pia.
30 If, at all events, God is one, who will declare righteous—the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through their faith.
Mungu ni mmoja, naye atawakubali Wayahudi kuwa waadilifu kwa imani yao, na watu wa mataifa mengine pia kwa imani yao.
31 Do we then make, law, void through means of our faith? Far be it! On the contrary, law, we do establish!
Je, tunaitumia imani kuibatilisha Sheria? Hata kidogo; bali tunaipa Sheria thamani yake kamili.
