Romans 3
1 [Someone may object to this, saying], “[If being circumcised does not cause God to accept us Jews], (there is no advantage in being a Jew [over being a non-Jew]./is there any advantage in being a Jew [over being a non-Jew]?) [RHQ] Being circumcised does not benefit [us Jews at all]!”
Ko zvino muJudha ane pundutso yei, kana rubatsiro rwekudzingiswa nderwupi?
2 [I would reply that being Jews] benefits [us] in many ways [HYP]. First of all, it benefits us because it was to [our ancestors] that God’s words, [words that contain his promises], were given {that [God] gave his words, [words that contain his promises]}.
Zvizhinji nemutoo wese; nokuti pakutanga kuti vakabatiswa mashoko aMwari.
3 Many [Jews did not obey God as they promised that they would. So someone might ask], “Does their not being faithful mean that God will not [bless us Jews] as he promised [that he would]?”
Nokuti ko kana vamwe vasina kutenda? Kusatenda kwavo kuchashayisa kutendeka kwaMwari maturo here?
4 [I would reply], “No, it certainly does not mean that! God always does [what he has promised], even though [people do not]. All those who accuse God [of not keeping his promises to us Jews] are very mistaken.” [What King David wrote about God’s justly saying that he would punish him for his sins is also true of those who accuse God of not keeping his promises. What he said to God was], “So everyone must acknowledge that what you [(sg)] have said [about them] (OR, [their sin]) is true, and you will always win the case when you are accused {when [people] accuse you}.”
Ngazvisadaro! Asi Mwari ngaave wechokwadi, asi munhu wese murevi wenhema, sezvazvakanyorwa zvichinzi: Kuti munzi makarurama pamashoko enyu, uye mukunde pakutongwa kwenyu.
5 So if we [Jews’] being wicked [PRS] shows that it is right that God [does not bless us], what shall we say/conclude? Shall we conclude that it is not right for God to be angry [and punish us Jews] [MTY]? I [should not be saying these things], [but] I am speaking as ordinary humans [speak].
Asi kana kusarurama kwedu kuchiratidza kururama kwaMwari, tichati chii? Kuti Mwari haana kururama here anodurura hasha? (Ndinotaura semunhu.)
6 We should certainly not [conclude that God should not judge us], because if God [did not judge us Jews], (it would not possibly be right for him to judge [anyone in] the world [MTY]!/how could he judge [anyone in] the world?) [MTY, RHQ]
Ngazvisadaro! Kana zvakadaro Mwari angagozotonga nyika sei?
7 But [someone might object and say to me], “The fact that God truly [keeps his promises] becomes very clear/evident because of my not doing [what God has commanded]. But the result is that people praise God! So (God should no longer say that I should be punished {that [he] should punish me} on account of my having sinned!/why should God still say that I should be punished {that [he] should punish me} on account of my having sinned?) [RHQ]
Nokuti kana chokwadi chaMwari chakawanzwa nenhema dzangu parumbidzo yake, ini ndichiri kutongerweiwo semutadzi?
8 [If what you, Paul, say is true], then (we might as well/it is all right for us to) do evil things in order that good things [like that] will result! For example, [then people will praise God]!” Some people speak evil about me by their [falsely] saying that I say [such things. God] will fairly/justly punish [people who say such things about me]!
Uye zvikasadaro tichapomerwa zvakaipa, uye sezvinotaura vamwe kuti tinoti: Ngatiite zvakaipa kuti zvakanaka zviuye? Kuraswa kwavo kunova kwakarurama.
9 [If someone would ask], “[Shall we conclude that God] will treat us [Jews] more favorably [and will treat] the non-Jews less [favorably] [RHQ]?” [I would reply that we can] certainly not [conclude that]! I have already shown you that all people, the Jews and also the non-Jews, have sinned and [so they deserve to be punished] {[that God will punish them]} [PRS].
Ko zvino? Tiri nani here? Kwete nepadiki pese; nokuti tambopa mhosva vese VaJudha neVaGiriki kuti vese vari pasi pechivi,
10 [The following words] that are written {prophets have written} [in the Scriptures support this], No person is righteous. There is not even one righteous person!
sezvazvakanyorwa zvichinzi: Hakuna wakarurama, kwete kunyange neumwe;
11 There is no one who understands [how to live properly] (OR, [about God]). There is no one who seeks/desires [to know] God!
hakuna anonzwisisa, hakuna anotsvaka Mwari;
12 Absolutely everyone has turned away [MET] [from God]. God considers them depraved (OR, Everyone has become useless [to God]). There is no one who acts righteously; no, there is not even one!
vese vakatsauka, vakava pamwe vasina maturo; hakuna anoita zvakanaka, hakuna kunyange neumwe;
13 What people say [MTY] [is foul/bad, like the smell that comes from] a grave that has been {that [people] have} opened [MET]. [By what people say] [MTY], they deceive people. [By what they say] [MTY] [they injure people, just like] the poison of snakes [injures people] [MET].
huro yavo iguva rakashama; nendimi dzavo vakanyengera; uturu hwemhungu huri pasi pemiromo yavo;
14 They are continually (cursing/asking God to do harmful things to) others and saying (cruel/harsh/hateful) things [MTY].
vemuromo wavo uzere nekutuka nekuvava;
15 They (go quickly/are eager) to murder people [MTY].
tsoka dzavo dzinokurumidza kuteura ropa;
16 Wherever they go, they ruin everything and make [people] miserable [MTY].
kuparadza nekutambudzika zviri munzira dzavo,
17 They have not/never known how [to live] peacefully [with other people].
uye nzira yerugare havana kuiziva;
18 They absolutely refuse to fear/reverence God [SYN]!
kutya Mwari hakupo pamberi pemeso avo.
19 Furthermore, we know that it is to [Jewish] people, [who are] required to obey [God’s] laws, that Moses wrote those laws [PRS]. [We can infer from this that] there are no [Jews or non-Jews] [SYN] who are able to say anything [in reply to God’s saying that he will punish them for having sinned]. God has declared everyone in the world [MTY] guilty!
Zvino tinoziva kuti zvese murairo zvaunoreva, unozvireva kune vari pasi pemurairo; kuti muromo umwe neumwe udzivirwe, nenyika yese ive nemhosva kuna Mwari;
20 It is not because people have done the things that God’s laws [require] that [God] will (erase the record of their sins/declare them no longer guilty for sin), [because no one has done those things completely]. In fact, the result of [our knowing God’s] laws is that we know clearly that we have sinned (OR, are sinful).
naizvozvo nemabasa emurairo hakuna nyama ichanzi yakarurama pamberi pake; nokuti nemurairo kune ruzivo rwechivi.
21 But God’s (erasing the record of our sins/declaring us no longer guilty) does not depend on [our obeying] the laws [that he gave Moses]. It has now been {[God] has now} revealed [to us] how he erases the record of our sins [by a different way]. It was written about [by Moses] {[Moses] wrote about it} in the laws [PRS] [God gave] him, and it was also written about by the prophets {the prophets also wrote about it}.
Asi ikozvino kururama kwaMwari kwakaratidzwa kunze kwemurairo, kuchipupurwa nemurairo nevaporofita;
22 God erases the record of our sins because we trust in [what] Jesus Christ [has done for us]. God does this for every person who trusts [in Christ], because [he considers] that there is no difference [between Jews and non-Jews].
ikowo kururama kwaMwari kubudikidza nerutendo rwaJesu Kristu kune vese nepamusoro pevese vanotenda; nokuti hapana musiyano;
23 All people have done evil, and all people have failed to accomplish the glorious [goals] that God [set for them].
nokuti vese vakatadza vakataira pakubwinya kwaMwari,
24 Our record of sins has been erased {God erased the record of our sins} by God acting kindly [to forgive our sins], without our doing anything to earn it. Christ Jesus accomplished this [by dying for us].
vachinzi vakarurama pachena nenyasha dzake kubudikidza nerudzikunuro rwuri muna Kristu Jesu;
25 God showed that Christ was the one who would atone for (OR, forgive) our sins [with the] blood [that flowed from his body when he died. God redeems/forgives] us because of our trusting [in Christ’s having died for us. God wanted] to show that he acts justly. [He wanted to do that] because, before [Jesus came, God] did not punish [everyone who sinned. So it seemed as though he was not being just]. But he was overlooking people’s sins during [that time],
iye Mwari waakagadza kuva muripo wekuyananisa, nerutendo muropa rake, kuva chiratidzo chekururama kwake, nekusarangarira zvivi zvakaitwa kare mukuva nemoyo murefu kwaMwari;
26 because he is patient. [God arranged for Jesus to die for us]. By doing that, God now shows that he is just, and he shows that he is justly able to erase the record of sins for everyone who trusts/believes in Jesus.
kuti chive chiratidzo chekururama kwake panguva yaikozvino, kuti ave wakarurama uye kururamisa werutendo rwaJesu.
27 It is not at all [RHQ] because of [our obeying the] laws [of Moses that God erases the record of our sins]. So, (there is no way that we can boast [that God does that because of our obeying those laws]./how can we boast [about God erasing the record of our sins because of our obeying those laws]?) [RHQ] Instead, [it is because of our] believing/trusting [in Christ that God erases the record of our sins].
Naizvozvo kuzvikudza kuripi? Kwavharirwa kunze. Nemurairo upi? Wemabasa here? Kwete, asi nemurairo werutendo.
28 [We cannot boast about that], because we conclude that the record of our sins is erased {God erases the record of our sins} because of our trusting [in Christ]. God does not erase the record of our sins because of our obeying the laws [that he gave to Moses, because it is impossible for us to completely obey them].
Naizvozvo tinogura kuti munhu anonzi wakarurama nerutendo, kunze kwemabasa emurairo.
29 (You who are Jews certainly should not [think that you] are the only ones whom God [will accept]!/Do you Jews [think it is you] alone whom God [will accept]?) [RHQ] You certainly should [realize that he will accept] non-Jews, too. [RHQ] Of course, [he will accept] non-Jews also,
Kuti ndiMwari weVaJudha vega here? Haasi wevahedheniwo here? Hongu wevahedheniwo;
30 because, [as you firmly believe], there is only one God, who will erase the record of Jews’ [MTY] sins if they trust [in what Christ has done], and who will similarly erase the record of non-Jews’ [MTY] sins if they trust [in Christ].
Mwari zvaari zvirokwazvo mumwe, achati kudzingiswa kwakarurama kubva parutendo, nevasina kudzingiswa nerutendo.
31 So, [if someone should ask concerning the laws that God gave Moses], “By saying [that God erases the record of our sins because of our] trusting [in Christ], does that mean that those laws now are useless?”, [I would reply], “Certainly not. Instead, we truly fulfill the laws [that God gave Moses].”
Naizvozvo tinoshayisa maturo murairo nerutendo here? Ngazvisadaro! Asi tinosimbisa murairo.
