Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is being sure of the things hoped for and certain of things that are not seen.
Ukukholwa yikuba leqiniso lalokhu esikulindeleyo njalo kuqinisekile ngalokho esingakuboniyo.
2 For because of this the ancestors were approved for their faith.
Lokhu yikho abendulo abanconywa ngakho.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by God's command, so that what is visible was not made out of things that were visible. (aiōn g165)
Ngokukholwa siyezwisisa ukuthi izulu lomhlaba kwadalwa ngokulaya kukaNkulunkulu, ngoba okubonakalayo kakwenziwanga ngalokho okwakubonakala. (aiōn g165)
4 It was by faith that Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was attested to be righteous, and God spoke well of him because of his offerings, and by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
Ngokukholwa u-Abheli wanikela kuNkulunkulu umnikelo omuhle kulokaKhayini. Ngokukholwa wanconywa njengomuntu olungileyo, ngesikhathi uNkulunkulu ekhuluma kuhle ngeminikelo yakhe. Njalo ngokukholwa ulokhu ekhuluma, lanxa sewafa.
5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death. “He was not found, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, it was testified that he had pleased God.
Ngokukholwa u-Enoki wasuswa kulumhlaba ephila ukuze angakuzwa ukufa: “Kabonakalanga ngoba uNkulunkulu wayesemthethe.” Engakathathwa, wayenconywe njengowayethokozise uNkulunkulu.
6 Now without faith it is impossible to please him. For it is necessary that anyone coming to God must believe that he exists and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.
Kungelakukholwa akweneliseki ukumthokozisa uNkulunkulu ngoba oza kuye kumele akholwe ukuthi ukhona lokuthi uyabanika umvuzo labo abamdinga ngobuqotho.
7 It was by faith that Noah, having been given a divine message about things not yet seen, with godly reverence built a ship to save his household. By doing this, he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that is according to faith.
Ngokukholwa uNowa esexwayisiwe ngezinto ezazingakabonakali, ngokwesaba okungcwele wakha umkhumbi ukuba ahlenge abendlu yakhe. Ngokukholwa kwakhe wawulahla umhlaba waba yindlalifa yokulunga okuza ngokukholwa.
8 It was by faith that Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went out to the place that he was to receive as an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he was going.
Ngokukholwa u-Abhrahama esebizelwe ukuba aye endaweni ayezayamukela muva njengelifa lakhe, walalela wahamba, lanxa wayengakwazi lapho ayesiya khona.
9 It was by faith that he lived in the land of promise as a foreigner. He lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise.
Ngokukholwa wahlala elizweni lesithembiso njengesihambi, elizweni elingayisilo lakibo; wahlala emathenteni, njengokwenziwa ngu-Isaka loJakhobe, ababezindlalifa zalelolizwe lesithembiso kanye laye.
10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Ngoba wayelindele idolobho elilezisekelo, elimcandi walo lomakhi walo nguNkulunkulu.
11 It was by faith, even though Sarah herself was barren, that Abraham received ability to father a child. This happened even though he was too old, since he considered as faithful the one who had given the promise.
Ngokukholwa, lanxa u-Abhrahama wayeseluphele loSara eyinyumba, wanikwa amandla okuba lomntwana ngoba wambona njengothembekileyo lowo owayenze isithembiso.
12 Therefore, from this one man—and he was almost dead—were born descendants as many as the stars in the sky and as countless as sand by the seashore.
Ngakho-ke, kusukela kulumuntu oyedwa, owayefana lofileyo, kwavela inzalo enengi njengezinkanyezi emkhathini njalo engeke ibalwe njengenhlabathi ekhunjini lolwandle.
13 It was in faith that all these died without receiving the promises. Instead, after seeing and greeting them from far off, they admitted that they were foreigners and exiles on earth.
Abantu bonke laba bafa belokhu bephila ngokukholwa. Kabazamukelanga izinto ezathenjiswayo; bazibona nje kuphela bazithakazelela zikude. Njalo bavuma ukuthi bona babeyizizwe lezihambi emhlabeni.
14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.
Abantu abakhuluma izinto ezinje babonakalisa ukuthi bafuna ilizwe elingelabo.
15 If they had been thinking of the country from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.
Aluba babecabanga ngelizwe abasuka kulo, babezakuba lethuba lokubuyela.
16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, since he has prepared a city for them.
Kodwa-ke bona babefuna ilizwe elingcono, lona elisezulwini. Ngakho uNkulunkulu akumyangisi ukubizwa ngokuthi unguNkulunkulu wabo, ngoba usebalungisele idolobho.
17 It was by faith that Abraham, when he was tested, offered Isaac. It was his only son whom he offered, he who had received the promises.
Ngokukholwa, kwathi u-Abhrahama ehlolwa nguNkulunkulu, wanikela u-Isaka njengomhlatshelo. Yena owayamukele izithembiso wayeseseduze ukuba anikele indodana yakhe eyodwa njalo eyiyo kuphela,
18 It was Abraham to whom it had been said, “It is through Isaac that your descendants will be named.”
lanxa uNkulunkulu wayethe kuye, “isizukulwane sakho sizabalwa ngo-Isaka.”
19 Abraham reasoned that God was able to raise up Isaac from the dead, and figuratively speaking, it was from them that he received him back.
U-Abhrahama wanakana ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayengabavusa abafileyo, njalo nxa kuzekeliswa, wamamukela u-Isaka evela ekufeni.
20 It was also by faith about things to come that Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.
Ngokukholwa u-Isaka wabusisa uJakhobe lo-Esawu ngekusasa labo.
21 It was by faith that Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons. Jacob worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
Ngokukholwa uJakhobe, esesifa wawabusisa wonke amadodana kaJosefa, wasekhonza eyame phezu kwentonga yakhe.
22 It was by faith that Joseph, when his end was near, spoke of the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt and instructed them about his bones.
Ngokukholwa uJosefa, isiphetho sakhe sesisondele, walandisa ngokuphuma kwabako-Israyeli eGibhithe njalo walayezela ngamathambo akhe.
23 It was by faith that Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents because they saw he was a beautiful child. They were not afraid of the king's command.
Ngokukholwa abazali bakaMosi bamfihla izinyanga ezintathu emva kokuzalwa kwakhe, ngoba babona ukuthi wayengasumntwana nje ojayelekileyo, njalo babengawesabi umthetho wenkosi.
24 It was by faith that Moses, after he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
Ngokukholwa uMosi esekhulile, wala ukuba aziwe njengendodana yendodakazi kaFaro.
25 Instead, he chose to suffer with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a while.
Wakhetha ukuphathwa kubi kanye labantu bakaNkulunkulu kulokuba akholise injabulo yesono okwesikhathi esifitshane.
26 He reasoned that the disgrace of following Christ was greater riches than Egypt's treasures. For he was fixing his eyes on his reward.
Wakhetha ihlazo ngenxa kaKhristu njengegugu elikhulu kulenotho yaseGibhithe ngoba wayekhangelele umvuzo phambili.
27 It was by faith that Moses left Egypt. He did not fear the king's anger, for he endured as if he were seeing the one who is invisible.
Ngokukholwa wasuka eGibhithe, engalwesabi ulaka lwenkosi; wabekezela ngoba wambona lowo ongabonakaliyo.
28 It was by faith that he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch the Israelites' firstborn sons.
Ngokukholwa wagcina iPhasika lokuchelwa kwegazi, ukuze umbulali wamazibulo angawathinti amazibulo ako-Israyeli.
29 It was by faith that they passed through the Sea of Reeds as if over dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do this, they were swallowed up.
Ngokukholwa abantu badabula phakathi koLwandle oluBomvu njengasemhlabathini owomileyo, kodwa kwathi amaGibhithe ezama ukwenzanjalo agalula.
30 It was by faith that Jericho's walls fell down, after they had been circled around for seven days.
Ngokukholwa imiduli yaseJerikho yadilika emva kokuba abantu beyibhode okwensuku eziyisikhombisa.
31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute did not die with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace.
Ngokukholwa uRahabi isifebe, ngoba wamukela inhloli, kabulawanga kanye lalabo ababengalaleli.
32 What more can I say? For the time will fail me if I tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and about the prophets.
Kuyini okunye engingakutsho? Kangilasikhathi sokulandisa ngoGidiyoni, loBharakhi, loSamsoni, loJeftha, loDavida, loSamuyeli kanye labaphrofethi,
33 It was through faith that they conquered kingdoms, worked justice, and received promises. They stopped the mouths of lions,
abanqoba imibuso ngokukholwa benza okulungileyo njalo bathola okwakuthenjisiwe; bona abavala imilomo yezilwane,
34 extinguished the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were healed of illnesses, became mighty in battle, and defeated foreign armies.
bacitsha ukuvutha kwamalangabi, baphepha lasebukhalini benkemba; ubuthakathaka babo baphenduka baba ngamandla; njalo baba lamandla empini bawachitha amabutho ezizweni.
35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might experience a better resurrection.
Abesifazane bamukela abafayo babo sebevuselwe ekuphileni futhi. Abanye bahlukuluzwa njalo bala ukukhululwa, ukuze bathole ukuvuka ekufeni okuhle.
36 Others had testing in mocking and whippings, and even chains and imprisonment.
Abanye bahozwa batshaywa, kwathi abanye babotshwa ngamaketane bafakwa entolongweni.
37 They were stoned. They were sawn in two. They were killed with the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins. They were destitute, oppressed, mistreated.
Batshaywa ngamatshe, baqunywa ngesaha baba yiziqa ezimbili; babulawa ngenkemba. Bahamba begqoke izikhumba zezimvu lezikhumba zembuzi, beswela, behlukuluzwa, bephathwa kubi,
38 The world was not worthy of them. They were always wandering about in the deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
umhlaba kubo wawungabafanele. Bantula enkangala lasezintabeni lasezimbalwini kanye lasemilindini emhlabathini.
39 Although all these people were approved by God because of their faith, they did not receive the promise.
Bonke laba banconywa ngokukholwa kwabo, kodwa kakho phakathi kwabo owathola okwakuthenjisiwe.
40 God planned something better for us, so that without us, they would not be made perfect.
Thina uNkulunkulu wayesimisele okuhle ukuze kuthi sebe kanye lathi bapheleliswe.
