Romatɔwo 9
1 Nyateƒe gblɔm mele le Kristo me, nyemele alakpa dam o, eye nye dzitsinya le ɖase ɖim kpe ɖe ŋunye le Gbɔgbɔ Kɔkɔe la me,
I say what is true in Christ, and not what is false, my mind giving witness with me in the Holy Spirit,
2 be mele nu xam ŋutɔ, eye nye dzi le veve sem ɣe sia ɣi.
That I am full of sorrow and pain without end.
3 Elabena anyo nam wu be woabu fɔm, eye woaɖem ɖa tso Kristo gbɔ ne esia ana be nye amewo, Israeltɔwo, nakpɔ ɖeɖe.
For I have a desire to take on myself the curse for my brothers, my family in the flesh:
4 Woawo tɔe nye vinyenye la; woawo tɔe nye Mawu me ŋutikɔkɔe la, nubablawo, se la xɔxɔ, gbedoxɔmesubɔsubɔ la kple ŋugbedodoawo.
Who are Israelites: who have the place of sons, and the glory, and the agreements with God, and the giving of the law, and the worship, and the hope offered by God:
5 Wonye fofoawo ƒe dzidzimeviwo, dzidzime siwo me Kristo dzɔ tso le ŋutilã nu, ame si nye Mawu ɖe nuwo katã dzi, ame si wokafuna tegbee la! Amen. (aiōn g165)
Whose are the fathers, and of whom came Christ in the flesh, who is over all, God, to whom be blessing for ever. So be it. (aiōn g165)
6 Ke mele eme be Mawu ƒe ŋugbedodowo zu dzodzro o. Elabena menye ame siwo katã tso Israel lae nye Israeltɔwo o.
But it is not as if the word of God was without effect. For they are not all Israel, who are of Israel:
7 Alo ame siwo katã tso Abraham ƒomea me lae nye Abraham ƒe viwo o, ke boŋ Ŋɔŋlɔ Kɔkɔe la gblɔ be, “woanya wò ƒome la to Isak kple eƒe dzidzimeviwo dzi.”
And they are not all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, In Isaac will your seed be named.
8 Esia le fiafiam be menye Abraham ƒe viwo katãe nye Mawu viwo o, ke boŋ ame siwo xɔ ɖeɖekpɔkpɔ ƒe ŋugbe si wodo na Abraham dzi se la koe.
That is, it is not the children of the flesh, but the children of God's undertaking, who are named as the seed.
9 Elabena ŋugbedodo lae nye esi be, “Matrɔ ava gbɔwò le ƒe si gbɔna la me, eye Sara adzi ŋutsuvi.”
For this is the word of God's undertaking, At this time will I come, and Sarah will have a son.
10 Menye esia ɖeɖe ko o; Rebeka hã fɔ viawo ƒe fu na mía tɔgbui Isak le ɣe ma ɣi tututu.
And not only so, but Rebecca being about to have a child by our father Isaac —
11 Ke esi mekpɔ dzi evenɔviawo o, eye womewɔ nyui alo vɔ̃ o hã, bena Mawu ƒe tameɖoɖo ɖi nanɔ eteƒe le tatia la nu,
Before the children had come into existence, or had done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose and his selection might be effected, not by works, but by him whose purpose it is,
12 menye le dɔwɔwɔ aɖeke nu o, ke boŋ tso ame si yɔa ame gbɔ, wogblɔ na Rebeka be, “Tsitsitɔ la azu subɔla na ɖevitɔ la”;
It was said to her, The older will be the servant of the younger.
13 abe ale si woŋlɔe ɖi ene be, “Melɔ̃ Yakob, ke Esau la, melé fui.”
Even as it is said, I had love for Jacob, but for Esau I had hate.
14 Azɔ nya ka gblɔ ge míala? Ɖe Mawu tɔ medzɔ oa? Gbeɖe!
What may we say then? is God not upright? let it not be said.
15 Elabena egblɔ na Mose be, “Makpɔ nublanui na ame si makpɔ nublanui na la, eye nye dɔ me atrɔ ɖe ame si ŋu nye dɔ me atrɔ ɖo la.”
For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and pity on whom I will have pity.
16 Eya ta esia metso amegbetɔ ƒe didi alo dɔwɔwɔ gbɔ o, ke boŋ Mawu ƒe nublanuikpɔkpɔ gbɔ wòtso.
So then, it is not by the desire or by the attempt of man, but by the mercy of God.
17 Elabena Ŋɔŋlɔ Kɔkɔe la gblɔ na Farao be, “Esia ta mefɔ wò ɖe tsitre, be maɖe nye ŋusẽ ɖe go afia le mewò, be woaɖe gbeƒã nye ŋkɔ le anyigbawo katã dzi.”
For the holy Writings say to Pharaoh, For this same purpose did I put you on high, so that I might make my power seen in you, and that there might be knowledge of my name through all the earth.
18 Eya ta Mawu kpɔa nublanui na ame siwo wòlɔ̃na be yeakpɔ nublanui na la, eye wòsẽa dzi me na ame siwo wòlɔ̃na be yeasẽ dzi me na la.
So then, at his pleasure he has mercy on a man, and at his pleasure he makes the heart hard.
19 Ame aɖe abiam be, “Ekema nu ka ta Mawu bua fɔ mí ɖo? Elabena ame kae ate ŋu atsi tsitre ɖe eƒe lɔlɔ̃nu ŋu mahã?”
But you will say to me, Why does he still make us responsible? who is able to go against his purpose?
20 Ke wò, amegbetɔ, ame ka nènye be nàhe nya kple Mawu? Ɖe ame aɖe ƒe nuwɔwɔ abia nuwɔla la be, “Nu ka ta nèwɔm alea ɖo mahã?”
But, O man, who are you, to make answer against God? May the thing which is made say to him who made it, Why did you make me so?
21 Ɖe mɔɖeɖe meli be zemela natsɔ anyi ame ze si ŋu bubu le, eye wòagatsɔ eƒe ɖe ame ze si ŋu bubu mele o la mahã?
Or has not the potter the right to make out of one part of his earth a vessel for honour, and out of another a vessel for shame?
22 Nu kae adzɔ nenye be Mawu, ame si lɔ̃ ɖe eƒe dɔmedzoe kple ŋusẽ fia la gbɔ dzi ɖi na ame siwo dze na eƒe dɔmedzoe ƒe tohehe?
What if God, desiring to let his wrath and his power be seen, for a long time put up with the vessels of wrath which were ready for destruction:
23 Eye nu kae adzɔ ne ewɔ esia be yeaɖe yeƒe ŋutikɔkɔe ƒe kesinɔnuwo afia ame siwo le mɔ kpɔm na eƒe nublanuikpɔkpɔ, ame siwo wòdzra ɖo do ŋgɔ na eƒe ŋutikɔkɔe la,
And to make clear the wealth of his glory to vessels of mercy, which he had before made ready for glory,
24 mí ame siwo hã wòyɔ, menye tso Yudatɔwo dome ɖeɖe ko o, ke boŋ tso ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o la hã dome?
Even us, who were marked out by him, not only from the Jews, but from the Gentiles?
25 Egblɔ le Hosea ƒe agbalẽ me be, “Mayɔ ame siwo menye nye amewo o la be ‘nye amewo’; eye mayɔ ame siwo menye nye lɔlɔ̃tɔwo o la be ‘nye lɔlɔ̃tɔwo.’
As he says in Hosea, They will be named my people who were not my people, and she will be loved who was not loved.
26 Wogblɔ le ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o la ŋu tsã be, “Menye nye amewo mienye o.” Azɔ la, woayɔ wo be, “Mawu gbagbe la ƒe viwo.”
And in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people, there they will be named the sons of the living God.
27 Ke Yesaya gblɔ tso Israeltɔwo ŋu be, “Togbɔ be wole abe ƒutake ene hã la, wo dometɔ ʋɛ aɖewo koe akpɔ ɖeɖe.
And Isaiah says about Israel, Even if the number of the children of Israel is as the sand of the sea, only a small part will get salvation:
28 Elabena Aƒetɔ la atso nya me le anyigba la ŋuti, eye wòawu eƒe wɔnawo nu kaba le dzɔdzɔenyenye me.”
For the Lord will give effect to his word on the earth, putting an end to it and cutting it short.
29 Yesaya gagblɔ be: “Ne menye Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ ye susɔ dzidzime ʋɛ aɖewo ɖi o la, ne míetsrɔ̃ abe Sodom kple Gomora ene.”
And, as Isaiah had said before, If the Lord of armies had not given us a seed, we would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah.
30 Azɔ nya ka gblɔ ge míala? Mawu na mɔnukpɔkpɔ ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o la be woakpɔ ɖeɖe to xɔse me, togbɔ be wometi dzɔdzɔenyenye yome o hã.
What then may we say? That the nations who did not go after righteousness have got righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith:
31 Ke Israeltɔ siwo dze agbagba vevie be yewoadze Mawu ŋu to seawo dzi wɔwɔ me la mete ŋu dze Mawu ŋu o.
But Israel, going after a law of righteousness, did not get it.
32 Nu ka ta? Elabena wonɔ agbagba dzem be yewoakpɔ ɖeɖe to seawo dzi wɔwɔ me, eye yewoanɔ agbe nyui esime wòle be woanya be xɔse me ko yewoato akpɔ ɖeɖe hafi; wokli nukikli ƒe kpe la.
Why? Because they were not searching for it by faith, but by works. They came up against the stone which was in the way;
33 Mawu gbe nya na wo tso nu sia ŋu le Ŋɔŋlɔ Kɔkɔe la me esi wògblɔ be, “Metsɔ Agakpe aɖe da ɖe mɔ me na Zion. Ame geɖewo akli Agakpe sia, si nye Yesu, eye woadze anyi. Ame siwo axɔ edzi ase la, ŋu makpe wo gbeɖe o.”
As it is said, See, I am putting in Zion a stone causing a fall, and a rock in the way: but he who has faith in him will not be put to shame.
