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 the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
2 be mele nu xam ŋutɔ, eye nye dzi le veve sem ɣe sia ɣi.
That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
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 could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to 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; to whom [pertaineth] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service [of God], and the promises;
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 as concerning the flesh Christ [came], who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 Ke mele eme be Mawu ƒe ŋugbedodowo zu dzodzro o. Elabena menye ame siwo katã tso Israel lae nye Israeltɔwo o.
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which 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.”
Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
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, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for 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 promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall 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 [this]; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, [even] 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,
(For [the children] being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; )
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 unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 abe ale si woŋlɔe ɖi ene be, “Melɔ̃ Yakob, ke Esau la, melé fui.”
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14 Azɔ nya ka gblɔ ge míala? Ɖe Mawu tɔ medzɔ oa? Gbeɖe!
What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
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 saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 Eya ta esia metso amegbetɔ ƒe didi alo dɔwɔwɔ gbɔ o, ke boŋ Mawu ƒe nublanuikpɔkpɔ gbɔ wòtso.
So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
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 scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout 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.
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth.
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?”
Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
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?”
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus?
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?
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
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, willing to shew [his] wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to 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 that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto 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, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of 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 saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
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 it shall come to pass, [that] in the place where it was said unto them, Ye [are] not my people; there shall they be called the children 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.
Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
28 Elabena Aƒetɔ la atso nya me le anyigba la ŋuti, eye wòawu eƒe wɔnawo nu kaba le dzɔdzɔenyenye me.”
For he will finish the work, and cut [it] short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
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 Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
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 shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to 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, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
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.
Wherefore? Because [they sought it] not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
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 written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
