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,
Truth I say in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing testimony with me in the Holy Spirit,
2 be mele nu xam ŋutɔ, eye nye dzi le veve sem ɣe sia ɣi.
that I have great grief and unceasing pain 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 was wishing, I myself, to be anathema from the Christ — for my brethren, my kindred, 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, whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, 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 [is] the Christ, according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed to the ages. 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.
And it is not possible that the word of God hath failed; for not all who [are] of Israel are these 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.”
nor because they are seed of Abraham [are] all children, but — 'in Isaac shall a seed be called to thee;'
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, the children of the flesh — these [are] not children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for seed;
9 Elabena ŋugbedodo lae nye esi be, “Matrɔ ava gbɔwò le ƒe si gbɔna la me, eye Sara adzi ŋutsuvi.”
for the word of promise [is] this; 'According to this time I will come, and there shall be to Sarah 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 also Rebecca, having conceived by one — Isaac our father —
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 they being not yet born, neither having done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to choice, might remain; not of works, but of Him who is calling, ) it was said to her —
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”;
'The greater shall serve the less;'
13 abe ale si woŋlɔe ɖi ene be, “Melɔ̃ Yakob, ke Esau la, melé fui.”
according as it hath been written, 'Jacob I did love, and Esau I did hate.'
14 Azɔ nya ka gblɔ ge míala? Ɖe Mawu tɔ medzɔ oa? Gbeɖe!
What, then, shall we say? unrighteousness [is] with God? let it not be!
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 to Moses He saith, 'I will do kindness to whom I do kindness, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion;'
16 Eya ta esia metso amegbetɔ ƒe didi alo dɔwɔwɔ gbɔ o, ke boŋ Mawu ƒe nublanuikpɔkpɔ gbɔ wòtso.
so, then — not of him who is willing, nor of him who is running, but of God who is doing kindness:
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 Writing saith to Pharaoh — 'For this very thing I did raise thee up, that I might shew in thee My power, and that My name might be declared in all the land;'
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, to whom He willeth, He doth kindness, and to whom He willeth, He doth harden.
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, to me, 'Why yet doth He find fault? for His counsel who hath resisted?'
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 art answering again to God? shall the thing formed say to Him who did form [it], Why me didst thou make 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 authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make the one vessel to honour, and the one to 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?
And if God, willing to shew the wrath and to make known His power, did endure, in much long suffering, vessels of wrath fitted 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 that He might make known the riches of His glory on vessels of kindness, that He before prepared for glory, whom also He did call — us —
24 mí ame siwo hã wòyɔ, menye tso Yudatɔwo dome ɖeɖe ko o, ke boŋ tso ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o la hã dome?
not only out of Jews, but also out of nations,
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 also in Hosea He saith, 'I will call what [is] not My people — My people; and her not beloved — 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 be — in the place where it was said to them, Ye [are] not My people; there they shall be called 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 doth cry concerning Israel, 'If the number of the sons of Israel may be as the sand of the sea, the 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 a matter He is finishing, and is cutting short in righteousness, because a matter cut short will the Lord do upon the land.
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 according as Isaiah saith before, 'Except the Lord of Sabaoth did leave to us a seed, as Sodom we had become, and as Gomorrah we had been made like.'
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, shall we say? that nations who are not pursuing righteousness did attain to righteousness, and righteousness that [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.
and Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, at a law of righteousness did not arrive;
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 — not by faith, but as by works of law; for they did stumble at the stone of stumbling,
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.”
according as it hath been written, 'Lo, I place in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; and every one who is believing thereon shall not be ashamed.'
