Aroma 11
1 Ningĩ ngũũria atĩrĩ: Ngai nĩkũrega aaregire andũ ake? Kũroaga gũtuĩka ũguo! Niĩ mwene ndĩ Mũisiraeli, wa rũciaro rwa Iburahĩmu, na wa mũhĩrĩga wa Benjamini.
But then I ask, “Has God rejected his people?” Of course not! I'm an Israelite myself, from the tribe of Benjamin.
2 Ngai ndaigana kũrega andũ ake arĩa aamenyete o mbere. Kaĩ mũtooĩ ũrĩa Maandĩko moigĩte harĩa handĩkĩtwo ũhoro wa Elija, ũrĩa aathaithire Ngai nĩ ũndũ wa andũ a Isiraeli, akiuga atĩrĩ:
God has not rejected his chosen people. Don't you recall what Scripture says about Elijah? How he complained about Israel to God, saying,
3 “Mwathani, nĩmoragĩte anabii aku na nĩmatharĩtie igongona ciaku; no niĩ nyiki ndigarĩte, nao nĩkũnjaria maranjaria manjũrage”?
“Lord they've killed your prophets and destroyed your altars. I'm the only one left, and they're trying to kill me too!”
4 Ngai aamũcookeirie atĩrĩ, “Nĩndĩĩtigĩirie andũ ngiri mũgwanja arĩa matarĩ maaturĩria Baali ndu.”
How did God answer him? “I still have seven thousand left who have not worshiped Baal.”
5 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, o na hĩndĩ ĩno tũrĩ, nĩ kũrĩ na matigari marĩa Ngai ethuurĩire nĩ ũndũ wa wega wake.
Today it's just the same: there are still some faithful people left, chosen by God's grace.
6 Na angĩkorwo Ngai aamathuurire nĩ ũndũ wa wega wake-rĩ, gũtingĩgĩtuĩka atĩ maathuurirwo nĩ ũndũ wa ciĩko ciao; korwo nĩ ũguo-rĩ, wega wa Ngai ndũngĩgĩtuĩka nĩ wega rĩngĩ.
And since it's through grace, then clearly it's not based on what people do, otherwise grace wouldn't be grace!
7 Rĩu tũkiuge atĩa? Nĩ atĩrĩ, ũndũ ũrĩa andũ a Isiraeli maatũire macaragia na kĩyo kĩnene matiawonire, no andũ arĩa athuure-rĩ, nĩmawonire. Acio angĩ nao nĩmoomirio ngoro,
So what do we conclude? That the people of Israel didn't achieve what they were striving for—only the chosen, while the rest became hard-hearted.
8 o ta ũrĩa kwandĩkĩtwo atĩrĩ: “Ngai nĩamaheire roho ta wa andũ magonetio nĩ toro, akĩmahe maitho matekuona, na matũ matekũigua, o nginya ũmũthĩ ũyũ.”
As Scripture says, “God dulled their minds so their eyes could not see and their ears could not hear, to this very day.”
9 Nake Daudi ekuuga atĩrĩ: “Metha yao ya kũrĩĩra ĩrotuĩka mũtego, na kĩndũ gĩa kũmagwatia, o na ĩtuĩke ya kũmahĩnga, na irĩhi rĩa ũũru wao.
David adds, “May their feasts become a trap for them, a net that catches them, a temptation that brings punishment.
10 Maitho mao marogĩa nduma, matige gũcooka kuona, na mathiiage mainamĩrĩire nginya tene.”
May their eyes become blind so they cannot see, and may their backs always be bent low in dejection.”
11 Ningĩ ngũũria atĩrĩ: Ayahudi nĩkũhĩngwo maahĩngirwo makĩgũa ũndũ matangĩũkĩra? Kũroaga gũtuĩka ũguo! Aca ti guo o na atĩa! Ũrĩa kũrĩ nĩ atĩ, tondũ wa mehia mao, ũhonokio nĩũkinyĩire andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ nĩgeetha andũ a Isiraeli maigue ũiru.
So am I saying that they stumbled and consequently failed completely? Not at all! But as a result of their mistakes, salvation came to other nations, to “make them jealous.”
12 No angĩkorwo ũremi wao nĩũtuĩkĩte ũtonga kũrĩ kĩrĩndĩ gĩa thĩ, nayo hathara yao ĩgatuĩka ũtonga kũrĩ andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ-rĩ, githĩ kũiyũrĩrĩrwo kwao gũtingĩkĩrehe ũtonga mũingĩ makĩria!
Now if even their failure benefits the world, and their loss profits the foreigners, how much more beneficial it would be if they were to completely fulfill what they were meant to be.
13 Rĩu-rĩ, nĩ inyuĩ andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ ndĩraarĩria. Tondũ ndĩ mũtũmwo ũtũmĩtwo kũrĩ andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ-rĩ, ũtungata ũcio wakwa nĩndĩwĩkĩrĩire mũno,
Now let me speak to you foreigners. Insofar as I'm a missionary to foreigners, I promote what I'm doing
14 ngĩĩgeragĩria kana hihi ndahota kwarahũra andũ a rũruka rwakwa kĩũmbe maigue ũiru, na ndũme amwe ao mahonokio.
that somehow I might make my people jealous and save some of them.
15 Tondũ angĩkorwo kũregwo kwao nĩkuo gwa gũtũma kĩrĩndĩ gĩa thĩ kĩiguithanio na Ngai-rĩ, ĩ gwĩtĩkĩrwo kwao kũngĩkĩrehe kĩĩ, tiga o kũriũka kuuma kũrĩ arĩa akuũ?
If the result of God's rejection of them is that the world becomes God's friends, the result of God's acceptance of them would be like the dead coming back to life!
16 Angĩkorwo kĩenyũ gĩa kĩmere kĩrĩa kĩrutĩirwo Ngai kĩrĩ maciaro ma mbere nĩ gĩtheru-rĩ, o nakĩo kĩmere gĩothe no gĩtheru; angĩkorwo mũri nĩ mũtheru-rĩ, o nacio honge no theru.
If the first part of the bread dough given as an offering is holy, then so is all the rest; if the roots of a tree are holy, then so are the branches.
17 Angĩkorwo honge imwe cia mũtamaiyũ wa mũgũnda nĩciakahũrirwo, nawe, o na watuĩka ũrĩ rũhonge rwa mũtamaiyũ wa gĩthaka-rĩ, ũgĩciarithanio na honge icio ingĩ, na rĩu nĩũgayanaga ũnoru na icio ingĩ kuuma mũri wa mũtamaiyũ ũcio-rĩ,
Now if some of the branches have been broken off, and you—a wild olive shoot—have been grafted in, and have shared with them the benefit of nourishment from the olive tree's roots,
18 menya ndũkae kwĩganĩra honge icio ingĩ. Ũngĩka ũguo-rĩ, ririkana ũndũ ũyũ: Wee tiwe ũnyiitĩrĩire mũri ũcio, no nĩ mũri ũcio ũkũnyiitĩrĩire.
then you shouldn't look down on the other branches. If you're tempted to boast, remember it's not you who are supporting the roots, but the roots that are supporting you.
19 No wee no ũkiuge atĩrĩ, “Honge icio ciakahũrirwo nĩgeetha njiarithanio na mũtĩ.”
You could make the claim, “Branches were broken off so I could be grafted in.”
20 Ũguo noguo. No rĩrĩ, honge icio ciakahũrirwo tondũ wa kwaga gwĩtĩkia, nawe wĩhaandĩte nĩ ũndũ wa gwĩtĩkia. Ndũkae gwĩtĩĩa, no wĩtigagĩre.
All well and good—but they were broken off because of their failure to trust in God, and you stay there because you trust in God. So don't think highly of yourselves, but be respectful,
21 Tondũ angĩkorwo Ngai ndaacaĩire honge icio cia ndũire-rĩ, o nawe ndangĩgũcaĩra.
because if God didn't spare the original branches, he won't spare you either.
22 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, mwĩcũraniei ũhoro wa ũtugi wa Ngai na kwaga tha gwake: harĩ andũ acio maagũire, nĩagire kũmaiguĩra tha, no inyuĩ, nĩkũmũtuga amũtugaga, angĩkorwo nĩmũgũtũũra thĩinĩ wa ũtugi wake. Kwaga ũguo-rĩ, o na inyuĩ no mũtinio mweherio.
You should recognize both God's kindness and toughness—he was tough on the fallen, but God is kind to you so long as you trust in his kindness—otherwise you'll be removed too.
23 Andũ acio nao mangĩtiga kũrũmia ũhoro ũcio wa kwaga gwĩtĩkia-rĩ, nĩmagaciarithanio na mũtĩ, nĩgũkorwo Ngai arĩ na ũhoti wa kũmaciarithania naguo rĩngĩ.
If they no longer refuse to trust in God, they can be grafted in as well, for God is able to graft them back in again.
24 Nĩ ũndũ-rĩ, angĩkorwo mwatinirio kuuma mũtamaiyũ-inĩ wa kĩrĩti, na mũgĩcooka mũgĩciarithanio na mũtamaiyũ wa mũgũnda, na ũcio nĩ ũhoro ũtarĩ wa ndũire-rĩ, githĩ ti ũhũthũ makĩria honge ici, o ici ciarĩ ciaguo, gũciarithanio na mũtamaiyũ wa mũgũnda o ũcio warĩ wao kĩũmbe!
If you could be cut from a wild olive tree, and then be grafted artificially onto a cultivated olive tree, how much more easily they could be grafted back naturally to their own tree.
25 Ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ, ndikwenda mũikare mũrigĩtwo nĩ ũhoro ũyũ wa hitho, nĩgeetha mũtikae kwĩona ta mũrĩ oogĩ: Hitho nĩ atĩ, andũ amwe a Isiraeli nĩanyiite nĩ kũũmia ngoro, o nginya rĩrĩa mũigana wa andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ ũkaahinga gũtoonya.
I don't want you, my brothers and sisters to miss this previously-hidden truth, for otherwise you could become conceited. The people of Israel have become hard-hearted in part, until the process of the foreigners coming in is complete.
26 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, andũ a Isiraeli othe nĩmakahonokio, o ta ũrĩa kwandĩkĩtwo atĩrĩ: “Mũhonokia nĩakoima Zayuni; naguo ũhoro wa kũregana na Ngai nĩakaweheria kuuma kũrĩ Jakubu.
This is how all Israel will be saved. As Scripture says, “The Savior will come from Zion, and he will turn Jacob away from his opposition to God.
27 Nakĩo gĩkĩ nĩkĩo kĩrĩkanĩro kĩrĩa ngaarĩkanĩra nao, rĩrĩa ngaamehereria mehia mao.”
My promise to them is that I'll take away their sins.”
28 Ha Ũhoro-ũrĩa-Mwega-rĩ, andũ a Isiraeli nĩmatuirwo thũ nĩ ũndũ wanyu, no ha ũhoro wa gũthuurwo-rĩ, nĩmendetwo nĩ ũndũ wa maithe mao ma tene,
Though they are enemies of the good news—and this is to your benefit—they are still the chosen people, and loved because of their forefathers.
29 nĩgũkorwo iheo iria Ngai aheanaga na gwĩtana kũrĩa etanaga nakuo ndacookaga kwĩricũkwo.
God's gifts and his calling can't be withdrawn.
30 O ta ũrĩa inyuĩ hĩndĩ ĩmwe mwaremeire Ngai, no rĩu nĩamũiguĩrĩire tha nĩ ũndũ wa ũremi wao-rĩ,
At one time you disobeyed God, but now God has shown you mercy as a result of their disobedience.
31 rĩu no taguo o nao matuĩkĩte aremi, nĩgeetha o nao rĩu maiguĩrwo tha nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa Ngai amũiguĩrĩire tha.
In just the same way that they're now disobedient as you were, they will also be shown mercy like you received.
For God treated everyone as prisoners because of their disobedience so that he could be merciful to everyone. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Hĩ! Ĩ ũũgĩ wa Ngai, o naguo ũmenyo wake, itikĩrĩ nyingĩ na ndiku mũno! Matuĩro make gũtirĩ ũngĩhota kũmatuĩria, na mĩthiĩre yake kaĩ ndĩngĩmenyeka-ĩ!
Oh how deep are God's riches, wisdom, and knowledge! How incredible his decisions, how unimaginable his methods!
34 “Nũũ ũmenyete meciiria ma Mwathani? Kana nũũ ũkoretwo akĩmũtaara?”
Who can know God's thoughts? Who can give him advice?
35 “Nũũ wanahe Ngai kĩndũ, atĩ nĩguo Ngai acooke amũrĩhe kĩndũ kĩu?”
Who has ever given anything to God that God would be obliged to repay?
