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.
I ask, then, ‘Has God rejected his People?’ Heaven forbid! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of 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 People, whom he chose from the first. Have you forgotten the words of Scripture in the story of Elijah — how he appeals to God against Israel?
3 “Mwathani, nĩmoragĩte anabii aku na nĩmatharĩtie igongona ciaku; no niĩ nyiki ndigarĩte, nao nĩkũnjaria maranjaria manjũrage”?
‘Lord, they have killed thy Prophets, they have pulled down thy altars, and I only am left; and now they are eager to take my life.’
4 Ngai aamũcookeirie atĩrĩ, “Nĩndĩĩtigĩirie andũ ngiri mũgwanja arĩa matarĩ maaturĩria Baali ndu.”
But what was the divine response? ‘I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have never bowed the knee to Baal.’
5 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, o na hĩndĩ ĩno tũrĩ, nĩ kũrĩ na matigari marĩa Ngai ethuurĩire nĩ ũndũ wa wega wake.
And so in our own time, too, there is to be found a remnant of our nation selected by God in love.
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.
But if in love, then no longer as a result of obedience. Otherwise love would cease to be love.
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,
What follows from this? Why, that Israel as a nation failed to secure what it was seeking, while those whom God selected did secure it.
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.”
The rest grew callous; as Scripture says — ‘God has given them a deadness of mind — eyes that are not to see and ears that are not to hear — and it is so 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, too, says — ‘May their feasts prove a snare and a trap to them — a hindrance and a retribution;
10 Maitho mao marogĩa nduma, matige gũcooka kuona, na mathiiage mainamĩrĩire nginya tene.”
may their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see; and do thou always make their backs to bend.’
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.
I ask then — ‘Was their stumbling to result in their fall?’ Heaven forbid! On the contrary, through their falling away Salvation has reached the Gentiles, to stir the rivalry of Israel.
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!
And, if their falling away has enriched the world, and their failure has enriched the Gentiles, how much more will result from their full restoration!
13 Rĩu-rĩ, nĩ inyuĩ andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ ndĩraarĩria. Tondũ ndĩ mũtũmwo ũtũmĩtwo kũrĩ andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ-rĩ, ũtungata ũcio wakwa nĩndĩwĩkĩrĩire mũno,
But I am speaking to you who were Gentiles.
14 ngĩĩgeragĩria kana hihi ndahota kwarahũra andũ a rũruka rwakwa kĩũmbe maigue ũiru, na ndũme amwe ao mahonokio.
Being myself an Apostle to the Gentiles, I exalt my office, in the hope that I may stir my countrymen to rivalry, and so 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?
For, if their being cast aside has meant the reconciliation of the world, what will their reception mean, but Life from the dead?
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 handful of dough in holy, so is the whole mass; and if the root is holy, 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,
Some, however, of the branches were broken off, and you, who were only a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and came to share with them the root which is the source of the richness of the cultivated olive.
18 menya ndũkae kwĩganĩra honge icio ingĩ. Ũngĩka ũguo-rĩ, ririkana ũndũ ũyũ: Wee tiwe ũnyiitĩrĩire mũri ũcio, no nĩ mũri ũcio ũkũnyiitĩrĩire.
Yet do not exult over the other branches. But, if you do exult over them, remember that you do not support the root, but that the root supports you.
19 No wee no ũkiuge atĩrĩ, “Honge icio ciakahũrirwo nĩgeetha njiarithanio na mũtĩ.”
But branches, you will say, were broken off, so that I might 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.
True; it was because of their want of faith that they were broken off, and it is because of your faith that you are standing. Do not think too highly of yourself, but beware.
21 Tondũ angĩkorwo Ngai ndaacaĩire honge icio cia ndũire-rĩ, o nawe ndangĩgũcaĩra.
For, if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
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.
See, then, both the goodness and the severity of God — his severity towards those who fell, and his goodness towards you, provided that you continue to confide in that goodness; otherwise you, also, will be cut off.
23 Andũ acio nao mangĩtiga kũrũmia ũhoro ũcio wa kwaga gwĩtĩkia-rĩ, nĩmagaciarithanio na mũtĩ, nĩgũkorwo Ngai arĩ na ũhoti wa kũmaciarithania naguo rĩngĩ.
And they, too, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God has it in his power to graft them 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 were cut off from your natural stock — a wild olive — and were grafted, contrary to the course of nature, upon a good olive, much more will they — the natural branches — be grafted back into their parent 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.
Brothers, for fear that you should think too highly of yourselves, I want you to recognise the truth, hitherto hidden, that the callousness which has come over Israel is only partial, and will continue only till the whole Gentile world has been gathered in.
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.
And then all Israel shall be saved. As Scripture says — ‘From Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.
27 Nakĩo gĩkĩ nĩkĩo kĩrĩkanĩro kĩrĩa ngaarĩkanĩra nao, rĩrĩa ngaamehereria mehia mao.”
And they shall see the fulfilment of my Covenant, when I have taken 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,
From the stand-point of the Good News, the Jews are God’s enemies on your account; but from the stand-point of God’s selection, they are dear to him on account of the Patriarchs.
29 nĩgũkorwo iheo iria Ngai aheanaga na gwĩtana kũrĩa etanaga nakuo ndacookaga kwĩricũkwo.
For God never regrets his gifts or his Call.
30 O ta ũrĩa inyuĩ hĩndĩ ĩmwe mwaremeire Ngai, no rĩu nĩamũiguĩrĩire tha nĩ ũndũ wa ũremi wao-rĩ,
Just as you at one time were disobedient to him, but have now found mercy in the day of their disobedience;
31 rĩu no taguo o nao matuĩkĩte aremi, nĩgeetha o nao rĩu maiguĩrwo tha nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa Ngai amũiguĩrĩire tha.
so, too, they have now become disobedient in your day of mercy, in order that they also in their turn may now find mercy.
For God has given all alike over to disobedience, that to all alike he may show mercy. (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! the unfathomable wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments, how untraceable his ways! Yes —
34 “Nũũ ũmenyete meciiria ma Mwathani? Kana nũũ ũkoretwo akĩmũtaara?”
‘Who has ever comprehended the mind of the Lord? Who has ever become his counsellor?
35 “Nũũ wanahe Ngai kĩndũ, atĩ nĩguo Ngai acooke amũrĩhe kĩndũ kĩu?”
Or who has first given to him, so that he may claim a recompense?’
