Ròm 9
1 M ap di nou verite nan Kris la, mwen p ap bay manti. Konsyans mwen temwaye pou mwen nan Lespri Sen an,
I am speaking the truth as one in union with Christ; it is no lie; and my conscience, enlightened by the Holy Spirit,
2 ke mwen gen yon gran tristès ak doulè san rete nan kè mwen.
bears me out when I say that there is a great weight of sorrow on me and that my heart is never free from pain.
3 Paske mwen te kab vle ke se mwen menm ki te kondane, separe de Kris pou lanmou frè m yo, fanmi mwen, selon lachè.
I could wish that I were myself accursed and severed from the Christ, for the sake of my people – my own flesh and blood.
4 Yo se Izrayelit ki te resevwa adopsyon kòm fis yo, ak laglwa akò yo, don Lalwa a, sèvis nan tanp lan, ak tout pwomès yo;
For they are Israelites, and theirs are the adoption as children, the visible presence, the covenants, the revealed Law, the Temple worship, and the promises.
5 ki gen patriyach yo, e ki se zansèt a Kris la selon lachè; Li menm ki sou tout bagay, Bondye beni pou tout tan an. Amen. (aiōn g165)
They are descended from the patriarchs, and, as far as his human nature was concerned, from them came the Christ – he who is supreme over all things, God for ever blessed. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 Men se pa kòmsi pawòl Bondye a fè fayit. Paske se pa yo tout ki Izrayelit ki sòti nan ras Israël,
Not that God’s Word has failed. For it is not all who are descended from Israel who are true Israelites;
7 ni se pa tout pitit ki sòti nan Abraham ki se pitit li. Men: “Selon Isaac desandan ou yo va nonmen”.
nor, because they are Abraham’s descendants, are they all his children; but – ‘It is Isaac’s children who will be called your descendants.’
8 Sa vle di, se pa zanfan lachè yo ki se pitit Bondye, men zanfan a pwomès la ki konsidere kòm erityè yo.
This means that it is not the children born in the course of nature who are God’s children, but it is the children born in fulfillment of the promise who are to be regarded as Abraham’s descendants.
9 Paske men pawòl a pwomès la: “Nan moman apwente a, m ap vini e Sarah va gen yon fis.”
For these words are the words of a promise – ‘About this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.’
10 Epi se pa sèlman sa, men te genRebecca osi, lè li te fè jimo yo pou yon sèl moun, Isaac, papa nou.
Nor is that all. There is also the case of Rebecca, when she was about to bear children to our ancestor Isaac.
11 Paske malgre jimo yo potko fèt e potko fè anyen ni byen ni mal, pou volonte Bondye selon chwa li ta kanpe, pa akoz zèv yo, men akoz Li menm, Bondye, ki fè apèl la,
For in order that the purpose of God, working through selection, might not fail – a selection depending, not on obedience, but on his call – Rebecca was told, before her children were born and before they had done anything either right or wrong,
12 Li te di a Rebecca: “Pi gran an va sèvi pi piti a”.
that the elder would be a servant to the younger.
13 Jan sa ekri a: “Jacob Mwen te renmen an, men Ésaü mwen te rayi a”.
The words of scripture are – ‘I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.’
14 Ki sa nou kapab di konsa? Èske gen lenjistis avèk Bondye? Fòk nou konprann sa pa janm fèt!
What are we to say, then? Is God guilty of injustice? Heaven forbid!
15 Paske Li di a Moïse: “Mwen va bay mizerikòd a sila ke m vle bay mizerikòd, e konpasyon pou sa ke m vle gen konpasyon.”
For his words to Moses are – ‘I will take pity on whom I take pity, and be merciful to whom I am merciful.’
16 Konsa, sa pa depann de moun ki vle a oubyen moun ki kouri a, men de Bondye ki vle bay mizerikòd la.
So, then, all depends, not on human wishes or human efforts, but on God’s mercy.
17 Paske Lekriti a di a Farawon: “Pou rezon sa a menm, Mwen te leve ou, pou montre pouvwa Mwen nan ou, pou non Mwen kapab pwoklame toupatou nan lemonn.”
In scripture, again, it is said to Pharaoh – ‘It was for this purpose that I raised you to the throne, to show my power by my dealings with you, and to make my name known throughout the world.’
18 Konsa, L ap fè mizerikòd a sila Li vle a, e l ap fè kè di a sila Li pito a.
So, then, where God wills, he takes pity, and where he wills, he hardens the heart.
19 Konsa nou va di m: “Poukisa Li toujou jwenn fot? Kilès ki kab reziste a volonte Li.”
Perhaps you will say to me – ‘How can anyone still be blamed? For who withstands his purpose?’
20 Okontrè, kilès ou ye, o lòm, k ap bay Bondye repons lan? Bagay ki moulen avèk ajil la pa kapab di a moun ki fè l la: “Poukisa ou te fè m konsa?” Se pa sa?
I might rather ask ‘Who are you who are arguing with God?’ Does a thing which a person has moulded say to the person who has moulded it ‘Why did you make me like this?’
21 Èske mèt kanari a pa gen dwa sou ajil la, pou l sèvi menm sous ajil la pou fè yon kanari gwo valè e yon kanari komen?
Has not the potter absolute power over their clay, so that out of the same lump they make one thing for better, and another for common, use?
22 Kisa, si Bondye, malgre volonte L pou montre lakòlè Li, ak fè moun wè pwisans Li, te andire avèk anpil pasyans ak veso lakòlè ki te prepare pou detwi yo.
And what if God, intending to reveal his displeasure and make his power known, bore most patiently with the objects of his displeasure, though they were fit only to be destroyed,
23 Epi Li te fè sa pou Li ta kapab fè wè richès laglwa Li sou veso mizerikòd yo, ke li te prepare davans pou glwa Li,
so as to make known his surpassing glory in dealing with the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared beforehand for glory,
24 menm nou menm ke Li te rele osi yo, non sèlman pami Jwif yo, men anplis pami pèp etranje yo.
and whom he called – even us – not only from among the Jews but from among the Gentiles also!
25 Jan Li di osi nan Osée a: “Mwen va rele sila ki pa te pèp mwen yo, ‘pèp mwen’, e sila ki pa t byeneme Mwen yo, ‘byeneme’”
This, indeed, is what he says in the book of Hosea – ‘Those who were not my people, I will call my people, and those who were unloved I will love.
26 “Epi li va rive ke nan plas kote Li te di yo a: ‘Nou pa pèp mwen’, la menm, yo va rele yo fis a Bondye Vivan an.’”
And in the place where it was said to them – “You are not my people”, they will be called sons of the living God.’
27 Ésaïe te kriye fò pou Israël: “Malgre fis a Israël yo anpil tankou grenn sab lanmè, se yon ti retay ki va sove”.
And Isaiah cries aloud over Israel – ‘Though the sons of Israel are like the sand of the sea in number, only a remnant of them will escape!
28 “Paske Bondye va egzekite pawòl Li sou latè avèk vitès, san manke anyen.
For the Lord will execute his sentence on the world, fully and without delay.’
29 Epi jan Ésaïe te prevwa a: “Amwenske Senyè dèzame yo pa t kite yon posterite pou nou, nou ta devni tankou Sodome; nou ta sanble Gomorrhe.”
It is as Isaiah foretold – ‘Had not the Lord of Hosts spared some few of our people to us, we should have become like Sodom and been made to resemble Gomorrah.’
30 Konsa, kisa nou kapab di? Ke pèp etranje yo, ki pa t chache ladwati Bondye a, te twouve ladwati, ladwati menm ki pa lafwa a.
What are we to say, then? Why, that Gentiles, who were not in search of righteousness, secured it – a righteousness which was the result of faith;
31 Men Israël ki t ap chèche yon lwa ladwati, pa t rive nan lwa sa a.
while Israel, which was in search of a Law which would ensure righteousness, failed to discover one.
32 Poukisa? Paske yo pa t chèche li pa lafwa, men konsi se te pa zèv. Yo te bite, sou wòch bite a.
And why? Because they looked to obedience, and not to faith, to secure it. They stumbled over the stumbling-block.
33 Jis jan sa ekri a: “Gade, m ap mete yon wòch nan Sion k ap fè moun bite; yon wòch k ap yon ofans, e sila ki kwè nan Li Menm nan, p ap janm desi.”
As scripture says – ‘See, I place a stumbling-block in Zion – a rock which will prove a hindrance; and he who believes in him will have no cause for shame.’
