Ndị Hibru 11
1 Ugbu a, okwukwe bụ inwe obi ike banyere ihe ndị a na-ele anya ha na inwe owuweanya banyere ihe a na-ahụbeghị anya.
Faith is the realisation of things hoped for — the proof of things not seen.
2 Nʼihi na ọ bụ site nʼokwukwe ka e ji gbaara ndị ochie ama.
And it was for faith that the men of old were renowned.
3 Ọ bụ site nʼokwukwe ka anyị ji ghọta na e mere ụwa na ihe niile anyị na-ahụ anya site nʼokwu Chineke. Nʼihi nke a, ihe anyị na-ahụ anya ugbu a bụ ihe e mere site nʼihe anyị na-adịghị ahụ anya. (aiōn g165)
Faith enables us to perceive that the universe was created at the bidding of God — so that we know that what we see was not made out of visible things. (aiōn g165)
4 Ebel sitere nʼokwukwe chụọ aja dị mma nye Chineke karịa aja nke Ken chụrụ; nke e si na ya gụnye ya nʼonye ezi omume. Chineke kwuru okwu banyere onyinye ya. Ma ugbu a, ọ bụ ezie na ọ nwụọlarị ma ọ ka na-ekwu okwu site nʼokwukwe.
Faith made the sacrifice which Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain’s, and won him renown as a righteous man, God himself establishing his renown by accepting his gifts; and it is by the example of his faith that Abel, though dead, still speaks.
5 E sitere nʼokwukwe kupu Enọk nke pụtara na ọ nwụghị anwụ, a hụkwaghị ya ọzọ nʼihi na Chineke akpọrọla ya. Ma tupu e kuru ya, e mere ka anyị mara na ọ mere ihe masịrị Chineke.
Faith led to Enoch’s removal from earth, that he might not experience death. ‘He could not be found because God had removed him.’ For, before his removal, he was renowned as having pleased God;
6 Ọ bụ ihe siri ike mmadụ ime ihe ga-atọ ya ụtọ ma ọ bụrụ na onye ahụ enweghị okwukwe. Nʼihi na onye na-abịakwute Chineke nso aghaghị ikwe na ọ dị. Na ọ bụkwa onye na-akwụghachi onye ọbụla na-achọsi ya ike ụgwọ.
but without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that God exists, and that he rewards those who seek for him.
7 Site nʼokwukwe, Noa, onye nke a dọrọ aka na ntị gbasara ihe ndị a na-ahụbeghị anya, gere ntị ma ruo ụgbọ mmiri maka nzọpụta nke ezinaụlọ ya. Site na nke a, ọ mara ụwa ikpe, ma bụrụ onye nketa nke ezi omume sitere nʼokwukwe.
It was faith that enabled Noah, after he had received the divine warning about what could not then be foreseen, to build, in reverent obedience, an ark in which to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world, and became possessed of that righteousness which follows upon faith.
8 Site nʼokwukwe, Ebraham rubere isi mgbe a kpọrọ ya ka ọ hapụ, gaa nʼala ahụ nke ọ ga-enweta dịka ihe nketa. Ọ gawara nʼamaghị ebe ọ na-aga.
It was faith that enabled Abraham to obey the Call that he received, and to set out for the place which he was afterwards to obtain as his own; and he set out not knowing where he was going.
9 Okwukwe ka o jiri biri dịka ọbịa nʼala ahụ e kwere ya na nkwa, na-ebi nʼụlọ ikwu, ya na Aịzik na Jekọb, bụ ndị e kwere ya na ha otu nkwa ahụ.
It was faith that made him go to live as an emigrant in the Promised Land — as in a strange country — living there in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who shared the promise with him.
10 Nʼihi na ọ na-ele anya ala ahụ nke nwere ntọala, nke onye tụrụ atụmatụ ya ma wuokwa ya bụ Chineke.
For he was looking for the City with the sure foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11 Site nʼokwukwe ọ natara ike ọmụmụ. Ọ bụ ezie na ọ gafeela oge ịmụta nwa, ọ bụladị Sera nʼonwe ya bụ nwanyị aga, nʼihi na ọ gụrụ onye ahụ kwere ya nkwa dị ka onye kwesiri ntụkwasị obi.
Again, it was faith that enabled Sarah to conceive (though she was past the age for child-bearing), because she felt sure that he who had given her the promise would not fail her.
12 Ya mere site nʼotu onye a, onye a gụrụ dị ka onye nwụrụ anwụ ka e si nweta ụmụ ndị ọnụọgụgụ ha dị ka kpakpando dị na mbara eluigwe, dị ka aja dị nʼakụkụ osimiri.
And so from one man — and that when his powers were dead — there sprang a people as numerous ‘as the stars in the heavens or the countless grains of sand upon the shore.’
13 Ndị a niile nwere okwukwe nwụrụ na-anataghị nkwa ahụ, ma site nʼebe dị anya ha hụrụ ma nabatakwa nkwa ndị a. Ha kwupụtakwara na ha bụ ndị ọbịa na ndị mba ọzọ nʼụwa.
All these died sustained by faith. They did not obtain the promised blessings, but they saw them from a distance and welcomed the sight, and they acknowledged themselves to be only aliens and strangers on the earth.
14 Ndị na-ekwu otu a na-ezipụta na ha na-ele anya obodo nke aka ha.
Those who speak thus show plainly that they are seeking their fatherland.
15 Ọ bụrụ na ha na-eche echiche banyere obodo nke ha hapụrụ, ha gaara enwe ohere ịlaghachi azụ.
If they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they could have found opportunities to return.
16 Ma otu ọ dị, ha na-elesi anya ike maka obodo ahụ ka mma, bụ nke dị nʼeluigwe. Ya mere, ọ dịghị eme Chineke ihere ka a kpọ ya Chineke ha, nʼihi na o dozielara ha ebe obibi.
But no, they were longing for a better, a heavenly, land! And therefore God was not ashamed to be called their God; indeed he had already prepared them a city.
17 Site nʼokwukwe Ebraham ji Aịzik chụọ aja mgbe a nwalere ya. Onye ahụ natara ihe ndị ahụ e kwere nkwa, dị njikere iji otu nwa ahụ o nwere chụọ aja,
It was faith that enabled Abraham, when put to the test, to offer Isaac as a sacrifice — he who had received the promises offering up his only son,
18 ọ bụ ezie na Chineke kwuru maka ya, “Ọ bụ site nʼAịzik ka a ga-akpọ mkpụrụ gị aha.”
of whom it had been said — ‘It is through Isaac that there shall be descendants to bear thy name.’
19 Ebraham chere na Chineke pụrụ ime ka onye nwụrụ anwụ site nʼọnwụ bilie, dịka ihe ịma atụ otu ahụ ka o mekwara, nʼihi na ọ nataghachikwara ya.
For he argued that God was able even to raise a man from the dead — and indeed, figuratively speaking, Abraham did receive Isaac back from the dead.
20 Ọ bụ okwukwe ka Aịzik jiri nye Jekọb na Ịsọ ngọzị banyere ihe dị nʼihu.
It was faith that enabled Isaac to bless Jacob and Esau, even with regard to the future.
21 Ọ bụ okwukwe ka Jekọb ji gọzie ụmụ Josef nʼotu nʼotu tupu ọ nwụọ. Ọ kpọrọ isiala dịka ọ dabere nʼelu mkpanaka ya.
Faith enabled Jacob, when dying, to give his blessing to each of the sons of Joseph, and ‘to bow himself in worship as he leant upon the top of his staff.’
22 Nʼọgwụgwụ ndụ ya, Josef sitere nʼokwukwe kwuo banyere ọpụpụ ụmụ Izrel ma nyekwa ntụziaka banyere olili ọkpụkpụ ya.
Faith caused Joseph, when his end was near, to speak of the future migration of the Israelites, and to give instructions with regard to his bones.
23 Okwukwe ka nne na nna Mosis ji zobe ya ọnwa atọ mgbe a mụrụ ya, nʼihi na ha hụrụ na ọ bụ nwa mara mma. Ha atụkwaghị egwu iwu eze ala Ijipt bụ Fero nyere.
Faith caused the parents of Moses to hide the child for three months after his birth, for they saw that he was a beautiful child; and they would not respect the King’s order.
24 Site nʼokwukwe, Mosis e kweghị aza nwa ada Fero mgbe o tolitere.
It was faith that caused Moses, when he was grown up, to refuse the title of ‘Son of a Daughter of Pharaoh.’
25 Ọ họọrọ isoro ụmụ Chineke keta oke na mmegbu ha karịa inwe aṅụrị nke mmehie.
He preferred sharing the hardships of God’s People to enjoying the short-lived pleasures of sin.
26 O kpebiri na ọ bụ ihe karịchara mma ịhụ ahụhụ nʼihi Kraịst, kama inweju akụ niile nke Ijipt afọ. Nʼihi na o nwere olileanya maka ụgwọ ọrụ dị nʼihu.
For he counted ‘the reproaches that are heaped upon the Christ’ of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, looking forward, as he did, to the reward awaiting him.
27 Okwukwe ka ọ ji hapụ Ijipt. Ọ tụghị egwu iwe eze, ma ọ tachịrị obi ya dịka ọ hụrụ onye ahụ a na-apụghị ịhụ anya.
Faith caused him to leave Egypt, though undaunted by the King’s anger, for he was strengthened in his endurance by the vision of the invisible God.
28 O sitekwara nʼokwukwe debe Mmemme Ngabiga. O fesara ọbara ka onye mbibi nke ụmụ nwoke mbụ, hapụ ịmetụ ụmụ nwoke mbụ ndị Izrel aka.
Faith led him to institute the Passover and the Sprinkling of the Blood, so that the Destroyer might not touch the eldest children of the Israelites.
29 Ha gafere Osimiri Uhie site nʼokwukwe dị ka a ga-asị na ọ bụ ala efu. Ma mgbe ndị Ijipt nwara ime nke a, mmiri lomiri ha niile.
Faith enabled the people to cross the Red Sea, as if it had been dry land, while the Egyptians, when they attempted to do so, were drowned.
30 Mgbidi Jeriko dara mgbe ha jiri okwukwe gaa ya gburugburu ụbọchị asaa.
Faith caused the walls of Jericho to fall after being encircled for seven days.
31 Site nʼokwukwe, Rehab nwanyị akwụna esoghị ndị nnupu isi laa nʼiyi nʼihi na ọ nabatara ndị bịara inyochapụta obodo ahụ nʼudo.
Faith saved Rahab, the prostitute, from perishing with the unbelievers, after she had entertained the spies with friendliness.
32 Olee ihe ọzọ m ga-ekwu? Oge ga-agwụnahụ m ikwu gbasara Gidiọn, na Barak, na Samsin, na Jefta, na Devid, na Samuel na ndị amụma,
Need I add anything more? Time would fail me if I attempted to relate the stories of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah, and those of David, Samuel, and the Prophets.
33 ndị sitere nʼokwukwe merie ọtụtụ alaeze, kpeekwa ikpe nkwụmọtọ, natakwa nkwa e kwere, ndị mechiri ọnụ ọdụm.
By their faith they subdued kingdoms, ruled righteously, gained the fulfilment of God’s promises, ‘shut the mouths of lions,’
34 Ha menyụrụ ọkụ dị egwu, gbanarị mma agha, nweta ike site nʼadịghị ike. Ha ghọkwara ndị dị ike nʼagha, chụlaa usuu ndị agha ndị mba ọzọ.
quelled the fury of the flames, escaped the edge of the sword, found strength in the hour of weakness, displayed their prowess in war, and routed hostile armies.
35 Ụmụ nwanyị natara ndị ha nwụrụ anwụ, site na mbilite nʼọnwụ. Ndị ọzọ naara ntaramahụhụ, ha jụrụ ịnata mgbapụta ka ha nwee ike nata mbilite nʼọnwụ ka mma.
Women received back their dead raised to life. Some were tortured on the wheel, and refused release in order that they might rise to a better life.
36 E ji ụfọdụ mere ihe ọchị, tiekwa ha ihe otiti, ọ bụladị ike ha agbụ na ịtụ ha mkpọrọ.
Others had to face taunts and blows, and even chains and imprisonment.
37 A tụrụ ụfọdụ nkume, kwọbie ụfọdụ abụọ. E ji mma agha gbuo ụfọdụ. Ụfọdụ yi akpụkpọ ewu na akpụkpọ atụrụ jegharịa. Ụfọdụ bụkwa ndị dara ụkpa. A kpagburu ụfọdụ, ma mejọọkwa ndị ọzọ.
They were stoned to death, they were tortured, they were swan asunder, they were put to the sword; they wandered about clothed in the skins of sheep or goats, destitute, persecuted, ill-used —
38 Ha wagharịrị nʼọzara na nʼugwu, nʼọgba nkume na nʼọnụ ala. Nʼanya ụwa, a gụrụ ha nʼihe efu.
men of whom the world was not worthy — roaming in lonely places, and on the mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
39 A gbaara ezigbo ama nʼisi ndị a niile nʼihi okwukwe ha, ma ha anataghị ihe ahụ e kwere ha na nkwa.
Yet, though they all won renown by their faith, they did not obtain the final fulfilment of God’s promise;
40 Otu ọ dị, Chineke akwadoberela anyị ihe kaara anyị mma, ka a ghara ime ka ha zuo oke ma e wepụ anyị.
since God had in view some better thing for us, that they, apart from us, should not attain perfection.
