Ndị Rom 9
1 Ana m ekwu eziokwu nʼime Kraịst. Anaghị m ekwu okwu ụgha. Akọnuche m nke Mmụọ Nsọ na-achị na-agbakwara m ama.
I am telling you the truth as a Christian man--it is no falsehood, for my conscience enlightened, as it is, by the Holy Spirit adds its testimony to mine--
2 A nọ m nʼọnọdụ oke ihe mwute na ihe mgbu dị ukwuu nʼobi m.
when I declare that I have deep grief and unceasing anguish of heart.
3 A sị na ọ bụ ihe ga-ekwe mee, ejikeere m ịbụ onye a bụrụ ọnụ na onye e wepụrụ site nʼebe Kraịst nọ nʼihi ụmụnna m na ndị ikwu m,
For I could pray to be accursed from Christ on behalf of my brethren, my human kinsfolk--for such the Israelites are.
4 bụ ndị Izrel. Ndị Chineke họọrọ ka ha bụrụ ụmụ ya, ndị o nyere ebube ya na ọgbụgba ndụ ya. O nyekwara ha iwu na ife ofufe nʼụlọnsọ ukwu ahụ na ọtụtụ nkwa dị iche iche.
To them belongs recognition as God's sons, and they have His glorious Presence and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the Temple service, and the ancient Promises.
5 Ha si nʼagbụrụ nna nna anyị ochie ha. Kraịst nʼonwe ya, nʼụdịdị mmadụ, sikwa nʼagbụrụ ha pụta, onye bụ Chineke nke ihe niile, onye a na-eto ruo ebighị ebi. Amen. (aiōn g165)
To them the Patriarchs belong, and from them in respect of His human lineage came the Christ, who is exalted above all, God blessed throughout the Ages. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 Ọ bụghị dị ka a ga-asị na okwu Chineke na-ala azụ. Nʼihi na ọ bụghị onye ọbụla a mụrụ nʼezinaụlọ ndị Izrel bụ onye Izrel.
Not however that God's word has failed; for all who have sprung from Israel do not count as Israel,
7 Na ha sitere nʼagbụrụ Ebraham pụta emeghị ka ha bụrụ ụmụ Ebraham nʼezie. Ma nʼakụkụ nke ọzọ, “Ọ bụ site nʼAịzik ka a ga-akpọ mkpụrụ gị aha.”
nor because they are Abraham's true children. But the promise was "Through Isaac shall your posterity be reckoned."
8 Nke a na-egosi na ọ bụghị ndị niile a mụrụ na-anụ ahụ bụ ụmụ Chineke, kama ụmụ ndị ahụ e kwere na nkwa bụ ndị a na-agụnye dị ka ụmụ Ebraham site na nkwa ahụ.
In other words, it is not the children by natural descent who count as God's children, but the children made such by the promise are regarded as Abraham's posterity.
9 Lee ka e si kwee nkwa ahụ, “Mgbe oge ahụ a kara aka ruru, aga m alọghachi, Sera ga-amụkwa nwa nwoke.”
For the words are the language of promise and run thus, "About this time next year I will come, and Sarah shall have a son."
10 Ọ bụghị naanị nke a. Ụmụ Ribeka si nʼotu nna, ya bụ nna nna anyị Aịzik.
Nor is that all: later on there was Rebecca too. She was soon to bear two children to her husband, our forefather Isaac--
11 Ma tupu a mụọ ụmụ ejima ndị a, ma ọ bụkwanụ tupu ha emee ihe ọbụla dị mma maọbụ nke dị njọ, iji mee ka ọchịchọ Chineke banyere nhọpụta ha guzoro,
and even then, though they were not then born and had not done anything either good or evil, yet in order that God's electing purpose might not be frustrated, based, as it was, not on their actions but on the will of Him who called them, she was told,
12 ọ bụghị site nʼọrụ kama ọ bụ site nʼonye ahụ nke na-akpọ, nʼihi na a gwara ya sị, “Nke okenye ga-ejere nke nta ozi.”
"The elder of them will be bondservant to the younger."
13 Dịka e dere ya, “Jekọb ka m hụrụ nʼanya ma Ịsọ ka m kpọrọ asị.”
This agrees with the other Scripture which says, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
14 Gịnịkwa ka anyị ga-ekwu? Chineke ọ bụ onye ajọ omume? Mba!
What then are we to infer? That there is injustice in God?
15 Nʼihi na ọ gwara Mosis, “Onye m chọrọ imere ebere ka m ga-emere ebere, ọ bụkwa onye m chọrọ imere ọmịiko ka m ga-enwere ọmịiko.”
No, indeed; the solution is found in His words to Moses, "Wherever I show mercy it shall be nothing but mercy, and wherever I show compassion it shall be simply compassion."
16 Ya mere, ọ dabereghị nʼọchịchọ nke mmadụ maọbụ ịrụsị ọrụ ike ya kama ọ dabere nʼebere Chineke.
And from this we learn that everything is dependent not on man's will or endeavour, but upon God who has mercy. For the Scripture said to Pharaoh,
17 Nʼihi nʼakwụkwọ nsọ gwara Fero, “Emere m ka ị bụrụ ihe ị bụ nʼihi nke a, ka m were gị zipụta ike m, ka e nwe ike kwusaa aha m nʼụwa niile.”
"It is for this very purpose that I have lifted you so high--that I may make manifest in you My power, and that My name may be proclaimed far and wide in all the earth."
18 Ọ pụtara ihe na ọ bụ naanị ndị Chineke chọrọ ka ọ na-emere ebere, ndị ọ chọkwara ka ọ na-eme ka ha bụrụ ndị obi ha kpọchiri akpọchi.
This is a proof that wherever He chooses He shows mercy, and wherever he chooses He hardens the heart.
19 Ma eleghị anya unu pụrụ ịgwa m, “Gịnị kwanụ mere o ji ata anyị ụta? Onye kwanụ pụrụ iguzogide ihe o zubere ime?”
"Why then does God still find fault?" you will ask; "for who is resisting His will?"
20 Onye ka ị bụ gị mmadụ efu, iji ajụ Chineke ajụjụ? “Nkata mmadụ na-akpa ọ ga-ajụ onye na-akpa ya ajụjụ, ‘Onye sị gị kpaa m otu a?’”
Nay, but who are you, a mere man, that you should cavil against GOD? Shall the thing moulded say to him who moulded it, "Why have you made me thus?"
21 Otu a kwa, onye ọkpụ ite o nweghị ike isite nʼotu ụrọ ahụ o nwere kpụọ ụdị ite ọbụla masịrị ya, ụfọdụ ite pụrụ iche na ụfọdụ e ji eje ozi nʼụlọ?
Or has not the potter rightful power over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for more honourable and another for less honourable uses?
22 Ọ bụrụkwanụ na Chineke ekpebie igosi iwe ya na ime ka a mara ike ya site nʼinwe oke ndidi banyere ndị oke iwe ya ga-adakwasị bụ ndị a kwadoro maka mbibi?
And what if God, while choosing to make manifest the terrors of His anger and to show what is possible with Him, has yet borne with long-forbearing patience with the subjects of His anger who stand ready for destruction,
23 Ma ọ bụrụkwanụ na o mere nke a iji mee ka ndị ahụ ọ na-emere ebere mata ịba ụba nke ebube ya, bụ ndị o bururị ụzọ kwadoo maka ebube a.
in order to make known His infinite goodness towards the subjects of His mercy whom He has prepared beforehand for glory,
24 Ọ bụladị anyị bụ ndị ọ kpọkwara, ọ bụghị naanị site na ndị Juu kama site na ndị mba ọzọ?
even towards us whom He has called not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles?
25 Dịka o kwuru nʼakwụkwọ Hosiya, “Aga m akpọ ha ‘ndị m,’ bụ ndị na-abụghị ndị m. Aga m akpọkwa ya ‘onye m hụrụ nʼanya’ bụ onye m na-ahụghị nʼanya.”
So also in Hosea He says, "I will call that nation My People which was not My People, and I will call her beloved who was not beloved.
26 Ma, “Nʼotu ebe ahụ a nọ sị ha, ‘Unu abụghị ndị m,’ bụkwa ebe a ga-anọ kpọọ ha, ‘Ụmụ nke Chineke dị ndụ.’”
And in the place where it was said to them, 'No people of Mine are you,' there shall they be called sons of the everliving God."
27 Aịzaya bere akwa nʼihi ụmụ Izrel, “Ọ bụ ezie na ọnụọgụgụ ụmụ Izrel dịka uzuzu dị nʼakụkụ osimiri, maọbụ naanị mmadụ ole na ole ka a ga-azọpụta.
And Isaiah cries aloud concerning Israel, "Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sands of the sea, only a remnant of them shall be saved;
28 Nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị na-aga ikpe ụwa a ikpe. Ọ ga-eme ọsịịsọ nʼikpe ahụ ma kpebie ya.”
for the Lord will hold a reckoning upon the earth, making it efficacious and brief."
29 Ọ bụkwa dịka Aịzaya kwuru na mbụ, “Ọ bụrụ na Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile ahapụrụghị anyị ụmụ ụmụ, anyị gara adị ka Sọdọm, anyị gaara adịkwa ka Gọmọra.”
Even as Isaiah says in an earlier place, "Were it not that the Lord, the God of Hosts, had left us some few descendants, we should have become like Sodom, and have come to resemble Gomorrah."
30 Gịnịkwa ka anyị ga-ekwu? Anyị ga-asị na o enyela ndị mba ọzọ na-enweghị oge ha gbasoro ezi omume, ma ha natara ya, bụ ezi omume nke sitere nʼokwukwe,
To what conclusion does this bring us? Why, that the Gentiles, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have overtaken it--a righteousness, however, which arises from faith;
31 ma ndị Izrel na-agbaso iwu nke ezi omume, enwebeghị ike ime onwe ha ndị a ga-anabata.
while the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a Law that could give righteousness, have not arrived at one.
32 Gịnị gbochiri ha? Ọ bụ nʼihi na ha agbasoghị ya site nʼokwukwe. Kama ha chere na ọ bụ site nʼọrụ. Ha zọhiere ụkwụ nʼoke nkume ịsọ ngọngọ ahụ.
And why? Because they were pursuing a righteousness which should arise not from faith, but from what they regarded as merit. They stuck their foot against the stone which lay in their way;
33 Dịka e dere ya, “Lee, ana m atọgbọ na Zayọn nkume nke na-eme ka ndị mmadụ sọọ ngọngọ, oke nkume nke na-eme ka ha daa. Ma onye nke kweere na ya, agaghị eme ka ihere mee ya.”
in agreement with the statement of Scripture, "See, I am placing on Mount Zion a stone for people to stumble at, and a rock for them to trip over, and yet he whose faith rests upon it shall never have reason to feel ashamed."
