Maroma 9
1 Ni wamba vuniti mwa Kreste, kani chengi, mi muhupulo wangu uhindite vupaki name muluho lu Jolola,
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 kuti kwangu kwina kulira kukando niku chiswa ku nkulo kusa mani.
when I declare that I have deep grief and unceasing anguish of heart.
3 Kaho ni sepa kuti ime ni mwine ni kutiwe nikuvikwa ku mbali kuzwa kwa kreste che vaka lya vamukulwangu, avo va mushovo wangu chokuya ke nyana.
For I could pray to be accursed from Christ on behalf of my brethren, my human kinsfolk--for such the Israelites are.
4 Ma isilaele. vena ku añulwa, inkanya, chilikani, impo zo mulao, kulumbeka kwe Ireeza, ni nsepiso.
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 Va sukukulu vava sukulu kwava kazwi Kreste wa keza ni kute kwi nyama- Iye yali Ireeza konse. Alumbekwe kuya kwile. 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 Kono kena kuti insepiso za Ireeza za kanga. Kaho kena vonse vena mwa Isilaele vazwa mwa Isilaele.
Not however that God's word has failed; for all who have sprung from Israel do not count as Israel,
7 mane ni vaana va Abrahama vaana vakwe ve niti. Kono, “nji ka Isaac kuti vaana venu kava sumpwe.”
nor because they are Abraham's true children. But the promise was "Through Isaac shall your posterity be reckoned."
8 Icho njikuti, vaana ve nyama kena vaana ve Ireeza. Kono vaana ve nsepiso va vikitwe nji vaana.
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 Kaho ilyi nji linzwi lye nsepiso: “keyi nako munize, mi mwana kahewe kwa Sarah.”
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 Isiñi fela ichi, kono haisi Rebecca naye ava zalwa cha mukwame yenke, Ishetu Isaac-
Nor is that all: later on there was Rebecca too. She was soon to bear two children to her husband, our forefather Isaac--
11 kaho vaana kena vavali kuzalitwe mi kena vava pangi chintu chilotu kapa chimbi, njokuti intokwahalo za Ireeza chokuya chokuli ketela chiwole kuzimana, isiñi cha mitendo, koho chevaka lyakwe yo sumpa-
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 iva wambwa kwali, “mukulwana ka seveleze muhwile.”
"The elder of them will be bondservant to the younger."
13 iswana sina muiva ñolelwa: “Jacovo niva kumusaka, kono Esau niva kumutoyete.”
This agrees with the other Scripture which says, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
14 Cwale he katu wambe nzi? kwina kusa jolola ni Ireeza? kanji ipangahali.
What then are we to infer? That there is injustice in God?
15 Kaho uwamba kwa Mushe, “kanive ni chishemo kozo yete ninive ni chishemo, mi kanive ni nkumbo kwali yete ninive ni kumbo.”
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 Cwalehe, kena kuti nji kwakwe we ntato, kapa iye yo mata, kono ivaka lya Ireeza, yo vonisa chishemo.
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 Kaho iñolo lyi wamba kwa Pharoah, “kelyi vaka niva kunyemuni, njokuti ni sondeze manta angu kwako, mi hape kuti izina lyangu lyive kuwambwa mwifasi lyonse.”
"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 Cwalehe, Ireeza wina chishemo kwavo va saka, mi avo va saka, uvapanga kusa zuwa.
This is a proof that wherever He chooses He shows mercy, and wherever he chooses He hardens the heart.
19 Kamuwambe cwalehe kwangu, “chinzi hasi wana zifoso? kaho yense ya vazimani he ntato yakwe?”
"Why then does God still find fault?" you will ask; "for who is resisting His will?"
20 kwimbali imwi, mukwame, njeweni witava havusu vwe Ireeza? kana china chiva vumbwa kachiwole kuwamba kozo yava chivumbi, “Chinzi hova ni pangi mwinzila umu?”
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 muvumbi kena mulao hewulu lye tope kupanga kwi lambi iswana ni chivikilo cho musevezi wo vutokwa, mi ni chimwi chivikilo chokusevelisa izuva ni zuva?
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 Cwale haiva Ireeza, ya saka ku vonisa vukali niku panga manta akwe aziveke, ava lindizi ninkulo inde yo kuvika vukali vwakwe che nchanganiso?
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 Cwale kape ava pangi izi njokuti ezivahaze chifumu che nkanya yakwe mukati kezi vukilo ze chishemo, yava vikili kumasule inkanya?
in order to make known His infinite goodness towards the subjects of His mercy whom He has prepared beforehand for glory,
24 Cwale kape ava chitupangili naswe, avo vava sumpi hape, isiñi fela mukati ka Majuda, kono hape niku ma Genitiles?
even towards us whom He has called not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles?
25 Sina ha wamba hape mwa Hosea: “kani sumpe vantu vangu vasena vavali vantu vangu, ni musakiwa wakwe yasena va kusakwa.
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 mi kaive kuti kuiva ka wambwa kuvali iva wambwa kuvali, 'kena muvantu vangu; aho kavasumpwe' vaana ve Ireeza yo hala.'”
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 Isaya ulila Isilaele, “haiva i nombolo ya vaana va Isilaele iswana sina ivu lye wate, kaive za shala kwezo ziva hazwa.
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 Kaho Simwine mwahinde linzwi lyakwe he fasi, yahanu niku mana.
for the Lord will hold a reckoning upon the earth, making it efficacious and brief."
29 Mi iswana sina Isaya hava wambi, “haiva Simwine kena va siyi vaana
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 Katu wambenzi cwale? kuti ma Genitiles, kena vave chilili kuchena, kuchena kwe ntumero.
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 Kono Isilaele, vave chilili kuchena ko mulao, kena vava siki koo.
while the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a Law that could give righteousness, have not arrived at one.
32 Ivaka ncinzi? kakuti kena vava ichilili che tumero, kono che misevezi. Vava nkumi hechwe lyokukuma,
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 sina muivañolelwe, “lole, ni lele mwa Zion ichwe lyokukuma ni hechwe lya mafosisa. iye ya zumina muchili kete aswaviswe.”
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."
