< Abaruumi 1 >
1 Nze Pawulo, omuddu wa Yesu Kristo, Mukama waffe Kristo, nayitibwa okuba omutume, eyayawulibwa okubuulira Enjiri ya Katonda,
[I], Paul, who serve Christ Jesus, [am writing this letter]. God chose me to be an apostle, and I was appointed by him {he appointed me} in order that [I should proclaim] (the good message/the gospel) that [comes from him].
2 gye yasuubiriza mu bannabbi be mu byawandiikibwa ebitukuvu,
Long before [Jesus came to earth, God] promised [that he would reveal] this good message by means of what his prophets [wrote] in the sacred Scriptures.
3 ebyogera ku Mwana we, eyava mu zadde lya Dawudi mu mubiri,
This good message is [about the one whom we know as] his Son. As to his Son’s physical/human nature, he was born a descendant of [King] David.
4 eyakakasibwa okuba Omwana wa Katonda mu maanyi aga Mwoyo Mutukuvu olw’okuzuukira kw’abafu, ye Yesu Kristo Mukama waffe.
As to his divine nature, it was shown {[God] showed} powerfully that he is (God’s own Son/the man who is also God). [God] showed this by his Holy Spirit causing him to become alive again after he died. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.
5 Mu Yesu Kristo Mukama waffe, mwe twaweerwa ekisa, ne mpitibwa okuba omutume, amawanga gonna galyoke gamugondere mu kukkiriza ku lw’erinnya lye.
He is the one who appointed me, who did not deserve it, [to be] an apostle. He did that in order that [many] among the non-Jews would honor [him] and would obey him as a result of their believing [my message about him].
6 Nammwe muli mu abo abaayitibwa okuba abayigirizwa ba Yesu Kristo.
You [believers] who are living in Rome [city] are included among those whom God has chosen to belong to Jesus Christ.
7 Mpandikira abo bonna ababeera mu Ruumi, abaagalwa ba Katonda, abaayitibwa okuba abatukuvu. Ekisa n’emirembe ebiva eri Katonda Kitaffe ne Yesu Kristo Mukama waffe, bibeerenga nammwe.
[I am writing this letter] to all of [you in Rome] whom God loves and whom he has chosen [to become his] people. [I pray that] God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord will [continue to] act kindly toward you and [will continue to] cause you to have [inner] peace.
8 Okusooka neebaza nnyo Katonda wange ku lwammwe mwenna, ku bwa Yesu Kristo, olw’okukkiriza kwammwe okunywevu okwogerwako mu nsi yonna.
As I begin [this letter], I thank my God for all you [believers in Rome]. It is because of [what] Jesus Christ [has done for us that] I [am able to do that]. I thank him because your trusting [in Jesus Christ] is something that people all over [the Roman Empire] [HYP] are talking about.
9 Katonda gwe mpeereza n’omutima gwange gwonna nga mbulira Enjiri ey’Omwana we, ye mujulirwa wange, nga bwe mbasabira bulijjo,
God, whom I devotedly serve as I [proclaim to people] the gospel concerning his Son, knows that I tell the truth when I say that I always mention you whenever [DOU] I pray [to God] [HYP].
10 nga mbegayiririra bulijjo mu kusaba kwange, ndyoke nsobole okubatuukako nga Katonda bw’anaayagala.
I especially ask God that if he desires [me to visit you], somehow at last I shall be able to do so.
11 Kubanga neesunga nnyo okubalaba, ndyoke mbawe ku kirabo eky’omwoyo, mulyoke munywezebwe okutuuka ku nkomerero,
[I pray this] because I long to visit you to help you spiritually, in order that you will become stronger [spiritually].
12 kwe kugamba: twezengamu amaanyi ffekka ne ffekka olw’okukkiriza kwe tulina.
I long to visit you in order that you and I might encourage each other [by means of our sharing with each other] how each of us trusts [in Jesus].
13 Wabula njagala mumanye kino, abooluganda nti, Emirundi mingi nateekateeka okujja gye muli naye ne nziyizibwa okutuusa kaakano, ndyoke nkungule ebibala mu mmwe, nga bwe kiri mu mawanga amalala.
My fellow believers, many times I planned to visit you. I certainly want you to know [LIT] that. [But I have not been able to come to you because] I have been hindered {[things] have always prevented me} until the present time. I have wanted to come in order that I might help you to mature spiritually [IDM], as [I have helped people to mature spiritually] in many other non-Jewish groups [HYP].
14 Kubanga nnina ebbanja eri Abayonaani n’abatali Bayonaani, n’eri ab’amagezi n’eri abasirusiru,
I feel obliged [to proclaim the gospel to all non-Jewish people], specifically to [people who know] the Greek [language and culture] and to those who do not know it, to people who are educated and to those who are uneducated.
15 era nammwe ab’e Ruumi kyenva njagala okubabuulira Enjiri.
So what I have eagerly desired is that I might proclaim this good message to you who are living in Rome also.
16 Enjiri tenkwasa nsonyi: kubanga ge maanyi ga Katonda agalokola buli muntu akkiriza, okusooka eri Omuyudaaya n’eri Omunnamawanga.
[That leads me to say that] I very confidently proclaim [LIT] the good message [about what Christ has done], because this good message is the powerful [means] that God [uses] to save [from the guilt of their sins] all people who trust [in what Christ has done for them]. Specifically, God first has saved the Jews [who believe the good message], and then he has saved non-Jews.
17 Kubanga mu yo obutuukirivu bwa Katonda bubikkulibwa. Obutuukirivu obwo butuweebwa olw’okukkiriza, olw’okukkiriza kwokka, nga bwe kyawandiikibwa nti, “Abatuukirivu banaabeeranga balamu lwa kukkiriza.”
By means of this good message God reveals how he erases the record of people’s sins (OR, declares people no longer guilty for having sinned); and his doing this is entirely because [IDM] they trust [in Christ. This is confirmed] by what [a prophet long ago] wrote [that God said], “Those (whose record of sin [I] have erased/whom [I] have declared no longer guilty for sin) because they trust [in me] will live [forever].”
18 Kubanga obusungu bwa Katonda bubikkulibbwa okuva mu ggulu ku abo abatatya Katonda bonna n’abakaafiiri bonna ku bye bakola okuziyiza amazima okuvaayo.
From [where God rules in] heaven he is making it clear to all [non-Jewish] people who show no respect for God and who do wicked things, that he is angry with them [and that they deserve to be punished] {[that he would punish them]} [MTY]. By means of [their behaving] wickedly, they keep other people [from believing what they know] to be true [about God].
19 Kubanga ebisoboka okumanyibwa ku Katonda bibabikkuliddwa, kubanga Katonda abibalaze byonna mu bujjuvu.
[Everyone] can clearly know what God [is like], because God himself has revealed to everyone [what he is like].
20 Kubanga okuviira ddala ku kutondebwa kw’ensi, ebintu bye ebitalabika, bwe buyinza bwe obutaggwaawo n’obwa Katonda bwe, bitegeerwa ne birabikira ddala mu by’obutonde bwe, abantu balyoke baleme kubaako na kya kwewolereza. (aïdios )
[People] cannot see what God is like. But ever since he created the world, by means of what he created he has clearly revealed what he is like. He has made clear to everyone that he has always been able to do very powerful things. [Therefore, we should recognize that] God is powerful, [completely different from all that he created]. So no one has a basis for saying, [“We never knew about God].” (aïdios )
21 Kubanga newaakubadde nga Katonda bamumanyi, tebaamugulumiza nga Katonda wadde okumwebazanga, naye ne bagobereranga ebitaliimu mu mpaka zaabwe, omutima gwabwe omusirusiru ne gujjuzibwa ekizikiza.
Although [the non-Jews] knew what God [is like], they did not honor him as God, nor did they thank [him for what he had done]. But instead, they began to think foolish [things about him], and they became unable to understand [MET] [what he wanted them to know].
22 Beeyita ab’amagezi ne bafuuka abasirusiru,
Although they claimed that they were wise, they became foolish,
23 ne bawanyisa ekitiibwa kya Katonda ataggwaawo okukifaananyiriza ekifaananyi ky’omuntu aggwaawo, n’eky’ebinyonyi, n’eky’ebirina amagulu ana n’eky’ebyewalula.
and they refused to [admit that] God is glorious and will never die. Instead, they made and worshipped idols [that resembled people who] will some day die, and [then they made other idols that resembled] birds and four-footed animals, and [finally] they made idols that resembled reptiles.
24 Katonda kyeyava abaleka, emitima gyabwe ne girulunkanira eby’obugwagwa ne bawemula emibiri gyabwe bokka na bokka.
So God allowed [the non-Jews] do immoral sexual things that they [SYN] strongly desired, things [that their desires were compelling them to do]. As a result, they [began to] dishonor each other’s bodies [by their sexual actions].
25 Ne bafuula amazima ga Katonda okuba obulimba ne basinza era ne baweereza ebitonde, mu kifo ky’okusinza eyabitonda, eyeebazibwa emirembe n’emirembe. Amiina. (aiōn )
Also, they [chose to worship] false [gods] instead (of admitting/of choosing to believe) what is true [about] God. They worshipped and served things [that God] created instead of [worshipping and serving God himself], the one who created [everything. They did this even though] he [deserves that those he created] would forever praise him. Amen!/May it be so! (aiōn )
26 Katonda kyeyava abaleka ne beeyongera mu kwegomba kwabwe okw’obuwemu. Abakazi baabwe baawanyisa enkolagana yaabwe ey’obuzaaliranwa n’abasajja, ne bakola ebitali bya buzaaliranwa.
So, God allowed [the non-Jews to do] shameful [sexual] things that they [strongly] desired. As a result, many women did not have natural sexual relations [with their husbands] [EUP]. Instead, they were doing sexual actions with other women [EUP].
27 Abasajja nabo baalekayo okwegatta ne bakazi baabwe mu ngeri ey’obuzaaliranwa, ne bajjuzibwa obukaba ne beegatta ne basajja bannaabwe. N’ekyava mu bikolwa ebyo eby’obugwagwa, kwe kusasulibwa empeera esaanira okwonoona kwabwe.
Similarly, [many] men stopped having/did not have natural sexual relations with women [EUP]. Instead, they strongly desired to have sexual relations with other men. They committed [homosexual] acts with other men, acts that were shameful. As a result, [God has] punished them [by sicknesses] in their bodies, which is what they deserve [because] they [thought] wrongly [that God would not punish them for doing that].
28 Bwe baagaana okumanya Katonda, Katonda kyeyava abaleka ne babeera n’omutima omwonoonefu ne bakola ebitasaana.
Furthermore, because they decided that it was not [worthwhile] to know God, he allowed their own worthless thoughts [to completely control them]. As a result, they began doing [evil] things that [God says that people] should not do.
29 Bajjuzibbwa obutali butuukirivu bwonna, n’ebibi, n’omululu, n’obukyayi, n’obuggya, n’obussi, n’entalo, n’obulimba, n’enkwe, n’okwogera ebitasaana, nga basala ku bannaabwe ebigambo,
They strongly desire to do all [kinds of] unrighteous [things]. They strongly desire to do all [kinds of] evil things [to others]. They strongly desire to possess things that [belong to others]. They strongly desire to harm [others] in various ways. [Many non-Jews] are constantly envying [other people. Many] constantly desire to murder [people. Many] constantly desire to cause strife [between people. Many] constantly desire to deceive [others. Many] constantly desire to speak hatefully [about others] (OR, [to speak harmful things about others, things that are not true]). [Many] gossip [about others].
30 era nga bageya, nga bakyawa Katonda, nga bavuma bannaabwe, nga bajjudde amalala n’okwekulumbaza, nga bagunjawo enkola y’ebikyamu, era nga bajeemera bakadde baabwe.
[Many] slander [others. Many] act especially hatefully toward God. [Many] speak or act in an insulting way [toward others. Many] treat others contemptuously. [Many] boast [about themselves to others. Many] invent new ways to do evil things. [Many non-Jewish children] disobey their parents.
31 Tebategeera so tebalina kukkiriza, tebalina kwagala, era tebalina mutima gusaasira.
[Many non-Jews] act in other morally foolish ways. [Many] do not do what they promised [others that they would do. Many] do not [even] love [their own family members. And many] do not act mercifully [toward other people].
32 Newaakubadde nga bamanyi nga Katonda yagamba nti abantu abakola ebintu ng’ebyo balizikirizibwa, tebakoma ku kubikola kyokka, naye basiima n’abo ababikola.
Although they know that God has declared that those who do such things deserve to be killed, they not only habitually do these [kinds of evil] things, but they also approve of others who habitually do them.