KumaHebheru 11
1 Ukukholwa yikuba leqiniso lalokhu esikulindeleyo njalo kuqinisekile ngalokho esingakuboniyo.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 Lokhu yikho abendulo abanconywa ngakho.
For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Ngokukholwa siyezwisisa ukuthi izulu lomhlaba kwadalwa ngokulaya kukaNkulunkulu, ngoba okubonakalayo kakwenziwanga ngalokho okwakubonakala. (aiōn g165)
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which appeared. (aiōn g165)
4 Ngokukholwa u-Abheli wanikela kuNkulunkulu umnikelo omuhle kulokaKhayini. Ngokukholwa wanconywa njengomuntu olungileyo, ngesikhathi uNkulunkulu ekhuluma kuhle ngeminikelo yakhe. Njalo ngokukholwa ulokhu ekhuluma, lanxa sewafa.
By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained testimony that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5 Ngokukholwa u-Enoki wasuswa kulumhlaba ephila ukuze angakuzwa ukufa: “Kabonakalanga ngoba uNkulunkulu wayesemthethe.” Engakathathwa, wayenconywe njengowayethokozise uNkulunkulu.
By faith Enoch was translated, that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 Kungelakukholwa akweneliseki ukumthokozisa uNkulunkulu ngoba oza kuye kumele akholwe ukuthi ukhona lokuthi uyabanika umvuzo labo abamdinga ngobuqotho.
But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
7 Ngokukholwa uNowa esexwayisiwe ngezinto ezazingakabonakali, ngokwesaba okungcwele wakha umkhumbi ukuba ahlenge abendlu yakhe. Ngokukholwa kwakhe wawulahla umhlaba waba yindlalifa yokulunga okuza ngokukholwa.
By faith Noah, being warned by God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
8 Ngokukholwa u-Abhrahama esebizelwe ukuba aye endaweni ayezayamukela muva njengelifa lakhe, walalela wahamba, lanxa wayengakwazi lapho ayesiya khona.
By faith Abraham, when he was called to remove into a place which he should afterwards receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out not knowing whither he was going.
9 Ngokukholwa wahlala elizweni lesithembiso njengesihambi, elizweni elingayisilo lakibo; wahlala emathenteni, njengokwenziwa ngu-Isaka loJakhobe, ababezindlalifa zalelolizwe lesithembiso kanye laye.
By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as [in] a foreign country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 Ngoba wayelindele idolobho elilezisekelo, elimcandi walo lomakhi walo nguNkulunkulu.
For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God.
11 Ngokukholwa, lanxa u-Abhrahama wayeseluphele loSara eyinyumba, wanikwa amandla okuba lomntwana ngoba wambona njengothembekileyo lowo owayenze isithembiso.
Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
12 Ngakho-ke, kusukela kulumuntu oyedwa, owayefana lofileyo, kwavela inzalo enengi njengezinkanyezi emkhathini njalo engeke ibalwe njengenhlabathi ekhunjini lolwandle.
Therefore there sprang even from one, and him as good as dead, [so many] as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea-shore innumerable.
13 Abantu bonke laba bafa belokhu bephila ngokukholwa. Kabazamukelanga izinto ezathenjiswayo; bazibona nje kuphela bazithakazelela zikude. Njalo bavuma ukuthi bona babeyizizwe lezihambi emhlabeni.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of [them], and embraced [them], and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 Abantu abakhuluma izinto ezinje babonakalisa ukuthi bafuna ilizwe elingelabo.
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 Aluba babecabanga ngelizwe abasuka kulo, babezakuba lethuba lokubuyela.
And truly, if they had been mindful of that [country] from whence they came, they might have had opportunity to return.
16 Kodwa-ke bona babefuna ilizwe elingcono, lona elisezulwini. Ngakho uNkulunkulu akumyangisi ukubizwa ngokuthi unguNkulunkulu wabo, ngoba usebalungisele idolobho.
But now they desire a better [country], that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city.
17 Ngokukholwa, kwathi u-Abhrahama ehlolwa nguNkulunkulu, wanikela u-Isaka njengomhlatshelo. Yena owayamukele izithembiso wayeseseduze ukuba anikele indodana yakhe eyodwa njalo eyiyo kuphela,
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only-begotten [son],
18 lanxa uNkulunkulu wayethe kuye, “isizukulwane sakho sizabalwa ngo-Isaka.”
Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
19 U-Abhrahama wanakana ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayengabavusa abafileyo, njalo nxa kuzekeliswa, wamamukela u-Isaka evela ekufeni.
Accounting that God [was] able to raise [him] even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
20 Ngokukholwa u-Isaka wabusisa uJakhobe lo-Esawu ngekusasa labo.
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 Ngokukholwa uJakhobe, esesifa wawabusisa wonke amadodana kaJosefa, wasekhonza eyame phezu kwentonga yakhe.
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshiped, [leaning] upon the top of his staff.
22 Ngokukholwa uJosefa, isiphetho sakhe sesisondele, walandisa ngokuphuma kwabako-Israyeli eGibhithe njalo walayezela ngamathambo akhe.
By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
23 Ngokukholwa abazali bakaMosi bamfihla izinyanga ezintathu emva kokuzalwa kwakhe, ngoba babona ukuthi wayengasumntwana nje ojayelekileyo, njalo babengawesabi umthetho wenkosi.
By faith Moses when he was born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw [he was] a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
24 Ngokukholwa uMosi esekhulile, wala ukuba aziwe njengendodana yendodakazi kaFaro.
By faith Moses, when he had come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
25 Wakhetha ukuphathwa kubi kanye labantu bakaNkulunkulu kulokuba akholise injabulo yesono okwesikhathi esifitshane.
Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
26 Wakhetha ihlazo ngenxa kaKhristu njengegugu elikhulu kulenotho yaseGibhithe ngoba wayekhangelele umvuzo phambili.
Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he had respect to the recompense of the reward.
27 Ngokukholwa wasuka eGibhithe, engalwesabi ulaka lwenkosi; wabekezela ngoba wambona lowo ongabonakaliyo.
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
28 Ngokukholwa wagcina iPhasika lokuchelwa kwegazi, ukuze umbulali wamazibulo angawathinti amazibulo ako-Israyeli.
Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the first-born should touch them.
29 Ngokukholwa abantu badabula phakathi koLwandle oluBomvu njengasemhlabathini owomileyo, kodwa kwathi amaGibhithe ezama ukwenzanjalo agalula.
By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry [land]: which the Egyptians essaying to do were drowned.
30 Ngokukholwa imiduli yaseJerikho yadilika emva kokuba abantu beyibhode okwensuku eziyisikhombisa.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encompassed seven days.
31 Ngokukholwa uRahabi isifebe, ngoba wamukela inhloli, kabulawanga kanye lalabo ababengalaleli.
By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, as she had received the spies with peace.
32 Kuyini okunye engingakutsho? Kangilasikhathi sokulandisa ngoGidiyoni, loBharakhi, loSamsoni, loJeftha, loDavida, loSamuyeli kanye labaphrofethi,
And what shall I say more? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and [of] Barak, and [of] Samson, and [of] Jephthah, [of] David also, and Samuel, and [of] the prophets:
33 abanqoba imibuso ngokukholwa benza okulungileyo njalo bathola okwakuthenjisiwe; bona abavala imilomo yezilwane,
Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 bacitsha ukuvutha kwamalangabi, baphepha lasebukhalini benkemba; ubuthakathaka babo baphenduka baba ngamandla; njalo baba lamandla empini bawachitha amabutho ezizweni.
Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Abesifazane bamukela abafayo babo sebevuselwe ekuphileni futhi. Abanye bahlukuluzwa njalo bala ukukhululwa, ukuze bathole ukuvuka ekufeni okuhle.
Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
36 Abanye bahozwa batshaywa, kwathi abanye babotshwa ngamaketane bafakwa entolongweni.
And others had trial of [cruel] mockings and scourgings, and, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37 Batshaywa ngamatshe, baqunywa ngesaha baba yiziqa ezimbili; babulawa ngenkemba. Bahamba begqoke izikhumba zezimvu lezikhumba zembuzi, beswela, behlukuluzwa, bephathwa kubi,
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheep-skins, and goat-skins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38 umhlaba kubo wawungabafanele. Bantula enkangala lasezintabeni lasezimbalwini kanye lasemilindini emhlabathini.
(Of whom the world was not worthy: ) they wandered in deserts, and [in] mountains, and [in] dens and caves of the earth.
39 Bonke laba banconywa ngokukholwa kwabo, kodwa kakho phakathi kwabo owathola okwakuthenjisiwe.
And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
40 Thina uNkulunkulu wayesimisele okuhle ukuze kuthi sebe kanye lathi bapheleliswe.
God having provided some better [thing] for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
