KwabaseRoma 11
1 Lapho-ke ngiyabuza ngithi: Kanti uNkulunkulu wabalahla yini abantu bakhe? Hatshi akunjalo! Mina uqobo ngingumʼIsrayeli inzalo ka-Abhrahama, owesizwana sikaBhenjamini.
I say then, Hath God cast off his people? Far be it I For I myself am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 UNkulunkulu kabalahlanga abantu bakhe abazi kuqala. Kalikwazi yini ukuthi uMbhalo uthini esahlukwaneni ngo-Elija, ukuthi wakhalaza njani kuNkulunkulu esola u-Israyeli esithi:
God hath not cast off his people, which he foreknew. Do ye not know what the Scripture saith in the passage concerning Elijah? how he pleadeth to God against Israel:
3 “Nkosi, bababulele abaphrofethi bakho, badiliza lama-alithare akho; yimi ngedwa engiseleyo, njalo bafuna ukungibulala?”
“Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have dug down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they are seeking my life.”
4 Impendulo kaNkulunkulu kuye yathini na? Yathi, “Ngizigodlele mina ngokwami abazinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa abangamkhothamelanga uBhali.”
But what saith the answer of God to him? “I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
5 Ngakho futhi, ngalesisikhathi kulensalela ezakhethwa ngomusa.
In the same way then at this present time also there is a remnant, according to the election of grace.
6 Njalo nxa kungomusa, ngakho akuseyikho ngemisebenzi; nxa kwakunjalo, umusa wawungeke ube usaba ngumusa.
And if it is by grace, it is no longer on account of works; otherwise grace ceaseth to be grace; but if it is of works, there is then no grace; otherwise work ceaseth to be work. How is it then?
7 Pho-ke? Lokho u-Israyeli akufuna ngokuzimisela kakuzuzanga, kodwa abakhethiweyo bakuthola. Abanye baba lukhuni,
What Israel seeketh after, that Israel did not obtain; but the elect obtained it, and the rest were hardened;
8 njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “UNkulunkulu wabanika umoya wokozela, lamehlo ukuze bangaboni, lendlebe ukuze bangezwa, kuze kube lamhla.”
as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of slumber, eyes that were not to see, and ears that were not to hear, unto this day.”
9 Njalo uDavida uthi: “Sengathi itafula yabo ingaba ngumjibila lesifu, isikhubekiso kanye lesijeziso kubo.
And David saith, “Let their table become a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling-block, and a recompense to them;
10 Sengathi amehlo abo angafiphala ukuze bangaboni, lamaqolo abo akhokhobe kokuphela.”
let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see; and bow down their back alway.”
11 Ngiyabuza njalo ngithi: Kambe bangabe bakhubeka bawa okungangokuthi kakuselakuphepha na? Akunjalo! Kodwa ngenxa yesiphambeko sabo, ukusindiswa sekufikile kwabeZizwe ukuba kwenze u-Israyeli abe lomona.
I say then, Did they stumble in order to fall? God forbid! But by their offence salvation is come to the gentiles to excite them to emulation.
12 Kodwa nxa isiphambeko sabo sisitsho inotho emhlabeni, lencithakalo yabo isitsho inotho kwabeZizwe, inkulu kangakanani inotho elethwa yikuphelela kwabo!
But if their offence is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the gentiles, how much more will their fullness be?
13 Ngikhuluma lani lina abeZizwe. Njengoba ngingumpostoli wabezizwe, ngikhulisa inkonzo yami
For I am speaking to you gentiles; inasmuch as I am the apostle of the gentiles, I magnify my office,
14 ngethemba lokuthi mhlawumbe ngingavusa umona ebantwini bakithi ngisilise abanye babo.
that I may, if possible, excite to emulation those who are my flesh, and may save some of them.
15 Ngoba nxa ukulahlwa kwabo kuyikubuyisana komhlaba, ukwamukelwa kwabo kuzakuba yini na ngaphandle kokuphila okuvela kwabafileyo?
For if the rejection of them is the reconciliation of the world, what will the reception of them be, but life from the dead?
16 Nxa ingxenye yenhlama enikelwe njengezithelo zakuqala ingcwele, injalo yonke enye; nxa impande zingcwele, zinjalo lezingatsha.
And if the first portion of the dough is holy, so also will be the lump; and if the root is holy, so will be the branches.
17 Nxa ezinye ingatsha zephulwe, njalo wena, lanxa ulihlumela lomʼoliva weganga, usuxhunyelelwe phakathi kwezinye njalo usuhlanganyela emhluzini okhulisayo ovela empandeni zomʼoliva,
And if some of the branches have been broken off, and thou, a wild olive, hast been grafted in among them, and become a partaker with them of the root and fatness of the olive-tree,
18 ungazincomi ngalezongatsha. Nxa ukwenza, cabanga ngalokhu: Impande kakusuwe oyithwalayo, kodwa impande yiyo ekuthweleyo.
boast not over the branches; for if thou boast, thou dost not bear the root, but the root thee.
19 Lapho-ke lina lizakuthi, “Ingatsha zephulwa ukuze mina ngixhunyelelwe.”
Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
20 Yebo. Kodwa zephulwa ngenxa yokungakholwa, kodwa lina limi ngokukholwa. Lingazikhukhumezi, kodwa yesabani.
Be it so. It was for their unbelief that they were broken off, and thou standest through thy faith; be not high-minded, but fear.
21 Ngoba nxa uNkulunkulu engaziyekelanga ingatsha zemvelo, lani kasoze aliyekele.
For if God spared the natural branches, take care lest he spare not thee.
22 Ngakho cabangani ngesisa njalo lobulukhuni bukaNkulunkulu: ubulukhuni kulabo abawayo, kodwa isisa kini, nxa liqhubeka esiseni sakhe. Kungenjalo, lani lizaqunywa.
Behold then the goodness and the severity of God; toward those who fell, severity; but toward thee God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness; otherwise thou also wilt be cut off.
23 Njalo nxa bengaphikeleli ngokungakholwa, bazaxhunyelelwa, ngoba uNkulunkulu uyenelisa ukubaxhumelela futhi.
And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again.
24 Phezu kwalokho, nxa laliqunywe esihlahleni somʼoliva weganga ngemvelo, kwathi ngokuphambene lemvelo laxhunyelelwa esihlahleni se-oliva esilinywayo, pho kuzakuba lula kakhulu okunjani kulezi, ingatsha zemvelo, ukuba zixhunyelelwe esihlahleni sazo se-oliva.
For if thou hast been cut off from an olive-tree wild by nature, and hast against thy nature been ingrafted into a good olive-tree, how much more shall these, the natural branches, be ingrafted into their own olive-stock?
25 Bazalwane, kangifuni ukuthi lingaze lazi ngale imfihlakalo, ukuze lingazikhukhumezi: U-Israyeli useyibonile ingxenye yokuba lukhuni inani elipheleleyo labeZizwe lize lingene.
For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness hath to some extent come upon Israel, until the fullness of the gentiles shall have come in.
26 Ngokunjalo u-Israyeli wonke uzasindiswa, njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Umkhululi uzafika eZiyoni: uzasusa kuJakhobe ukungakholwa.
And thus will all Israel be saved; as it is written, “There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer; he shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
27 Lesi yisivumelwano sami labo lapho ngizisusa izono zabo.”
And this will be my covenant with them, when I shall have taken away their sins.”
28 Mayelana levangeli, bayizitha ngenxa yenu; kodwa mayelana lokukhetha, bayathandwa ngenxa yabokhokho,
In regard to the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes; but in regard to God's choice, they are beloved for the fathers' sake.
29 ngoba izipho zikaNkulunkulu lokubiza kwakhe akuguquleki.
For in respect to his gifts and his calling, there is no change of purpose with God.
30 Njengoba lina elake ladelela uNkulunkulu khathesi selamukele umusa ngenxa yokudelela kwabo,
For as ye in times past were disobedient to God, but have now obtained mercy through their disobedience,
31 ngokunjalo labo, ngenxa yomusa kaNkulunkulu kini, kabasalaleli ukuze labo khathesi bamukele umusa.
so they too have now become disobedient, that they also may obtain mercy through the mercy shown to you.
For God delivered up all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Yeka ukuzika kwenotho yenhlakanipho kanye lokwazi kukaNkulunkulu! Yeka ukwahlulela kwakhe okungeke kuhlolwe, kanye lezindlela zakhe ezingeke zilandelwe!
O the depth of the riches, and of the wisdom, and of the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his purposes, and his ways past finding out!
34 “Ngubani owake wayazi ingqondo yeNkosi na? Loba owake waba ngumcebisi wayo na?”
For “who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been made his counselor?”
35 “Ngubani owake wanika uNkulunkulu ulutho ukuba uNkulunkulu aluhlawule na?”
or “who first gave to him, and shall receive a return?”
