KwabaseRoma 11
1 Lapho-ke ngiyabuza ngithi: Kanti uNkulunkulu wabalahla yini abantu bakhe? Hatshi akunjalo! Mina uqobo ngingumʼIsrayeli inzalo ka-Abhrahama, owesizwana sikaBhenjamini.
But I say: Hath God cast off his people? Far be it. For I also am of Israel, 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 those his people whom he before knew. Do ye not know, what, in the scripture of God, he said to Elijah? When he had complained to God against Israel, and said:
3 “Nkosi, bababulele abaphrofethi bakho, badiliza lama-alithare akho; yimi ngedwa engiseleyo, njalo bafuna ukungibulala?”
My Lord, they have slain thy prophets, and have thrown down thy altars; and I am left alone; and they seek my life.
4 Impendulo kaNkulunkulu kuye yathini na? Yathi, “Ngizigodlele mina ngokwami abazinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa abangamkhothamelanga uBhali.”
And it was said to him, by revelation: Behold, I have reserved for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed their knees, and have not worshipped Baal.
5 Ngakho futhi, ngalesisikhathi kulensalela ezakhethwa ngomusa.
So also at the present time, a remnant is preserved, by the election of grace.
6 Njalo nxa kungomusa, ngakho akuseyikho ngemisebenzi; nxa kwakunjalo, umusa wawungeke ube usaba ngumusa.
But if by grace, it is not by works: otherwise, grace is not grace. And if by works, it is not by grace: Otherwise, work is not work.
7 Pho-ke? Lokho u-Israyeli akufuna ngokuzimisela kakuzuzanga, kodwa abakhethiweyo bakuthola. Abanye baba lukhuni,
What then? Israel did not obtain that which it sought: but the election obtained it; and the rest of them were blinded in their heart,
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 stupid spirit, and eyes to see not, and ears to hear not, ) unto this very day.
9 Njalo uDavida uthi: “Sengathi itafula yabo ingaba ngumjibila lesifu, isikhubekiso kanye lesijeziso kubo.
And again, David said: Let their table become a snare before them; and let their recompense be a stumbling block.
10 Sengathi amehlo abo angafiphala ukuze bangaboni, lamaqolo abo akhokhobe kokuphela.”
Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and let their back, at all times, be bowed down.
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.
But I say: Have they so stumbled as to fall entirely? Far be it. Rather, by their stumbling, life hath come to the Gentiles, for awakening their jealousy.
12 Kodwa nxa isiphambeko sabo sisitsho inotho emhlabeni, lencithakalo yabo isitsho inotho kwabeZizwe, inkulu kangakanani inotho elethwa yikuphelela kwabo!
And if their stumbling was riches to the world, and their condemnation riches to the Gentiles; how much more their completeness?
13 Ngikhuluma lani lina abeZizwe. Njengoba ngingumpostoli wabezizwe, ngikhulisa inkonzo yami
But it is to you Gentiles, I am speaking: as I am a legate to the Gentiles, I honor my ministry;
14 ngethemba lokuthi mhlawumbe ngingavusa umona ebantwini bakithi ngisilise abanye babo.
if, perhaps, I may provoke emulation in the children of my flesh, and may vivify 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, was a reconciliation of the world; what will their conversion be, but life from the dead?
16 Nxa ingxenye yenhlama enikelwe njengezithelo zakuqala ingcwele, injalo yonke enye; nxa impande zingcwele, zinjalo lezingatsha.
For, if the first-fruits are holy, then the mass is also: and if the root is holy, then also 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 were plucked off; and thou, an olive from the desert, wast in-grafted in their place, and hast become a participator of the root and fatness of the olive-tree;
18 ungazincomi ngalezongatsha. Nxa ukwenza, cabanga ngalokhu: Impande kakusuwe oyithwalayo, kodwa impande yiyo ekuthweleyo.
do not glory over the branches. For if thou gloriest, thou sustainest not the root, but the root sustaineth thee.
19 Lapho-ke lina lizakuthi, “Ingatsha zephulwa ukuze mina ngixhunyelelwe.”
And shouldst thou say, The branches were plucked off, that I might be grafted into their place.
20 Yebo. Kodwa zephulwa ngenxa yokungakholwa, kodwa lina limi ngokukholwa. Lingazikhukhumezi, kodwa yesabani.
Very true. They were plucked off, because they believed not; and thou standest by faith. Be not exalted in thy mind, but fear.
21 Ngoba nxa uNkulunkulu engaziyekelanga ingatsha zemvelo, lani kasoze aliyekele.
For if God spared not the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you.
22 Ngakho cabangani ngesisa njalo lobulukhuni bukaNkulunkulu: ubulukhuni kulabo abawayo, kodwa isisa kini, nxa liqhubeka esiseni sakhe. Kungenjalo, lani lizaqunywa.
Behold now the benignity and the severity of God: on them who fell, severity; but on thee, benignity, if thou continuest in that benignity; and if not, thou also wilt be plucked off.
23 Njalo nxa bengaphikeleli ngokungakholwa, bazaxhunyelelwa, ngoba uNkulunkulu uyenelisa ukubaxhumelela futhi.
And they, if they do not continue in their destitution of faith, even they 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 wast plucked from the wild olive-tree, which was natural to thee, and wast grafted, contrary to thy nature, into a good olive-tree; how much more may they be grafted into their natural olive-tree?
25 Bazalwane, kangifuni ukuthi lingaze lazi ngale imfihlakalo, ukuze lingazikhukhumezi: U-Israyeli useyibonile ingxenye yokuba lukhuni inani elipheleleyo labeZizwe lize lingene.
And that ye, my brethren, may not be wise in your own apprehension, I wish you to know this mystery, that blindness of heart hath in some measure befallen Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles shall come in:
26 Ngokunjalo u-Israyeli wonke uzasindiswa, njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Umkhululi uzafika eZiyoni: uzasusa kuJakhobe ukungakholwa.
and then, will all Israel live. As it is written: A deliverer will come from Zion, and will turn away iniquity from Jacob.
27 Lesi yisivumelwano sami labo lapho ngizisusa izono zabo.”
And then will they have the covenant that proceedeth from me, when I shall have forgiven their sins.
28 Mayelana levangeli, bayizitha ngenxa yenu; kodwa mayelana lokukhetha, bayathandwa ngenxa yabokhokho,
Now, in the gospel, they are enemies for your sake; but in the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sake.
29 ngoba izipho zikaNkulunkulu lokubiza kwakhe akuguquleki.
For God is not changeable in his free gift and in his calling.
30 Njengoba lina elake ladelela uNkulunkulu khathesi selamukele umusa ngenxa yokudelela kwabo,
For as ye too were formerly disobedient to God, and have now obtained mercy, because of their disobedience;
31 ngokunjalo labo, ngenxa yomusa kaNkulunkulu kini, kabasalaleli ukuze labo khathesi bamukele umusa.
so also are they now disobedient to the mercy, which is upon you, that there may be mercy on them likewise.
For God hath shut up all men in disobedience, that upon all men he might have mercy. (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 the wisdom, and the knowledge of God! For man hath not searched out his judgments; and his ways are inscrutable.
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 a counsellor to him?
35 “Ngubani owake wanika uNkulunkulu ulutho ukuba uNkulunkulu aluhlawule na?”
Or who hath first given to him, and then received from him?
