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? God forbid! for I also 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, whom He foreknew. Do ye not know what the scripture saith of Elias? how he complains to God against Israel,
3 “Nkosi, bababulele abaphrofethi bakho, badiliza lama-alithare akho; yimi ngedwa engiseleyo, njalo bafuna ukungibulala?”
saying, "Lord, they have slain thy prophets, and digged down thine 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.”
But what saith the oracle 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.
And so in the 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 by grace, it is no more of works: for then grace is no longer grace. But if of works, it is no more grace: for then work is no longer work.
7 Pho-ke? Lokho u-Israyeli akufuna ngokuzimisela kakuzuzanga, kodwa abakhethiweyo bakuthola. Abanye baba lukhuni,
What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he sought: but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded,
8 njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “UNkulunkulu wabanika umoya wokozela, lamehlo ukuze bangaboni, lendlebe ukuze bangezwa, kuze kube lamhla.”
(according as it is written, God hath given them a spirit of slumber, that their eyes could not see and their ears could not hear, ) even 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 recompence unto them.
10 Sengathi amehlo abo angafiphala ukuze bangaboni, lamaqolo abo akhokhobe kokuphela.”
Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see, and always bow down their back.
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.
Say I then, Have they stumbled, that they should fall irrecoverably? God forbid! but this I say, that by their fall 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!
Now if their fall be the riches of the world, and their diminution be the riches of the Gentiles, how much more will their fulness be?
13 Ngikhuluma lani lina abeZizwe. Njengoba ngingumpostoli wabezizwe, ngikhulisa inkonzo yami
For I speak to you Gentiles: inasmuch indeed as I am the apostle of the Gentiles,
14 ngethemba lokuthi mhlawumbe ngingavusa umona ebantwini bakithi ngisilise abanye babo.
I extol my office, that if possible I may excite to emulation my brethren according to the 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 rejecting of them be the reconciling of the world, what will the receiving them again be but life from the dead?
16 Nxa ingxenye yenhlama enikelwe njengezithelo zakuqala ingcwele, injalo yonke enye; nxa impande zingcwele, zinjalo lezingatsha.
Now if the first-fruits be holy, so is the whole heap: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 Nxa ezinye ingatsha zephulwe, njalo wena, lanxa ulihlumela lomʼoliva weganga, usuxhunyelelwe phakathi kwezinye njalo usuhlanganyela emhluzini okhulisayo ovela empandeni zomʼoliva,
But if some of the branches were broken off, and thou a wild-olive wert grafted in among them, and art made a partaker together with them of the root and fatness of the olive; boast not against the branches:
18 ungazincomi ngalezongatsha. Nxa ukwenza, cabanga ngalokhu: Impande kakusuwe oyithwalayo, kodwa impande yiyo ekuthweleyo.
and if thou boastest, remember thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19 Lapho-ke lina lizakuthi, “Ingatsha zephulwa ukuze mina ngixhunyelelwe.”
Wilt thou 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.
Well; they were broken off for their infidelity, and thou standest by faith: therefore be not high-minded but fear.
21 Ngoba nxa uNkulunkulu engaziyekelanga ingatsha zemvelo, lani kasoze aliyekele.
For if God spared not the natural branches, neither would He spare thee.
22 Ngakho cabangani ngesisa njalo lobulukhuni bukaNkulunkulu: ubulukhuni kulabo abawayo, kodwa isisa kini, nxa liqhubeka esiseni sakhe. Kungenjalo, lani lizaqunywa.
Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: towards them that fell, severity; but towards thee, goodness; if thou continue in his goodness: for else thou also shalt be cut off.
23 Njalo nxa bengaphikeleli ngokungakholwa, bazaxhunyelelwa, ngoba uNkulunkulu uyenelisa ukubaxhumelela futhi.
And they, if they do not continue in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able again to graft them in.
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 wert cut out of the wild olive, which was natural to thee, and contrary to nature were grafted into a good olive; how much more shall these who are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive-tree?
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, brethren, to be ignorant of this mystery, (least ye should be wise in your own eyes) that blindness in part is befallen Israel, till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 Ngokunjalo u-Israyeli wonke uzasindiswa, njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Umkhululi uzafika eZiyoni: uzasusa kuJakhobe ukungakholwa.
And so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written, "The deliverer shall come out of Sion, and shall turn away impiety from Jacob:
27 Lesi yisivumelwano sami labo lapho ngizisusa izono zabo.”
and this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins."
28 Mayelana levangeli, bayizitha ngenxa yenu; kodwa mayelana lokukhetha, bayathandwa ngenxa yabokhokho,
As to the gospel indeed they are enemies on your account, but as to the election they are beloved on account of the fathers.
29 ngoba izipho zikaNkulunkulu lokubiza kwakhe akuguquleki.
For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 Njengoba lina elake ladelela uNkulunkulu khathesi selamukele umusa ngenxa yokudelela kwabo,
For as ye were heretofore disobedient to God, but have now obtained mercy in their disobedience:
31 ngokunjalo labo, ngenxa yomusa kaNkulunkulu kini, kabasalaleli ukuze labo khathesi bamukele umusa.
so these also in your mercy have now been disobedient, that they themselves might be the objects of mercy.
For God hath included them all in the charge of 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 both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways not to be traced 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 his counsellor?
35 “Ngubani owake wanika uNkulunkulu ulutho ukuba uNkulunkulu aluhlawule na?”
Or who hath first given to Him? and it shall be returned.
