KwabaseRoma 9
1 Ngikhuluma iqiniso ngikuKhristu, kangiqambi manga, isazela sami siyakufakaza lokhu ngoMoya oNgcwele,
I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit,
2 Ngilosizi olukhulu lobuhlungu obungapheliyo enhliziyweni yami.
that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
3 Ngoba ngangifisa ukuba ngabe mina uqobo ngiyaqalekiswa ngisuswe kuKhristu ngenxa yabazalwane bami, labo abohlanga lwami ngokwenyama,
For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers' sake, my physical relatives according to the flesh,
4 abantu bako-Israyeli. Okwabo yikwamukelwa njengamadodana, ngeyabo inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu, lesivumelwano, lokwamukela umthetho, lenkonzo yasethempelini kanye lezithembiso.
who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service, and the promises;
5 Okhokho ngababo, njalo lusukela kubo usendo lwenyama lukaKhristu, onguNkulunkulu ophezu kwakho konke, odunyiswa kokuphela! Ameni. (aiōn g165)
of whom are the patriarchs, and from whom is the Christ, as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 Akunjengokuthi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lehluleka. Ngoba akusibo bonke abayinzalo ka-Israyeli abangama-Israyeli.
But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel.
7 Njalo ngoba yinzalo yakhe akusibo bonke abangabantwana baka-Abhrahama. Kodwa-ke, “Isizukulwane sakho sizabalwa ngo-Isaka.”
Neither, because they are Abraham's descendants, are they all children. But, "In Isaac will your descendants be called."
8 Ngamanye amazwi, akusibantwana benyama abangabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, kodwa ngabantwana besithembiso ababalwa njengenzalo ka-Abhrahama.
That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants.
9 Ngoba isithembiso satshiwo kanje: “Ngesikhathi esimisiweyo ngizaphenduka, njalo uSara uzakuba lendodana.”
For this is what the promise said, "At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son."
10 Akusilokho kuphela, kodwa abantwana bakaRabheka bazalwa sikhathi sinye ngubaba wethu u-Isaka.
And not only that, but Rebekah also had conceived by one, our father Isaac.
11 Kodwa amaphahla engakazalwa loba ukwenza ulutho oluhle kumbe olubi, ukuba inhloso kaNkulunkulu yokukhetha iqhubeke;
For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls,
12 hatshi ngemisebenzi kodwa ngaye obizayo, watshelwa ukuthi, “Omdala uzakhonza omncinyane.”
it was said to her, "The elder will serve the younger."
13 Njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi, “UJakhobe ngamthanda, kodwa u-Esawu ngamzonda.”
Even as it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
14 Pho sizakuthini na? UNkulunkulu kalunganga na? Akunjalo!
What should we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Absolutely not.
15 Ngoba uthi kuMosi: “Ngizakuba lesihawu kulowo engilesihawu kuye, njalo ngizakuba lozwelo kulowo engilozwelo kuye.”
For he said to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
16 Ngakho-ke, akuyi ngesifiso somuntu loba umzamo wakhe, kodwa ngesihawu sikaNkulunkulu.
So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.
17 Ngoba umbhalo uthi kuFaro, “Ngakuphakamisela injongo yonale kanye, ukuze ngibonakalise amandla ami kuwe lokuthi ibizo lami litshunyayelwe emhlabeni wonke.”
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."
18 Ngakho uNkulunkulu ulesihawu kulowo athanda ukuba lesihawu kuye, njalo umenza abe lukhuni lowo athanda ukumenza abe lukhuni.
So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.
19 Omunye wenu uzakuthi kimi: “Pho kungani uNkulunkulu esisola? Ngoba ngubani ongamelana lentando yakhe na?”
You will say then to me, "Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?"
20 Kodwa ungubani wena, ungumuntu, ukuba uphendule uNkulunkulu na? Kambe okubunjiweyo kungatsho yini kulowo owakubumbayo kuthi, “Kungani wangenza ngabanje na?”
But who indeed are you, a human being, to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?"
21 Umbumbi kalalo yini ilungelo lokuba ngengxenye yebumba efanayo enze okunye okubunjiweyo okomsebenzi omuhle lokomsebenzi ojayelekileyo na?
Or hasn't the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?
22 Kwakungaba njani-ke nxa uNkulunkulu wakhetha ukutshengisa ukubekezela okukhulu ezidalweni zentukuthelo yakhe ezazimiselwe ukubhujiswa etshengisa ulaka lwakhe lokwenza amandla akhe aziwe.
What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath made for destruction,
23 Kube kunjani nxa wenza lokhu ukuze enze ubuhle benkazimulo yakhe bazakale ezintweni zesihawu sakhe, azilungisela inkazimulo ngaphambilini,
and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory,
24 kanye lathi asibizayo, hatshi kumaJuda kuphela, kodwa lakwabeZizweni?
us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the non-Jews?
25 Njengoba esitsho kuHosiya ukuthi: “Ngizababiza ngokuthi ‘ngabantu bami,’ labo Abangasibantu bami; njalo ngizambiza ‘sithandwa sami,’ lowo ongasiso isithandwa sami,”
As he says also in Hosea, "I will call them which were not my people 'my people,' and her who was not loved, 'loved.'"
26 njalo, “Kuzakwenzakala ukuba kuyo kanye indawo lapho okwathiwa kubo, ‘Kalisibo bantu bami,’ bazabizwa ngokuthi ‘ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu ophilayo.’”
"It will be that in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' There they will be called 'children of the living God.'"
27 U-Isaya uyamemezela ngo-Israyeli esithi: “Lanxa inani labako-Israyeli linjengetshebetshebe ngasolwandle, kuzasindiswa insalela kuphela.
And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, "Though the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be kept safe.
28 Ngoba iNkosi izasifeza isigwebo sayo emhlabeni ngesiqubu langokuphelelisa.”
For he will fulfill the word and decisively in righteousness; because the Lord will carry out the word decisively in the midst of the earth."
29 Kunjengoba u-Isaya watsho mandulo ukuthi: “Aluba iNkosi uSomandla wayengasitshiyelanga inzalo, sasizakuba njengeSodoma, sasizafana leGomora.”
As Isaiah has said before, "Unless the Lord of hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah."
30 Pho sizakuthini na? Sithi abeZizweni abangakudinganga ukulunga, sebekutholile, ukulunga okungokukholwa;
What should we say then? That the non-Jews, who did not follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;
31 kodwa u-Israyeli owalandela umthetho wokulunga, kakutholanga.
but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
32 Kungani na? Ngoba kabawulandelanga ngokukholwa, kodwa kwakungemisebenzi. Bakhubeka elitsheni elikhubayo.
Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone;
33 Njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Khangelani, ngibeka eZiyoni ilitshe elikhubekisa abantu ledwala elibenza bawe, njalo lowo okholwa kuye kazukuyangiswa.”
even as it is written, "Look, I am laying in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock to trip over; and the one who believes in him will not be put to shame."
