< KumaHebheru 11 >
1 Ngakho ukholo luyikuqiniseka kwezinto ezithenjwayo, ubufakazi bezinto ezingabonwayo.
Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.
2 Ngoba ngalo abadala bafakazelwa.
This is why the ancients were commended.
3 Ngokholo sibona ukuthi imihlaba yadalwa ngelizwi likaNkulunkulu, kuze kuthi izinto ezibonwayo kazivelanga ezintweni ezibonakalayo. (aiōn )
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (aiōn )
4 Ngokholo uAbela wanikela kuNkulunkulu umhlatshelo ongcono kuloKhayini, owazuza ngawo ubufakazi bokuthi ulungile, uNkulunkulu efakazela izipho zakhe; langalo efile usakhuluma.
By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
5 Ngokholo uEnoki wasuswa ukuze angaboni ukufa, njalo katholwanga, ngoba uNkulunkulu wayesemsusile; ngoba engakasuswa wafakazelwa ngokuthi umthokozisile uNkulunkulu;
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.
6 kodwa ngaphandle kokholo kakwenzeki ukumthokozisa; ngoba ozayo kuNkulunkulu umele akholwe ukuthi ukhona, lokuthi ungumvuzi walabo abamdingisisayo.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
7 Ngokholo uNowa exwayisiwe nguNkulunkulu ngezinto ebezingakabonwa, esesaba, wakha umkhumbi wosindiso lwendlu yakhe; alahla umhlaba ngawo, wasesiba yindlalifa yokulunga ngokokholo.
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
8 Ngokholo uAbrahama walalela ebizwa ukuthi aphume aye endaweni ayezayemukela ibe yilifa; waphuma, engazi lapho aya khona.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going.
9 Ngokholo wahlala njengomuntu wezizweni elizweni lesithembiso, njengelemzini, ehlala emathenteni loIsaka loJakobe, ababeyizindlalifa kanye laye zalesosithembiso;
By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
10 ngoba wayelindele umuzi olezisekelo, omqambi wesimo lomakhi wawo nguNkulunkulu.
For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11 Ngokholo laye uSara uqobo wazuza amandla okwemukela inhlanyelo, esedlulelwe yisikhathi wabeletha, ngoba wathi uthembekile lowo owathembisayo.
By faith Sarah, even though she was barren and beyond the proper age, was enabled to conceive a child, because she considered Him faithful who had promised.
12 Ngakho-ke bazalwa ngoyedwa, lalezizinto zivela kosefile, abangangenkanyezi zezulu ngobunengi, langangetshebetshebe elisekhunjini lolwandle elingelakubalwa.
And so from one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
13 Bonke laba bafela ekholweni, bengemukelanga izithembiso, kodwa bazibonela khatshana, baqiniseka, bazigona, njalo bavuma ukuthi bangabezizwe lezihambi emhlabeni.
All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
14 Ngoba abatsho izinto ezinje batshengisa ukuthi badinga ilizwe lakibo.
Now those who say such things show that they are seeking a country of their own.
15 Uba-ke kambe babecabanga ngalelo ababesuke kulo, babengaba lethuba lokubuyela;
If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 kodwa khathesi-ke balangatha elingcono, elingelezulwini; ngakho uNkulunkulu kalanhloni ngabo, ukuthiwa nguNkulunkulu wabo; ngoba ubalungisele umuzi.
Instead, they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
17 Ngokholo uAbrahama wanikela uIsaka lapho ehlolwa, lalowo owemukela izithembiso wayenikela ozelwe yedwa wakhe,
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac on the altar. He who had received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son,
18 okwakuthiwe kuye: KuIsaka inzalo yakho izabizwa;
even though God had said to him, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
19 wathi uNkulunkulu ulamandla okuvusa lakwabafileyo; lapho laye amzuze evela khona ngokulinganisa.
Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death.
20 Ngokholo uIsaka wabusisa uJakobe loEsawu ngezinto ezizayo.
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future.
21 Ngokholo uJakobe esesifa wabusisa lowo lalowo wamadodana kaJosefa, wasekhonza ebambelele phezu kodondolo lwakhe.
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
22 Ngokholo uJosefa esesifa wakhuluma ngokuphuma kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, waselayezela ngamathambo akhe.
By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.
23 Ngokholo uMozisi esezelwe wafihlwa ngabazali bakhe inyanga ezintathu, ngoba babona ukuthi ngumntwana omuhle; njalo bengawesabi umthetho wenkosi.
By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were unafraid of the king’s edict.
24 Ngokholo uMozisi esekhulile wala ukuthiwa uyindodana yendodakazi kaFaro,
By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.
25 kulalokho wakhetha ukuphathwa kubi kanye labantu bakaNkulunkulu kulokuthi abe lentokozo yesono isikhatshana;
He chose to suffer oppression with God’s people rather than to experience the fleeting enjoyment of sin.
26 wathi ukuthukwa kukaKristu kuyinotho enkulu kulamagugu eGibhithe; ngoba wayekhangele umvuzo.
He valued disgrace for Christ above the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward.
27 Ngokholo watshiya iGibhithe, engalwesabi ulaka lwenkosi; ngoba waqinisela kungathi uyambona oNgabonwayo.
By faith Moses left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.
28 Ngokholo wagcina iphasika lokufafazwa kwegazi, ukuze lowo obhubhisa amazibulo angabathinti.
By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch Israel’s own firstborn.
29 Ngokholo badabula uLwandle oluBomvu njengemhlabathini owomileyo; okwathi amaGibhithe bekulinga lokho baminzwa.
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were drowned.
30 Ngokholo imiduli yeJeriko yadilika, isibhodiwe insuku eziyisikhombisa.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
31 Ngokholo uRahabi isifebe kabhubhanga kanye labangakholwanga, esezemukele izinhloli ngokuthula.
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient.
32 Ngisezathini? Ngoba ngingaphelelwa yisikhathi ngilandisa ngoGidiyoni loBaraki loSamsoni loJefitha loDavida loSamuweli labaprofethi;
And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,
33 abathi ngokholo banqoba imibuso, benza ukulunga, bazuza izithembiso, bavala imilomo yezilwane,
who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,
34 bacitsha amandla omlilo, baphepha ubukhali benkemba, bazuza amandla ebuthakathakeni, baqina empini, baxotsha amabutho awezizwe.
quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.
35 Abesifazana bemukela abafileyo babo bevela ekuvukeni; labanye bazwiswa ubuhlungu, bengemukeli ukukhululwa, ukuze bazuze ukuvuka okungcono;
Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused their release, so that they might gain a better resurrection.
36 abanye balingwa ngokwenziwa inhlekisa lokutshaywa, futhi langezibopho langentolongo;
Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
37 bakhandwa ngamatshe, basahwa phakathi, balingwa, bafa ekubulaweni ngenkemba; bazula bembethe izigogo zezimvu lezigogo zezimbuzi, baswela, bazwiswa ubuhlungu, baphathwa kubi,
They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated.
38 (umhlaba ongabafanelanga bona) bazula ezinkangala lezintabeni lezimbalwini lemihomeni yomhlaba.
The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground.
39 Labo bonke laba, befakazelwe ngokholo kabazuzanga isithembiso,
These were all commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised.
40 lokhu uNkulunkulu wayesinakekele ngaphambili okungcono, ukuze kuthi ngaphandle kwethu bangapheleliswa.
God had planned something better for us, so that together with us they would be made perfect.