KumaHebheru 11
1 Ngakho ukholo luyikuqiniseka kwezinto ezithenjwayo, ubufakazi bezinto ezingabonwayo.
Now faith is a realization of things being hoped for, an evidence of things not seen.
2 Ngoba ngalo abadala bafakazelwa.
By it the ancients were approved.
3 Ngokholo sibona ukuthi imihlaba yadalwa ngelizwi likaNkulunkulu, kuze kuthi izinto ezibonwayo kazivelanga ezintweni ezibonakalayo. (aiōn g165)
By faith we understand that the ages were created by a word from God, so that the things that are seen were made out of things invisible. (aiōn g165)
4 Ngokholo uAbela wanikela kuNkulunkulu umhlatshelo ongcono kuloKhayini, owazuza ngawo ubufakazi bokuthi ulungile, uNkulunkulu efakazela izipho zakhe; langalo efile usakhuluma.
By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than did Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying concerning his gifts; and by means of it he still speaks, even though being dead.
5 Ngokholo uEnoki wasuswa ukuze angaboni ukufa, njalo katholwanga, ngoba uNkulunkulu wayesemsusile; ngoba engakasuswa wafakazelwa ngokuthi umthokozisile uNkulunkulu;
By faith Enoch was transferred so as not to see death, and could not be found because God had translated him; before his translation he had obtained witness that he was pleasing to God.
6 kodwa ngaphandle kokholo kakwenzeki ukumthokozisa; ngoba ozayo kuNkulunkulu umele akholwe ukuthi ukhona, lokuthi ungumvuzi walabo abamdingisisayo.
Now without faith it is impossible to please Him, because the one approaching God must believe that He exists and that He becomes a rewarder of 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, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that is according to faith.
8 Ngokholo uAbrahama walalela ebizwa ukuthi aphume aye endaweni ayezayemukela ibe yilifa; waphuma, engazi lapho aya khona.
By faith Abraham, upon being called to go forth to the place that he would receive as an inheritance, obeyed and went, though not being acquainted with where he was going.
9 Ngokholo wahlala njengomuntu wezizweni elizweni lesithembiso, njengelemzini, ehlala emathenteni loIsaka loJakobe, ababeyizindlalifa kanye laye zalesosithembiso;
By faith he migrated into the land of promise as into a foreign country, dwelling in tents, along with Isaac and Jacob, the fellow heirs of the same promise;
10 ngoba wayelindele umuzi olezisekelo, omqambi wesimo lomakhi wawo nguNkulunkulu.
for he was waiting expectantly for the city with the real foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
11 Ngokholo laye uSara uqobo wazuza amandla okwemukela inhlanyelo, esedlulelwe yisikhathi wabeletha, ngoba wathi uthembekile lowo owathembisayo.
By faith Sarah herself also received power to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the normal age, since she judged 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, actually an impotent, were begotten 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.
These all died believing—not having received the promises, but having seen and welcomed them from a distance, thus confessing that they were aliens and sojourners on the earth.
14 Ngoba abatsho izinto ezinje batshengisa ukuthi badinga ilizwe lakibo.
Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.
15 Uba-ke kambe babecabanga ngalelo ababesuke kulo, babengaba lethuba lokubuyela;
If they were actually remembering that land from which they had departed, 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 are aspiring to a better home—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; in fact He has prepared a city for them.
17 Ngokholo uAbrahama wanikela uIsaka lapho ehlolwa, lalowo owemukela izithembiso wayenikela ozelwe yedwa wakhe,
By faith Abraham, upon being tested, offered up Isaac; yes, he who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his only begotten,
18 okwakuthiwe kuye: KuIsaka inzalo yakho izabizwa;
of whom it had been said, “Through Isaac will your seed be reckoned,”
19 wathi uNkulunkulu ulamandla okuvusa lakwabafileyo; lapho laye amzuze evela khona ngokulinganisa.
calculating that God was indeed able to raise him from the dead; from whence in fact he did receive him, figuratively speaking.
20 Ngokholo uIsaka wabusisa uJakobe loEsawu ngezinto ezizayo.
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
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, leaning on the top of his staff.
22 Ngokholo uJosefa esesifa wakhuluma ngokuphuma kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, waselayezela ngamathambo akhe.
By faith Joseph, near the end, thought of the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave orders concerning his bones.
23 Ngokholo uMozisi esezelwe wafihlwa ngabazali bakhe inyanga ezintathu, ngoba babona ukuthi ngumntwana omuhle; njalo bengawesabi umthetho wenkosi.
By faith Moses was hidden for three months by his parents, after he was born, because they saw he was a fine child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
24 Ngokholo uMozisi esekhulile wala ukuthiwa uyindodana yendodakazi kaFaro,
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
25 kulalokho wakhetha ukuphathwa kubi kanye labantu bakaNkulunkulu kulokuthi abe lentokozo yesono isikhatshana;
choosing rather to be maltreated along with God's people than to have the temporary pleasure of sin,
26 wathi ukuthukwa kukaKristu kuyinotho enkulu kulamagugu eGibhithe; ngoba wayekhangele umvuzo.
considering the reproach of Christ to be greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; because he was looking ahead to the reward.
27 Ngokholo watshiya iGibhithe, engalwesabi ulaka lwenkosi; ngoba waqinisela kungathi uyambona oNgabonwayo.
By faith he left Egypt behind, not fearing the king's rage, because he persevered as though seeing 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 the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them.
29 Ngokholo badabula uLwandle oluBomvu njengemhlabathini owomileyo; okwathi amaGibhithe bekulinga lokho baminzwa.
By faith they passed through the Red Sea as on dry ground, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were swallowed up.
30 Ngokholo imiduli yeJeriko yadilika, isibhodiwe insuku eziyisikhombisa.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, having been encircled for seven days.
31 Ngokholo uRahabi isifebe kabhubhanga kanye labangakholwanga, esezemukele izinhloli ngokuthula.
By faith the prostitute Rahab, having received the spies in peace, did not perish with the disobedient.
32 Ngisezathini? Ngoba ngingaphelelwa yisikhathi ngilandisa ngoGidiyoni loBaraki loSamsoni loJefitha loDavida loSamuweli labaprofethi;
And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell about Gideon, about Barak and Samson and Jephtha, about David and Samuel and the prophets,
33 abathi ngokholo banqoba imibuso, benza ukulunga, bazuza izithembiso, bavala imilomo yezilwane,
who through faith subdued kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, closed lions' mouths,
34 bacitsha amandla omlilo, baphepha ubukhali benkemba, bazuza amandla ebuthakathakeni, baqina empini, baxotsha amabutho awezizwe.
quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became mighty in battle, put to flight foreign armies.
35 Abesifazana bemukela abafileyo babo bevela ekuvukeni; labanye bazwiswa ubuhlungu, bengemukeli ukukhululwa, ukuze bazuze ukuvuka okungcono;
Women received their dead back by resurrection; while others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, so that they might obtain a better resurrection.
36 abanye balingwa ngokwenziwa inhlekisa lokutshaywa, futhi langezibopho langentolongo;
Still others were tried by mockings and scourgings, and even by 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 tempted, they were murdered by sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, mistreated
38 (umhlaba ongabafanelanga bona) bazula ezinkangala lezintabeni lezimbalwini lemihomeni yomhlaba.
—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.
39 Labo bonke laba, befakazelwe ngokholo kabazuzanga isithembiso,
Now all these did not receive the promise, though having been approved through faith,
40 lokhu uNkulunkulu wayesinakekele ngaphambili okungcono, ukuze kuthi ngaphandle kwethu bangapheleliswa.
God having planned something better for us, so that they should not be perfected without us.
