KumaHebheru 11
1 Ngakho ukholo luyikuqiniseka kwezinto ezithenjwayo, ubufakazi bezinto ezingabonwayo.
Now faith is [the] substance of things hoped for, [the] proof of matters not being seen,
2 Ngoba ngalo abadala bafakazelwa.
for by this, the elders were well-attested.
3 Ngokholo sibona ukuthi imihlaba yadalwa ngelizwi likaNkulunkulu, kuze kuthi izinto ezibonwayo kazivelanga ezintweni ezibonakalayo. (aiōn g165)
By faith we understand the ages to have been prepared by a saying of God, in regard to the things seen having not come out of things appearing. (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 a better sacrifice to God than Cain, through which he was testified to be righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and through it, he being dead, yet speaks.
5 Ngokholo uEnoki wasuswa ukuze angaboni ukufa, njalo katholwanga, ngoba uNkulunkulu wayesemsusile; ngoba engakasuswa wafakazelwa ngokuthi umthokozisile uNkulunkulu;
By faith Enoch was translated—not to see death, and was not found, because God translated him; for before his translation he had been testified to—that he had pleased God well,
6 kodwa ngaphandle kokholo kakwenzeki ukumthokozisa; ngoba ozayo kuNkulunkulu umele akholwe ukuthi ukhona, lokuthi ungumvuzi walabo abamdingisisayo.
and apart from faith it is impossible to please [Him], for it is required of him who is coming to God to believe that He exists and [that] He becomes a rewarder to those seeking Him.
7 Ngokholo uNowa exwayisiwe nguNkulunkulu ngezinto ebezingakabonwa, esesaba, wakha umkhumbi wosindiso lwendlu yakhe; alahla umhlaba ngawo, wasesiba yindlalifa yokulunga ngokokholo.
By faith Noah, having been divinely warned concerning the things not yet seen, having feared, prepared an ark to the salvation of his house, through which he condemned the world, and he became heir of the righteousness according to faith.
8 Ngokholo uAbrahama walalela ebizwa ukuthi aphume aye endaweni ayezayemukela ibe yilifa; waphuma, engazi lapho aya khona.
By faith Abraham, being called, obeyed, to go forth into the place that he was about to receive for an inheritance, and he went forth, not knowing to where he goes.
9 Ngokholo wahlala njengomuntu wezizweni elizweni lesithembiso, njengelemzini, ehlala emathenteni loIsaka loJakobe, ababeyizindlalifa kanye laye zalesosithembiso;
By faith he sojourned in the land of the promise as a strange country, having dwelt in dwelling places with Isaac and Jacob, fellow-heirs of the same promise,
10 ngoba wayelindele umuzi olezisekelo, omqambi wesimo lomakhi wawo nguNkulunkulu.
for he was looking for the city having the foundations, whose craftsman and constructor [is] God.
11 Ngokholo laye uSara uqobo wazuza amandla okwemukela inhlanyelo, esedlulelwe yisikhathi wabeletha, ngoba wathi uthembekile lowo owathembisayo.
And by faith Sarah, herself barren, received power to conceive seed even after the time of life, seeing she judged Him who promised faithful;
12 Ngakho-ke bazalwa ngoyedwa, lalezizinto zivela kosefile, abangangenkanyezi zezulu ngobunengi, langangetshebetshebe elisekhunjini lolwandle elingelakubalwa.
for this reason, also, from one—and that of one who had become dead—were begotten as the stars of the sky in multitude, and innumerable as the sand that [is] by the seashore.
13 Bonke laba bafela ekholweni, bengemukelanga izithembiso, kodwa bazibonela khatshana, baqiniseka, bazigona, njalo bavuma ukuthi bangabezizwe lezihambi emhlabeni.
All these died in faith, having not received the promises, but having seen them from afar, and having been persuaded, and having greeted [them], and having confessed that they are strangers and sojourners on the earth,
14 Ngoba abatsho izinto ezinje batshengisa ukuthi badinga ilizwe lakibo.
for those saying such things make apparent that they seek a country;
15 Uba-ke kambe babecabanga ngalelo ababesuke kulo, babengaba lethuba lokubuyela;
and if, indeed, they had been mindful of that from which they came forth, they might have had an opportunity to return,
16 kodwa khathesi-ke balangatha elingcono, elingelezulwini; ngakho uNkulunkulu kalanhloni ngabo, ukuthiwa nguNkulunkulu wabo; ngoba ubalungisele umuzi.
but now they long for better, that is, heavenly, for this reason God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for He prepared a city for them.
17 Ngokholo uAbrahama wanikela uIsaka lapho ehlolwa, lalowo owemukela izithembiso wayenikela ozelwe yedwa wakhe,
By faith Abraham has offered up Isaac, being tried, even the [one] having received the promises offered up his only begotten,
18 okwakuthiwe kuye: KuIsaka inzalo yakho izabizwa;
of whom it was said, “In Isaac will your Seed be called,”
19 wathi uNkulunkulu ulamandla okuvusa lakwabafileyo; lapho laye amzuze evela khona ngokulinganisa.
reckoning that God is even able to raise up out of the dead, from where also in a figurative sense he received [him].
20 Ngokholo uIsaka wabusisa uJakobe loEsawu ngezinto ezizayo.
By faith, concerning coming things, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.
21 Ngokholo uJakobe esesifa wabusisa lowo lalowo wamadodana kaJosefa, wasekhonza ebambelele phezu kodondolo lwakhe.
By faith Jacob, dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped on the top of his staff.
22 Ngokholo uJosefa esesifa wakhuluma ngokuphuma kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, waselayezela ngamathambo akhe.
By faith Joseph, dying, made mention concerning the outgoing of the sons of Israel, and gave command concerning his bones.
23 Ngokholo uMozisi esezelwe wafihlwa ngabazali bakhe inyanga ezintathu, ngoba babona ukuthi ngumntwana omuhle; njalo bengawesabi umthetho wenkosi.
By faith Moses, having been born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw the child beautiful, and were not afraid of the decree of the king.
24 Ngokholo uMozisi esekhulile wala ukuthiwa uyindodana yendodakazi kaFaro,
By faith Moses, having become great, refused to be called a son of the daughter of Pharaoh,
25 kulalokho wakhetha ukuphathwa kubi kanye labantu bakaNkulunkulu kulokuthi abe lentokozo yesono isikhatshana;
having chosen rather to be afflicted with the people of God, than to have sin’s pleasure for a season,
26 wathi ukuthukwa kukaKristu kuyinotho enkulu kulamagugu eGibhithe; ngoba wayekhangele umvuzo.
having reckoned the reproach of the Christ greater wealth than the treasures in Egypt, for he looked to the repayment of reward.
27 Ngokholo watshiya iGibhithe, engalwesabi ulaka lwenkosi; ngoba waqinisela kungathi uyambona oNgabonwayo.
By faith he left Egypt behind, having not been afraid of the wrath of the king, for as seeing the Invisible One—he endured.
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 He who is destroying the firstborn might not touch them.
29 Ngokholo badabula uLwandle oluBomvu njengemhlabathini owomileyo; okwathi amaGibhithe bekulinga lokho baminzwa.
By faith they passed through the Red Sea as through dry land, which having made an attempt [to cross], the Egyptians were swallowed up.
30 Ngokholo imiduli yeJeriko yadilika, isibhodiwe insuku eziyisikhombisa.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, having been surrounded for seven days.
31 Ngokholo uRahabi isifebe kabhubhanga kanye labangakholwanga, esezemukele izinhloli ngokuthula.
By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who disbelieved, having received the spies with peace.
32 Ngisezathini? Ngoba ngingaphelelwa yisikhathi ngilandisa ngoGidiyoni loBaraki loSamsoni loJefitha loDavida loSamuweli labaprofethi;
And what yet will I say? For the time will fail me recounting about Gideon, also Barak, and Samson, and Jephthah, also David, and Samuel, and the prophets,
33 abathi ngokholo banqoba imibuso, benza ukulunga, bazuza izithembiso, bavala imilomo yezilwane,
who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped mouths of lions,
34 bacitsha amandla omlilo, baphepha ubukhali benkemba, bazuza amandla ebuthakathakeni, baqina empini, baxotsha amabutho awezizwe.
quenched the power of fire, escaped the mouth of the sword, were made powerful out of weakness, became strong in battle, caused armies of the foreigners to give way;
35 Abesifazana bemukela abafileyo babo bevela ekuvukeni; labanye bazwiswa ubuhlungu, bengemukeli ukukhululwa, ukuze bazuze ukuvuka okungcono;
women received their dead by a resurrection, and others were tortured, not accepting the redemption, that they might receive a better resurrection,
36 abanye balingwa ngokwenziwa inhlekisa lokutshaywa, futhi langezibopho langentolongo;
and others received trial of mockings and scourgings, and yet of bonds 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 sawn apart, they were tried; they died in the killing of the sword; they went around in sheepskins, in goatskins—being destitute, afflicted, injuriously treated,
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 the holes of the earth;
39 Labo bonke laba, befakazelwe ngokholo kabazuzanga isithembiso,
and all these, having been testified to through faith, did not receive the promise,
40 lokhu uNkulunkulu wayesinakekele ngaphambili okungcono, ukuze kuthi ngaphandle kwethu bangapheleliswa.
God, having provided something better for us, that apart from us they might not be made perfect.
