KwabaseRoma 1

1 UPawuli, inceku kaJesu Kristu, ebizelwe ukuba ngumphostoli, ehlukaniselwe ivangeli likaNkulunkulu,

[I], Paul, who serve Christ Jesus, [am writing this letter]. God chose me to be an apostle, and I was appointed by him {he appointed me} in order that [I should proclaim] (the good message/the gospel) that [comes from him].

2 (alithembisa ngaphambili ngabaprofethi bakhe emibhalweni engcwele),

Long before [Jesus came to earth, God] promised [that he would reveal] this good message by means of what his prophets [wrote] in the sacred Scriptures.

3 mayelana leNdodana yakhe, eyavela enzalweni kaDavida ngokwenyama,

This good message is [about the one whom we know as] his Son. As to his Son’s physical/human nature, he was born a descendant of [King] David.

4 eyabonakaliswa ukuba yiNdodana kaNkulunkulu ngamandla, ngokukaMoya wobungcwele, ngokuvuka kwabafileyo, uJesu Kristu iNkosi yethu;

As to his divine nature, it was shown {[God] showed} powerfully that he is (God’s own Son/the man who is also God). [God] showed this by his Holy Spirit causing him to become alive again after he died. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.

5 esemukela ngaye umusa lobuphostoli ukuthi kube yikulalela kokholo phakathi kwezizwe zonke, ngenxa yebizo lakhe,

He is the one who appointed me, who did not deserve it, [to be] an apostle. He did that in order that [many] among the non-Jews would honor [him] and would obey him as a result of their believing [my message about him].

6 elikuzo lani, babiziweyo bakaJesu Kristu:

You [believers] who are living in Rome [city] are included among those whom God has chosen to belong to Jesus Christ.

7 Kubo bonke abaseRoma, abathandiweyo bakaNkulunkulu, ababizelwe ukuba ngabangcwele: Kakube kini umusa lokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba wethu leNkosini uJesu Kristu.

[I am writing this letter] to all of [you in Rome] whom God loves and whom he has chosen [to become his] people. [I pray that] God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord will [continue to] act kindly toward you and [will continue to] cause you to have [inner] peace.

8 Kuqala-ke ngibonga uNkulunkulu wami ngoJesu Kristu ngani lonke, ukuthi ukholo lwenu lumenyezelwa emhlabeni wonke.

As I begin [this letter], I thank my God for all you [believers in Rome]. It is because of [what] Jesus Christ [has done for us that] I [am able to do that]. I thank him because your trusting [in Jesus Christ] is something that people all over [the Roman Empire] [HYP] are talking about.

9 Ngoba uNkulunkulu ungumfakazi wami, engimkhonza emoyeni wami ngevangeli leNdodana yakhe, ukuthi kangiyekeli ukulikhumbula,

God, whom I devotedly serve as I [proclaim to people] the gospel concerning his Son, knows that I tell the truth when I say that I always mention you whenever [DOU] I pray [to God] [HYP].

10 ngesikhathi sonke emikhulekweni yami ngicela, ukuthi nxa kusenzeka ngentando kaNkulunkulu, ngiphumelele ukuza kini ekucineni.

I especially ask God that if he desires [me to visit you], somehow at last I shall be able to do so.

11 Ngoba ngilangatha ukulibona, ukuze ngiliphe isipho esithile somoya, ukuze liqiniswe,

[I pray this] because I long to visit you to help you spiritually, in order that you will become stronger [spiritually].

12 okuyikuthi, siduduzeke ndawonye phakathi kwenu ngokholo olukomunye lomunye, olwenu kanye lolwami.

I long to visit you in order that you and I might encourage each other [by means of our sharing with each other] how each of us trusts [in Jesus].

13 Kanti angithandi ukuthi kungaziwa kini, bazalwane, ukuthi ngazimisela kanengi ukuza kini (ngasengibambeka kuze kube khathesi), ukuze ngizuze esinye isithelo laphakathi kwenu, lanjengaphakathi kwezinye izizwe.

My fellow believers, many times I planned to visit you. I certainly want you to know [LIT] that. [But I have not been able to come to you because] I have been hindered {[things] have always prevented me} until the present time. I have wanted to come in order that I might help you to mature spiritually [IDM], as [I have helped people to mature spiritually] in many other non-Jewish groups [HYP].

14 Ngilomlandu kumaGriki kanye lakwabezizwe, kwabahlakaniphileyo kanye lakwabangahlakaniphanga;

I feel obliged [to proclaim the gospel to all non-Jewish people], specifically to [people who know] the Greek [language and culture] and to those who do not know it, to people who are educated and to those who are uneducated.

15 ngokunjalo njengokukimi ngilungele ukutshumayela ivangeli lakini abaseRoma.

So what I have eagerly desired is that I might proclaim this good message to you who are living in Rome also.

16 Ngoba kangilanhloni ngevangeli likaKristu; ngoba lingamandla kaNkulunkulu kube lusindiso kuye wonke okholwayo, kumJuda kuqala lakumGriki.

[That leads me to say that] I very confidently proclaim [LIT] the good message [about what Christ has done], because this good message is the powerful [means] that God [uses] to save [from the guilt of their sins] all people who trust [in what Christ has done for them]. Specifically, God first has saved the Jews [who believe the good message], and then he has saved non-Jews.

17 Ngoba ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu kwembulwa kilo kusukela kukholo kusiya kukholo; njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: Kodwa olungileyo uzaphila ngokholo.

By means of this good message God reveals how he erases the record of people’s sins (OR, declares people no longer guilty for having sinned); and his doing this is entirely because [IDM] they trust [in Christ. This is confirmed] by what [a prophet long ago] wrote [that God said], “Those (whose record of sin [I] have erased/whom [I] have declared no longer guilty for sin) because they trust [in me] will live [forever].”

18 Ngoba ulaka lukaNkulunkulu luyabonakaliswa luvela ezulwini phezu kwakho konke ukungakhonzi uNkulunkulu lokungalungi kwabantu abavimbela iqiniso ngokungalungi;

From [where God rules in] heaven he is making it clear to all [non-Jewish] people who show no respect for God and who do wicked things, that he is angry with them [and that they deserve to be punished] {[that he would punish them]} [MTY]. By means of [their behaving] wickedly, they keep other people [from believing what they know] to be true [about God].

19 ngoba lokho okwaziwayo ngoNkulunkulu kusobala phakathi kwabo; ngoba uNkulunkulu ukubonakalisile kubo.

[Everyone] can clearly know what God [is like], because God himself has revealed to everyone [what he is like].

20 Ngoba okungabonwayo kwakhe, selokhu kwadatshulwa umhlaba, kuzwisiseka ngezinto ezenziweyo, kubonakaliswa obala, ngitsho amandla akhe aphakade kanye lobuNkulunkulu bakhe, kuze kuthi kabalakuzivikela; (aïdios g126)

[People] cannot see what God is like. But ever since he created the world, by means of what he created he has clearly revealed what he is like. He has made clear to everyone that he has always been able to do very powerful things. [Therefore, we should recognize that] God is powerful, [completely different from all that he created]. So no one has a basis for saying, [“We never knew about God].” (aïdios g126)

21 ngoba kuthe bemazi uNkulunkulu, kabamdumisanga njengoNkulunkulu kabambonga, kodwa baba yize kumicabango yabo, lenhliziyo yabo engaqondiyo yenziwa yaba mnyama.

Although [the non-Jews] knew what God [is like], they did not honor him as God, nor did they thank [him for what he had done]. But instead, they began to think foolish [things about him], and they became unable to understand [MET] [what he wanted them to know].

22 Bezitshaya abahlakaniphileyo baba yizithutha,

Although they claimed that they were wise, they became foolish,

23 lenkazimulo kaNkulunkulu ongabhubhiyo bayiphendulela ekufananeni lomfanekiso womuntu obhubhayo, lowezinyoni, lowezidalwa ezilenyawo ezine, lowokuhuquzelayo.

and they refused to [admit that] God is glorious and will never die. Instead, they made and worshipped idols [that resembled people who] will some day die, and [then they made other idols that resembled] birds and four-footed animals, and [finally] they made idols that resembled reptiles.

24 Ngalokho-ke uNkulunkulu wabanikela emanyaleni, enkanukweni zenhliziyo zabo, ukuthi badumaze imizimba yabo phakathi kwabo;

So God allowed [the non-Jews] do immoral sexual things that they [SYN] strongly desired, things [that their desires were compelling them to do]. As a result, they [began to] dishonor each other’s bodies [by their sexual actions].

25 abaphendulela iqiniso likaNkulunkulu emangeni, basebedumisa bekhonza okudaliweyo kuloMdali, ongobongekayo kuze kube phakade. Ameni. (aiōn g165)

Also, they [chose to worship] false [gods] instead (of admitting/of choosing to believe) what is true [about] God. They worshipped and served things [that God] created instead of [worshipping and serving God himself], the one who created [everything. They did this even though] he [deserves that those he created] would forever praise him. Amen!/May it be so! (aiōn g165)

26 Ngenxa yalokho uNkulunkulu wabanikela enkanukweni ezilihlazo; ngoba labesifazana babo baphendula ukwenza kwemvelo kwaba ngokuphambene lemvelo;

So, God allowed [the non-Jews to do] shameful [sexual] things that they [strongly] desired. As a result, many women did not have natural sexual relations [with their husbands] [EUP]. Instead, they were doing sexual actions with other women [EUP].

27 langokunjalo labesilisa bayekela ukwenza kwemvelo kowesifazana, batsha ngokukhanukana kwabo, abesilisa labesilisa benza okulihlazo, bemukeliswa phakathi kwabo umvuzo ofanele ukuduha kwabo.

Similarly, [many] men stopped having/did not have natural sexual relations with women [EUP]. Instead, they strongly desired to have sexual relations with other men. They committed [homosexual] acts with other men, acts that were shameful. As a result, [God has] punished them [by sicknesses] in their bodies, which is what they deserve [because] they [thought] wrongly [that God would not punish them for doing that].

28 Njalo njengalokhu bengavumanga ukuba lolwazi ngoNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu wabanikela ukuthi babe lengqondo ebolileyo, eyokwenza izinto ezingafanelanga;

Furthermore, because they decided that it was not [worthwhile] to know God, he allowed their own worthless thoughts [to completely control them]. As a result, they began doing [evil] things that [God says that people] should not do.

29 begcwaliswe konke ukungalungi, ukuphinga, ububi, umhawu, inzondo; begcwele umona, ukubulala, inkani, inkohliso, ulunya; abahlebayo,

They strongly desire to do all [kinds of] unrighteous [things]. They strongly desire to do all [kinds of] evil things [to others]. They strongly desire to possess things that [belong to others]. They strongly desire to harm [others] in various ways. [Many non-Jews] are constantly envying [other people. Many] constantly desire to murder [people. Many] constantly desire to cause strife [between people. Many] constantly desire to deceive [others. Many] constantly desire to speak hatefully [about others] (OR, [to speak harmful things about others, things that are not true]). [Many] gossip [about others].

30 abanyeyayo, abazonda uNkulunkulu, abangelamakhanda, abazigqajayo, abazikhukhumezayo, abaqambi bezinto ezimbi, abangalaleli abazali,

[Many] slander [others. Many] act especially hatefully toward God. [Many] speak or act in an insulting way [toward others. Many] treat others contemptuously. [Many] boast [about themselves to others. Many] invent new ways to do evil things. [Many non-Jewish children] disobey their parents.

31 abangelangqondo, abephula izithembiso, abalolunya, abangelakuxoliswa, abangelasihawu;

[Many non-Jews] act in other morally foolish ways. [Many] do not do what they promised [others that they would do. Many] do not [even] love [their own family members. And many] do not act mercifully [toward other people].

32 abathi besazi umlayo wokulunga kaNkulunkulu, ukuthi abenza izinto ezinjalo bafanele ukufa, kungesikuthi bayazenza kuphela, kodwa futhi bevumelana labazenzayo.

Although they know that God has declared that those who do such things deserve to be killed, they not only habitually do these [kinds of evil] things, but they also approve of others who habitually do them.