KwabaseRoma 11
1 Ngakho ngithi: UNkulunkulu ubalahlile yini abantu bakhe? Phinde! Ngoba lami ngingumIsrayeli, owenzalo kaAbrahama, wesizwe sikaBhenjamini.
I say then, Has God cast away his people? Far be the thought. For I also am an Israelite, of [the] seed of Abraham, of [the] tribe of Benjamin.
2 UNkulunkulu kabalahlanga abantu bakhe abazi ngaphambili. Kumbe kalazi yini kuElija ukuthi umbhalo uthini? Ukuthi walabhela njani kuNkulunkulu emelene loIsrayeli, esithi:
God has not cast away his people whom he foreknew. Know ye not what the scripture says in [the history of] Elias, how he pleads with God against Israel?
3 Nkosi, babulele abaprofethi bakho, badilizile amalathi akho; mina-ke ngisele ngedwa, sebedinga umphefumulo wami.
Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have dug down thine altars; and I have been left alone, and they seek my life.
4 Kodwa impendulo kaNkulunkulu yathini kuye? Yathi: Ngizitshiyele amadoda azinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa, angaguqanga ngedolo kuBhali.
But what says the divine answer to him? I have left to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed knee to Baal.
5 Kunjalo-ke kukhona langalesisikhathi insali ngokukhetha komusa.
Thus, then, in the present time also there has been a remnant according to election of grace.
6 Kodwa uba kungomusa, kakusayi ngemisebenzi; uba kungenjalo umusa kawuseyiwo umusa. Kodwa aluba kusiya ngemisebenzi, kakuseyiwo umusa; uba kungenjalo umsebenzi kawusengumsebenzi.
But if by grace, no longer of works: since [otherwise] grace is no more grace.
7 Pho-ke? Lokhu uIsrayeli ayekudinga, lokho kakutholanga, kodwa abakhethiweyo bakuthola, labanye benziwa baba lukhuni;
What [is it] then? What Israel seeks for, that he has not obtained; but the election has obtained, and the rest have been blinded,
8 njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: UNkulunkulu wabanika umoya wobuthongo obukhulu, amehlo ukuze bangaboni, lendlebe ukuze bangezwa, kuze kube lusuku lwalamuhla.
according as it is written, God has given to them a spirit of slumber, eyes not to see, and ears not to hear, unto this day.
9 LoDavida uthi: Itafula labo libe ngumjibila lesifu, lesikhubekiso, lempindiselo kubo;
And David says, Let their table be for a snare, and for a gin, and for a fall-trap, and for a recompense to them:
10 amehlo abo kafiphazwe ukuze bangaboni, njalo ugobise umhlana wabo njalonjalo.
let their eyes be darkened not to see, and bow down their back alway.
11 Ngakho ngithi: Bakhubeka ukuze bawe yini? Phinde! Kodwa ngesiphambeko sabo usindiso lufikile kwabezizwe, ukubavusela umona.
I say then, Have they stumbled in order that they might fall? Far be the thought: but by their fall [there is] salvation to the nations to provoke them to jealousy.
12 Kodwa uba isiphambeko sabo siyinotho yomhlaba, lokwehluleka kwabo kuyinotho yabezizwe, kakhulu kangakanani ukugcwala kwabo?
But if their fall [be the] world's wealth, and their loss [the] wealth of [the] nations, how much rather their fulness?
13 Ngoba ngikhuluma lani bezizwe, njengalokho mina ngingumphostoli wabezizwe; ngikhulisa inkonzo yami;
For I speak to you, the nations, inasmuch as I am apostle of nations, I glorify my ministry;
14 ukuthi mhlawumbe ngibavusele umona abenyama yami, ngisindise abanye babo.
if by any means I shall provoke to jealousy [them which are] my flesh, and shall save some from among them.
15 Ngoba uba ukulahlwa kwabo kuyikubuyiswa komhlaba, kungaba yini ukwemukelwa, ngaphandle kokuthi kuyimpilo kwabafileyo?
For if their casting away [be the] world's reconciliation, what [their] reception but life from among [the] dead?
16 Njalo uba izithelo zokuqala zingcwele, lenhlama injalo; uba-ke impande ingcwele, lengatsha zinjalo.
Now if the first-fruit [be] holy, the lump also; and if the root [be] holy, the branches also.
17 Kodwa uba kwephulwe ezinye ingatsha, lawe ongumhlwathi weganga waxhunyelelwa phakathi kwazo, uhlanganyele lazo impande lamafutha omhlwathi,
Now if some of the branches have been broken out, and thou, being a wild olive tree, hast been grafted in amongst them, and hast become a fellow-partaker of the root and of the fatness of the olive tree,
18 ungazincomi phezu kwengatsha; kodwa uba uzincoma phezu kwazo, kayisuwe othwele impande, kodwa impande wena.
boast not against the branches; but if thou boast, [it is] not thou bearest the root, but the root thee.
19 Uzakuthi-ke: Ingatsha zephulwa, ukuze mina ngixhunyelwe.
Thou wilt say then, The branches have been broken out in order that I might be grafted in.
20 Kulungile; zephulwa ngokungakholwa, wena-ke umi ngokholo. Ungazikhukhumezi, kodwa yesaba;
Right: they have been broken out through unbelief, and thou standest through faith. Be not high-minded, but fear:
21 ngoba uba uNkulunkulu engayekelanga ingatsha zemvelo, hlezi lawe kayikukuyekela.
if God indeed has not spared the natural branches; lest it might be he spare not thee either.
22 Khangela-ke ububele lobukhali bukaNkulunkulu; ubukhali, kulabo abawayo; kodwa kuwe, ububele, uba uhlala ebubeleni; uba kungenjalo uzaqunywa lawe.
Behold then [the] goodness and severity of God: upon them who have fallen, severity; upon thee goodness of God, if thou shalt abide in goodness, since [otherwise] thou also wilt be cut away.
23 Lalabo futhi, uba bengahlali ekungakholweni, bazaxhunyelwa, ngoba uNkulunkulu ulamandla okubuya abaxhume.
And they too, if they abide not in unbelief, shall be grafted in; for God is able again to graft them in.
24 Ngoba uba wena waqunywa emhlwathini weganga ngemvelo, wasuxhunyelelwa ngokuphambene lemvelo emhlwathini ohlanyelweyo, kakhulu kangakanani labo, abazingatsha ngemvelo, bazaxhunyelelwa esihlahleni sakibo somhlwathi?
For if thou hast been cut out of the olive tree wild by nature, and, contrary to nature, hast been grafted into the good olive tree, how much rather shall they, who are according to nature be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 Ngoba ngithanda ukuthi lingabi ngabangaziyo, bazalwane, ngalimfihlo, hlezi lizitshaye abahlakaniphileyo, ukuthi ubulukhuni sebehlele uIsrayeli nganxanye, kuze kungene ukugcwala kwabezizwe;
For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of this mystery, that ye may not be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the nations be come in;
26 ngokunjalo-ke uIsrayeli wonke uzasindiswa; njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: Kuzavela eSiyoni uMkhululi, asuse ukungabi loNkulunkulu kuJakobe;
and so all Israel shall be saved. According as it is written, The deliverer shall come out of Zion; he shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
27 njalo yilesi isivumelwano sami kubo, lapho ngizasusa izono zabo.
And this is the covenant from me to them, when I shall have taken away their sins.
28 Ngokwevangeli bayizitha ngenxa yenu; kodwa ngokukhetha bangabathandiweyo ngenxa yabobaba;
As regards the glad tidings, [they are] enemies on your account; but as regards election, beloved on account of the fathers.
29 ngoba izipho zomusa lokubiza kukaNkulunkulu kakulakuphenduka.
For the gifts and the calling of God [are] not subject to repentance.
30 Ngoba njengalokhu lani kade lingamlaleli uNkulunkulu, kodwa khathesi selihawukelwe ngenxa yokungalaleli kwabo;
For as indeed ye [also] once have not believed in God, but now have been objects of mercy through the unbelief of these;
31 ngokunjalo lalabo khathesi kabalalelanga, ukuze ngesihawu senu bahawukelwe labo;
so these also have now not believed in your mercy, in order that they also may be objects of mercy.
For God hath shut up together all in unbelief, in order that he might shew mercy to all. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Yeka ukujula kwenotho, kokubili eyenhlakanipho leyolwazi lukaNkulunkulu! Kakuphenyeki kangakanani ukwahlulela kwakhe, lendlela zakhe kazilandeleki!
O depth of riches both of [the] wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable his judgments, and untraceable his ways!
34 Ngoba ngubani owazi ingqondo yeNkosi? Kumbe ngubani owaba ngumeluleki wayo?
For who has known [the] mind of [the] Lord, or who has been his counsellor?
35 Kumbe ngubani owamnika kuqala, njalo kubuyiselwe kuye?
or who has first given to him, and it shall be rendered to him?
