KwabaseRoma 11
1 Ngakho ngithi: UNkulunkulu ubalahlile yini abantu bakhe? Phinde! Ngoba lami ngingumIsrayeli, owenzalo kaAbrahama, wesizwe sikaBhenjamini.
BUT I say, Hath Aloha put away his people? Not so. For I also am of Israel, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benyamen.
2 UNkulunkulu kabalahlanga abantu bakhe abazi ngaphambili. Kumbe kalazi yini kuElija ukuthi umbhalo uthini? Ukuthi walabhela njani kuNkulunkulu emelene loIsrayeli, esithi:
Aloha hath not put away his people whom from before he knew. Or know you not what he saith in the scripture concerning Elia,
3 Nkosi, babulele abaprofethi bakho, badilizile amalathi akho; mina-ke ngisele ngedwa, sebedinga umphefumulo wami.
when he cried unto Aloha against Israel, saying, My Lord, thy prophets have they killed, and thy altars overthrown, and I alone am left, and they seek my soul?
4 Kodwa impendulo kaNkulunkulu yathini kuye? Yathi: Ngizitshiyele amadoda azinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa, angaguqanga ngedolo kuBhali.
And it was said to him by revelation, Behold, I have left to myself seven thousand men, who upon their knees have not kneeled nor worshipped Baal.
5 Kunjalo-ke kukhona langalesisikhathi insali ngokukhetha komusa.
So also, at this time, a residue is left by the 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, it is not of works; otherwise grace is not grace. But if by works, it is not of grace; otherwise work is not work.
7 Pho-ke? Lokhu uIsrayeli ayekudinga, lokho kakutholanga, kodwa abakhethiweyo bakuthola, labanye benziwa baba lukhuni;
What then, That which Israel sought he hath not found; but the election hath found: but the rest of them are blinded in their hearts.
8 njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: UNkulunkulu wabanika umoya wobuthongo obukhulu, amehlo ukuze bangaboni, lendlebe ukuze bangezwa, kuze kube lusuku lwalamuhla.
As it is written, Aloha hath given them the spirit of trouble, And eyes that see not, and ears that hear not, until the present day.
9 LoDavida uthi: Itafula labo libe ngumjibila lesifu, lesikhubekiso, lempindiselo kubo;
And David again saith, Let their table become a snare before them, And their reward be for a stumbling-block:
10 amehlo abo kafiphazwe ukuze bangaboni, njalo ugobise umhlana wabo njalonjalo.
Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, And their back at all times be bowed;
11 Ngakho ngithi: Bakhubeka ukuze bawe yini? Phinde! Kodwa ngesiphambeko sabo usindiso lufikile kwabezizwe, ukubavusela umona.
But I say, Have they stumbled so as to fall? Not so: but, by their stumbling was salvation to the Gentiles, unto their zeal.
12 Kodwa uba isiphambeko sabo siyinotho yomhlaba, lokwehluleka kwabo kuyinotho yabezizwe, kakhulu kangakanani ukugcwala kwabo?
And if their stumbling were wealth to the world, and their condemnation wealth to the Gentiles, how much then will their fulness be?
13 Ngoba ngikhuluma lani bezizwe, njengalokho mina ngingumphostoli wabezizwe; ngikhulisa inkonzo yami;
To you, Gentiles, I speak, I, who am apostle of the Gentiles, in my ministry I glory,
14 ukuthi mhlawumbe ngibavusele umona abenyama yami, ngisindise abanye babo.
if I may provoke my fleshly kindred, and save some of them.
15 Ngoba uba ukulahlwa kwabo kuyikubuyiswa komhlaba, kungaba yini ukwemukelwa, ngaphandle kokuthi kuyimpilo kwabafileyo?
For if their rejection was the reconciliation of the world, what (will) their conversion (be) but life from the dead?
16 Njalo uba izithelo zokuqala zingcwele, lenhlama injalo; uba-ke impande ingcwele, lengatsha zinjalo.
For if the first-fruits be holy, (so) also (will be) the mass; and if the root be holy, (so) also the branches.
17 Kodwa uba kwephulwe ezinye ingatsha, lawe ongumhlwathi weganga waxhunyelelwa phakathi kwazo, uhlanganyele lazo impande lamafutha omhlwathi,
And if the branches were cut off, and thou who art a wild olive art engrafted in their place, and hast a participation of the root and fatness of the olive,
18 ungazincomi phezu kwengatsha; kodwa uba uzincoma phezu kwazo, kayisuwe othwele impande, kodwa impande wena.
boast not against the branches: but if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root beareth thee.
19 Uzakuthi-ke: Ingatsha zephulwa, ukuze mina ngixhunyelwe.
And perhaps thou wilt say, The branches were cut off, and I in their place am engrafted:
20 Kulungile; zephulwa ngokungakholwa, wena-ke umi ngokholo. Ungazikhukhumezi, kodwa yesaba;
Well, they on account of unbelief were cut off, and thou by faith standest: be not exalted in thy mind, but fear.
21 ngoba uba uNkulunkulu engayekelanga ingatsha zemvelo, hlezi lawe kayikukuyekela.
If Aloha spared not them who were branches by nature, (take heed) lest he spare not thee.
22 Khangela-ke ububele lobukhali bukaNkulunkulu; ubukhali, kulabo abawayo; kodwa kuwe, ububele, uba uhlala ebubeleni; uba kungenjalo uzaqunywa lawe.
Behold, then, the goodness and the severity of Aloha: towards them who fell, severity; but towards thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness; if not, thou also wilt be cut off.
23 Lalabo futhi, uba bengahlali ekungakholweni, bazaxhunyelwa, ngoba uNkulunkulu ulamandla okubuya abaxhume.
And they, if they continue not in their want of faith, they also shall be engrafted; for Aloha is able again to engraft them.
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 who art of the wild olive which is thy nature, wast cut off, and, which was not thy nature, art engrafted into the good olive, how much more they, if they are engrafted into the olive of their nature?
25 Ngoba ngithanda ukuthi lingabi ngabangaziyo, bazalwane, ngalimfihlo, hlezi lizitshaye abahlakaniphileyo, ukuthi ubulukhuni sebehlele uIsrayeli nganxanye, kuze kungene ukugcwala kwabezizwe;
But I would have you know, my brethren, this mystery, that you may not be wise in your own mind, -that blindness of heart for a little space is unto Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be brought in:
26 ngokunjalo-ke uIsrayeli wonke uzasindiswa; njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: Kuzavela eSiyoni uMkhululi, asuse ukungabi loNkulunkulu kuJakobe;
and then all Israel shall be saved. As it is written, The Redeemer shall come from Sion, And turn iniquity from Jakub;
27 njalo yilesi isivumelwano sami kubo, lapho ngizasusa izono zabo.
And then shall be to them my covenant, When I have forgiven them their sins.
28 Ngokwevangeli bayizitha ngenxa yenu; kodwa ngokukhetha bangabathandiweyo ngenxa yabobaba;
But, in (regard of) the gospel, they are enemies on your account; and, in the election, they are beloved on account of the fathers.
29 ngoba izipho zomusa lokubiza kukaNkulunkulu kakulakuphenduka.
For Aloha turneth not in his gift and in his vocation.
30 Ngoba njengalokhu lani kade lingamlaleli uNkulunkulu, kodwa khathesi selihawukelwe ngenxa yokungalaleli kwabo;
For as you also were not obedient unto Aloha at the first, and now have received mercy through their disobedience;
31 ngokunjalo lalabo khathesi kabalalelanga, ukuze ngesihawu senu bahawukelwe labo;
so also these are now disobedient for the mercy that is upon you, that upon them also might be mercy.
For Aloha hath included them all in disobedience, that upon all he might show mercy. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Yeka ukujula kwenotho, kokubili eyenhlakanipho leyolwazi lukaNkulunkulu! Kakuphenyeki kangakanani ukwahlulela kwakhe, lendlela zakhe kazilandeleki!
O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of Aloha, whose judgments man searcheth not, and whose ways are inscrutable!
34 Ngoba ngubani owazi ingqondo yeNkosi? Kumbe ngubani owaba ngumeluleki wayo?
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor?
35 Kumbe ngubani owamnika kuqala, njalo kubuyiselwe kuye?
Or who hath first given to him, that so he should receive from him?
