KwabaseRoma 3
1 Pho-ke yibuphi ubungcono bomJuda, kumbe luyini usizo lokusoka?
What, then, is the advantage of being a Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?
2 Kukhulu ngendlela yonke; ngoba kuqala-ke ukuthi baphathiswe amazwi kaNkulunkulu.
Much in every way. First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God.
3 Ngoba kuyini uba abanye bengakholwanga? Ukungakholwa kwabo kuzakwenza ize ukholo lukaNkulunkulu yini?
What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?
4 Phinde! Kodwa uNkulunkulu kabe leqiniso, kodwa wonke umuntu abe ngumqambimanga, njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: Ukuze uthiwe ulungile emazwini akho, unqobe ekwahlulelweni kwakho.
Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.”
5 Kodwa uba ukungalungi kwethu kubonakalisa ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu, sizakuthini? Kambe uNkulunkulu kalunganga yini owehlisela ulaka? (Ngikhuluma njengomuntu.)
But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? I am speaking in human terms.
6 Phinde! Uba kungenjalo uNkulunkulu uzawahlulela njani umhlaba?
Certainly not! In that case, how could God judge the world?
7 Ngoba uba iqiniso likaNkulunkulu landisile kakhulu edumeni lwakhe ngamanga ami, ngisagwetshelwani mina futhi njengesoni?
However, if my falsehood accentuates God’s truthfulness, to the increase of His glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?
8 Njalo kungenjengalokhu sigconwa, lanjengoba abanye bathi thina sithi: Kasenze izinto ezimbi ukuze kuvele okuhle? Abakulahlwa kwabo kuba ngokokulunga.
Why not say, as some slanderously claim that we say, “Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is deserved!
9 Pho-ke? Singcono yini? Hatshi bo! Ngoba sesiwacalile mandulo amaJuda kanye lamaGriki ukuthi wonke angaphansi kwesono,
What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin.
10 njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: Kakho olungileyo, kakho loyedwa;
As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one.
11 kakho oqedisisayo, kakho odinga uNkulunkulu;
There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
12 bonke baphambukile, kabasizi lutho bonkana; kakho owenza okuhle, kakho ngitsho loyedwa;
All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
13 umphimbo wabo ulingcwaba elivulekileyo; bakhohlisa ngenlimi zabo; ubuhlungu bephimpi bungaphansi kwendebe zabo;
“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.”
14 omlomo wabo ugcwele ukuqalekisa lokubaba;
“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 inyawo zabo ziphangisela ukuchitha igazi;
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 incithakalo losizi kusendleleni zabo,
ruin and misery lie in their wake,
17 njalo indlela yokuthula kabayazanga;
and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 ukwesaba uNkulunkulu kakukho phambi kwamehlo abo.
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Njalo siyazi ukuthi konke okutshoyo umlayo, ukukhuluma kubo abangaphansi komlayo, ukuze yonke imilomo ivinjwe, lokuthi umhlaba wonke ube lecala kuNkulunkulu;
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
20 ngoba emisebenzini yomlayo kakulanyama ezalungisiswa phambi kwakhe; ngoba ngomlayo kulokwazi isono.
Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.
21 Kodwa khathesi-ke sekubonakalisiwe ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu ngaphandle komlayo, okufakazelwa ngumlayo labaprofethi;
But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.
22 ngitsho ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu ngokholo lukaJesu Kristu kubo bonke laphezu kwabo bonke abakholwayo; ngoba kawukho umehluko;
And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,
23 ngoba bonke bonile basilele enkazimulweni kaNkulunkulu,
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 balungisiswa ngesihle ngomusa wakhe ngohlengo olukuKristu Jesu;
and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
25 uNkulunkulu ammisayo ukuthi abe yinhlawulo yokuthula, ngokholo egazini lakhe, ukuze kube yisibonakaliso sokulunga kwakhe, ngokuyekelwa kwezono ezenziwa ngaphambili, ekubekezeleni kukaNkulunkulu;
God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.
26 ukuze kube yisibonakaliso sokulunga kwakhe kulesisikhathi, ukuze abe ngolungileyo lokuthi uyamlungisisa ongowokholo lukaJesu.
He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Ngakho kungaphi ukuzincoma? Kuvalelwe phandle. Ngomthetho bani? Wemisebenzi yini? Hatshi bo, kodwa ngomthetho wokholo.
Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of works? No, but on that of faith.
28 Ngakho siphetha ngokuthi umuntu ulungisiswe ngokholo, ngaphandle kwemisebenzi yomlayo.
For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
29 Kambe unguNkulunkulu wamaJuda kuphela? Njalo kayisuye lowabezizwe yini? Yebo lowabezizwe;
Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
30 lokhu uNkulunkulu emunye, ozalungisisa ukusoka ekholweni, lokungasoki ngokholo.
since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
31 Ngakho siyawenza umlayo ube yize ngokholo yini? Phinde! Kodwa siyawuqinisa umlayo.
Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Certainly not! Instead, we uphold the law.
