KwabaseRoma 3

1 Pho-ke yibuphi ubungcono bomJuda, kumbe luyini usizo lokusoka?

How then is the Jew better off? or what profit is there in circumcision?

2 Kukhulu ngendlela yonke; ngoba kuqala-ke ukuthi baphathiswe amazwi kaNkulunkulu.

Much in every way: first of all because the words of God were given to them.

3 Ngoba kuyini uba abanye bengakholwanga? Ukungakholwa kwabo kuzakwenza ize ukholo lukaNkulunkulu yini?

And if some have no faith, will that make the faith of God without effect?

4 Phinde! Kodwa uNkulunkulu kabe leqiniso, kodwa wonke umuntu abe ngumqambimanga, njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: Ukuze uthiwe ulungile emazwini akho, unqobe ekwahlulelweni kwakho.

In no way: but let God be true, though every man is seen to be untrue; as it is said in the Writings, That your words may be seen to be true, and you may be seen to be right when you are judged.

5 Kodwa uba ukungalungi kwethu kubonakalisa ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu, sizakuthini? Kambe uNkulunkulu kalunganga yini owehlisela ulaka? (Ngikhuluma njengomuntu.)

But if the righteousness of God is supported by our wrongdoing what is to be said? is it wrong for God to be angry (as men may say)?

6 Phinde! Uba kungenjalo uNkulunkulu uzawahlulela njani umhlaba?

In no way: because if it is so, how is God able to be the judge of all the world?

7 Ngoba uba iqiniso likaNkulunkulu landisile kakhulu edumeni lwakhe ngamanga ami, ngisagwetshelwani mina futhi njengesoni?

But if, because I am untrue, God being seen to be true gets more glory, why am I to be judged as a sinner?

8 Njalo kungenjengalokhu sigconwa, lanjengoba abanye bathi thina sithi: Kasenze izinto ezimbi ukuze kuvele okuhle? Abakulahlwa kwabo kuba ngokokulunga.

Let us not do evil so that good may come (a statement which we are falsely said by some to have made), because such behaviour will have its right punishment.

9 Pho-ke? Singcono yini? Hatshi bo! Ngoba sesiwacalile mandulo amaJuda kanye lamaGriki ukuthi wonke angaphansi kwesono,

What then? are we worse off than they? In no way: because we have before made it clear that Jews as well as Greeks are all under the power of sin;

10 njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: Kakho olungileyo, kakho loyedwa;

As it is said in the holy Writings, There is not one who does righteousness;

11 kakho oqedisisayo, kakho odinga uNkulunkulu;

Not one who has the knowledge of what is right, not one who is a searcher after God;

12 bonke baphambukile, kabasizi lutho bonkana; kakho owenza okuhle, kakho ngitsho loyedwa;

They have all gone out of the way, there is no profit in any of them; there is not one who does good, not so much as one:

13 umphimbo wabo ulingcwaba elivulekileyo; bakhohlisa ngenlimi zabo; ubuhlungu bephimpi bungaphansi kwendebe zabo;

Their throat is like an open place of death; with their tongues they have said what is not true: the poison of snakes is under their lips:

14 omlomo wabo ugcwele ukuqalekisa lokubaba;

Whose mouth is full of curses and bitter words:

15 inyawo zabo ziphangisela ukuchitha igazi;

Their feet are quick in running after blood;

16 incithakalo losizi kusendleleni zabo,

Destruction and trouble are in their ways;

17 njalo indlela yokuthula kabayazanga;

And of the way of peace they have no knowledge:

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 have knowledge that what the law says is for those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and all men may be judged by God:

20 ngoba emisebenzini yomlayo kakulanyama ezalungisiswa phambi kwakhe; ngoba ngomlayo kulokwazi isono.

Because by the works of the law no man is able to have righteousness in his eyes, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

21 Kodwa khathesi-ke sekubonakalisiwe ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu ngaphandle komlayo, okufakazelwa ngumlayo labaprofethi;

But now without the law there is a revelation of the righteousness of God, to which witness is given by the law and the prophets;

22 ngitsho ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu ngokholo lukaJesu Kristu kubo bonke laphezu kwabo bonke abakholwayo; ngoba kawukho umehluko;

That is, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all those who have faith; and one man is not different from another,

23 ngoba bonke bonile basilele enkazimulweni kaNkulunkulu,

For all have done wrong and are far from the glory of God;

24 balungisiswa ngesihle ngomusa wakhe ngohlengo olukuKristu Jesu;

And they may have righteousness put to their credit, freely, by his grace, through the salvation which 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;

Whom God has put forward as the sign of his mercy, through faith, by his blood, to make clear his righteousness when, in his pity, God let the sins of earlier times go without punishment;

26 ukuze kube yisibonakaliso sokulunga kwakhe kulesisikhathi, ukuze abe ngolungileyo lokuthi uyamlungisisa ongowokholo lukaJesu.

And to make clear his righteousness now, so that he might himself be upright, and give righteousness to him who has faith in Jesus.

27 Ngakho kungaphi ukuzincoma? Kuvalelwe phandle. Ngomthetho bani? Wemisebenzi yini? Hatshi bo, kodwa ngomthetho wokholo.

What reason, then, is there for pride? It is shut out. By what sort of law? of works? No, but by a law of faith.

28 Ngakho siphetha ngokuthi umuntu ulungisiswe ngokholo, ngaphandle kwemisebenzi yomlayo.

For this reason, then, a man may get righteousness by faith without the works of the law.

29 Kambe unguNkulunkulu wamaJuda kuphela? Njalo kayisuye lowabezizwe yini? Yebo lowabezizwe;

Or is God the God of Jews only? is he not in the same way the God of Gentiles? Yes, of Gentiles:

30 lokhu uNkulunkulu emunye, ozalungisisa ukusoka ekholweni, lokungasoki ngokholo.

If God is one; and he will give righteousness because of faith to those who have circumcision, and through faith to those who have not circumcision.

31 Ngakho siyawenza umlayo ube yize ngokholo yini? Phinde! Kodwa siyawuqinisa umlayo.

Do we, then, through faith make the law of no effect? in no way: but we make it clear that the law is important.