KwabaseRoma 9
1 Ngikhuluma iqiniso kuKristu, kangiqambi manga, isazela sami sifakazelana lami ngoMoya oNgcwele,
I am speaking the truth in Christ, it is no lie. My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have deep sorrow
2 ukuthi ngilokudabuka okukhulu, lobuhlungu obungapheliyo enhliziyweni yami.
and incessant anguish in my heart.
3 Ngoba ngingafisa ukuthi mina uqobo ngiqalekiswe kuKristu ngenxa yabazalwane bami, izihlobo zami ngokwenyama;
For I was on the point of praying to be accursed from Christ on behalf of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
4 abangamaIsrayeli, okungokwabo ukuma kwabantwana, lenkazimulo, lezivumelwano, lokunikwa komlayo, lenkonzo kaNkulunkulu, lezithembiso,
For they are Israelites; to them belong the sonship, the Shekinah glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law; the service of the temple, and the promises;
5 abangababo obaba, njalo avela kubo uKristu ngokwenyama, ophezu kwakho konke, uNkulunkulu obongekayo kuze kube nininini. Ameni. (aiōn g165)
theirs are the patriarchs, and of them, as concerning the flesh, is Christ, who is over all, God, blessed forever, Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 Kodwa kakunjengokuthi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lehlulekile. Ngoba kakusibo bonke abavela kuIsrayeli, abanguIsrayeli;
It is not, however, as though God’s word had failed! For they are not all Israel who have sprung from Israel;
7 njalo kungesikuthi ngoba bayinzalo kaAbrahama, bonke bangabantwana; kodwa: NgoIsaka inzalo izabizelwa kuwe.
they are not all children of Abraham because they are Abraham’s descendants. The promise was, In Isaac shall thy posterity be called.
8 Lokhu kutsho ukuthi, kakusibo abantwana benyama, bona bangabantwana bakaNkulunkulu; kodwa abantwana besithembiso bathiwa yinzalo.
That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as his posterity.
9 Ngoba ilizwi lesithembiso yileli elokuthi: Ngalesisikhathi ngizafika, njalo uSara uzakuba lendodana.
For thus is the word of promise, According to this season I will come, and Sarah shall bear a son.
10 Kakusikho lokhu kuphela, kodwa loRebeka esekhulelwe ngomunye, ubaba wethu uIsaka;
And not only so, but when Rebecca was pregnant by our forefather Isaac, though one man was the father of both children,
11 ngoba abantwana bengakazalwa, bengakenzi okuhle loba okubi, ukuze icebo likaNkulunkulu elingokokukhetha lime, kungaveli emisebenzini, kodwa kuvele kobizayo,
and even though they were still unborn, and had done nothing either good or bad, in order that the purpose of God might stand according to election, not of works, but of Him who called,
12 kwatshiwo kuye ukuthi: Omkhulu uzakhonza omncinyane,
it was said to her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: UJakobe ngamthanda, kodwa uEsawu ngamzonda.
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14 Pho-ke sizakuthini? Kukhona ukungalungi kuNkulunkulu yini? Phinde!
What shall we say then? that there is injustice with God? No indeed.
15 Ngoba uthi kuMozisi: Ngizakuba lomusa kwengilomusa kuye, njalo ngimhawukele engimhawukelayo.
His words to Moses are. I will have mercy on whom I choose to have mercy; I will have compassion on whom I choose to have compassion.
16 Ngakho kakusikho kothandayo, njalo kakusikho kogijimayo, kodwa ngokukaNkulunkulu olesihawu.
So then it is not a question of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.
17 Ngoba umbhalo uthi kuFaro: Ngakuphakamisela khona lokho, ukuze ngibonakalise amandla ami ngawe, njalo ukuze ibizo lami litshunyayelwe emhlabeni wonke.
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, It is for this very purpose that I have raised you up, To show in you my power, And to proclaim my name far and wide, in all the earth.
18 Ngakho uhawukela lowo athanda ukumhawukela; njalo amenze abe lukhuni lowo athanda ukumenza lukhuni.
So then he has mercy on whom he will, and whom he will, he hardens.
19 Ngakho uzakuthi kimi: Usasolelani? Ngoba ngubani ongamelana lentando yakhe?
Then you will say to me. "Why does he still go on finding fault? Who can withstand his will?"
20 Hatshi bo, wena muntu, ungubani wena ophikisana loNkulunkulu? Okubunjiweyo kungatsho yini kowakubumbayo ukuthi: Wangenzelani ngabanje?
"Nay, but who are you, O man, that replies to God? Shall the thing formed say unto him who formed it, "Why did you do me like this?"
21 Kumbe umbumbi kalagunya yini phezu kwebumba, ukuthi ngesigaqa sisinye enze isitsha esinye esihloniphekayo, lesinye esingahloniphekiyo?
Or has not the potter power over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for noble, and another for ignoble uses?
22 Njalo uba uNkulunkulu ethanda ukubonakalisa ulaka lwakhe, lokwazisa amandla akhe, wathwala ngokubekezela okukhulu izitsha zolaka ezilungiselwe ukubhujiswa;
But what if God, while intending to show forth his wrath, and to make known his power, yet endured, with much long-suffering, vessels of wrath, fitted to destruction?
23 njalo ukuze azise inotho yenkazimulo yakhe phezu kwezitsha zomusa, ayezilungisele ngaphambili inkazimulo,
And what if he thus purposed to make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he had before prepared for glory?
24 ngitsho thina, asibizileyo, kungeyisikho kumaJuda kuphela, kodwa lakwabezizwe?
Now such are we whom he has called, not only from among the Jews, but also from among the Gentiles.
25 Njengalokhu akutsho lakuHoseya: Abangeyisibo abantu bami ngizababiza ngokuthi ngabantu bami; lowayengathandwa ngokuthi ngothandekayo;
As he also said in Hosea. Those who were not my people I will call "my people," And her "beloved" who was not beloved;
26 njalo kuzakuthi, endaweni lapho okwathiwa khona kubo: Kalisibo abantu bami, khona lapho bazabizwa ngokuthi ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu ophilayo.
And in that very spot where it was told them, "You are not my people," There they shall be called "Sons of the living God."
27 LoIsaya umemeza ngoIsrayeli esithi: Lanxa inani labantwana bakoIsrayeli lingangetshebetshebe lolwandle, insali izasindiswa;
And in regard to Israel, Isaiah exclaims. Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sands of the sea, it is but a remnant of those who shall be saved;
28 ngoba uzaqeda isenzo asiqume ngokulunga; ngoba iNkosi izakwenza isenzo siqunywe ngokuphangisa emhlabeni.
for the Lord will execute his word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short.
29 Njalo njengoba uIsaya watsho ngaphambili ukuthi: Uba iNkosi yamabandla ibingasitshiyelanga inzalo, besizakuba njengeSodoma, njalo besizakwenziwa sifanane leGomora.
Even as in an earlier passage, Isaiah says, Except the Lord of Sabbath had us some few descendants, we should have become like Sodom, and should have fared like Gomorrah.
30 Pho sizakuthini? Ukuthi abezizwe abangadingisisi ukulunga, bakubambile ukulunga, ukulunga-ke okungokholo;
What then shall we say? That Gentiles who never pursed righteousness have overtaken it, even the righteousness of faith?
31 kodwa uIsrayeli, edingisisa umlayo wokulunga, kawufinyelelanga umlayo wokulunga.
But that the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law?
32 Ngani? Ngoba kabadingisisanga ngokholo, kodwa ngokungathi ngemisebenzi yomlayo; ngoba bakhubeka elitsheni lokukhubekisa,
And why? Because they sought it not by faith, but thought to gain it by works. They stumbled at the stone of stumbling;
33 njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: Khangela ngibeka eSiyoni ilitshe lokukhubekisa ledwala lokuwisa; laye wonke okholwa kuye kayikuyangeka.
even as it is written. Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; but he that believes on Him shall not be put to shame.
