Walumi 11
1 Huje eyanga, huje, Ongolobhe abhakhanine abhantu bhakwe? Hata hashe. Hwa huje nane ne Mwiisraeli, wa mshikolo sha Abulahamu, hwi kabela lya Benyamini.
I ask, then, ‘Has God rejected his people?’ Heaven forbid! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 Ongolobhe zagabhakhene abhantu bhakwe abhamanye afume huwandilo. Je sagamenye izuu liyanga yenu ahusu o Eliya, jinsi sabholele Ongolobhe humwanya ye Israeli?
God has not rejected his people, whom he chose from the first. Have you forgotten the words of scripture in the story of Elijah – how he appeals to God against Israel?
3 “Ogosi, bhabhagojile ankoha bhaho, bhope bhabomoye pashiputo paho. Nene nimwene esagalye, bhope bhahwaza owomi wane.”
‘Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have pulled down your altars, and I only am left; and now they are eager to take my life.’
4 Lakini ijibu elya Ngolobhe liyanga yenu huliwe? “Embeshele kwaajili yalini abhantu elfu saba ebho sagabhayikhomela amafu gamo Baali.”
But what was the divine response? ‘I have kept for myself seven thousand who have never bowed the knee to Baal.’
5 Hata eshi, wakati ou esalezi bhahweli bhabhasagaliye ashilile ouchaguzi wiwenee.
And so in our own time, too, there is to be found a remnant of our nation selected by God in love.
6 Lakini kashile huweene, sehuje hwu matendo. Kashile weene sagaibhabhe nantele weene. Yeni bhasi?
But if in love, then it is not as a result of obedience. Otherwise love would cease to be love.
7 Ahantu ambaho Eisraeli yaliehwaza, sagahajile, huje bhabha chaguliwe bhahajile, nabhamwabho bhabhehwele bhamwamu.
What follows from this? Why, that Israel as a nation failed to secure what it was seeking, while those whom God selected did secure it.
8 Nashi sagasimbilwe: “Ongolobhe abhapie opepo ogwasajilwe, amaso huje bhasilole, na makutu huje bhasiyovwe, epaka sanyono eeshii.”
The rest grew callous; as scripture says – ‘God has given them a deadness of mind – eyes that are not to see and ears that are not to hear – and it is so to this very day.’
9 Wope o Daudi ayanga, “Leha emeza zyabho nazibhe nyavu, tengo sehemu yaabomelee nalipizye eshisasi hwa bhene bhebho.
David, too, says – ‘May their feasts prove a snare and a trap to them – a hindrance and a retribution;
10 Leha amaso gabho gabhehwe akisi huje bhagajelole. Ubhaundamishe amasana gabhowila.”
may their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see; and do you always make their backs to bend.’
11 Basi eyanga, “Huje bhabomelee hata bhagwile egajebhe?” Esho na mwaha. Badala yakwe, amenwe hwabho, olokole ufishe hwa Mataifa, ili bhebho bhene bhabhe nu wivu.
I ask then – ‘Was their stumbling to result in their fall?’ Heaven forbid! On the contrary, through their falling away salvation has reached the Gentiles, to stir the rivalry of Israel.
12 Nkashile amenwe hwabho hutabhale evya paulimwengu, nakashile hasalayabho atabhale wa mataifa, nazibhabhe zilenga enyinji akamilishe hwabho?
And, if their falling away has enriched the world, and their failure has enriched the Gentiles, how much more will result from their full restoration!
13 Na esalezi eyanga namwe mubhantu bhe Mataifa. Hwa huje enditumwa wa bhantu abhe Mataifa aganje, ehwivunira huduma yane.
But I am speaking to you who were Gentiles.
14 Labda engabhabhehe owivu gwambele pandwemo nanene. Nkanga tigabhokola bhabha hweli bhamo.
Being myself an apostle to the Gentiles, I exalt my office, in the hope that I may stir my countrymen to rivalry, and so save some of them.
15 Maana huje akhanile hwabho bhapatene ne dunia, aposhelelwe hwabho haibhawole ila uwomi afume hwaabhafwe?
For, if their being cast aside has meant the reconciliation of the world, what will their reception mean, but life from the dead?
16 Nkashire amadondo agapawandilo akiba, shesho sashihweli hwibhomba elye ousu. Nkashile amazi gope akiba, esamba zyope shesho.
If the first handful of dough is holy, so is the whole mass, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 Lakini nkashile zihweli esamba zyazidumulwe, nashi wewe, isamba lya mwipoli elya mzeituni, watotilwe pandwemo nabho, na nkashile wali pandwemo nabjo namumazi age otabhalo hwa mzeituni,
Some, however, of the branches were broken off, and you, who were only a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and came to share with them the root which is the source of the richness of the cultivated olive.
18 oganje hwintutumule amwanya yemasamba. Lakini nkashile uhwintutumula, nasaga wewe ohwavya mumazi, bali amazi gahumwavya awe.
Yet do not exult over the other branches. But, if you do exult over them, remember that you do not support the root, but that the root supports you.
19 Basi ubhayanje, “Amasamba gadumulwe huje epate atotwe mwilende.”
But branches, you will say, were broken off, so that I might be grafted in.
20 Ego gali lyoli. Husababu yakutowiteshe hwabho bhadumule, lakini awe wahemeleye shinza husababu yelweteho lwaho. Ugaje hwise bhelele umwene huhaliyamwanya sana, heli ogopaga.
True, it was because of their want of faith that they were broken off, and it is because of your faith that you are standing. Do not think too highly of yourself, but beware.
21 Kwa maana nkashile Ongolobhe hagagalesheye amasamba amakolo, sagabhahusajile nawe shesho.
For, if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
22 Hwiyenye, basi, amadala amiza nuhali wa Ngolobhe. Na hudwemo humo, okhali wahenzele amwanya ya Ayahudi ebho bhagwiye. Lakini nahudwemo uwamwabho, owiza wa Ngolobhe guweza amwanya yaho, nkashile obhakhale mumiza gakwe. Shoshoti nawe amanye obhatagwe hutali.
See, then, both the goodness and the severity of God – his severity towards those who fell, and his goodness towards you, provided that you continue to confide in that goodness; otherwise you, also, will be cut off.
23 Natele, nkashile sagabhezehwendelele mlweteshelo lyakwe, bhezatotwe natele. Maana Ongolobhe alinagwo ouwezo ogwa totele natele.
And they, too, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God has it in his power to graft them in again.
24 Hwa huje amwekashile mwadumulwe hwoze ashilile huhale omzeituni ogwamwipoli, na kinyume shakwe ehale mwa vyalilwe mu mzeituni omwieza, sehuje hwenje sana hwebha Ayahudi, sawa nahuje masamba amakolo gowezya agavyale natele muhati ye mzeituni gabho bhebho?
If you were cut off from your natural stock – a wild olive – and were grafted, contrary to the course of nature, on a good olive, much more will they – the natural branches – be grafted back into their parent tree.
25 Hwa huje mwaholo sehwaza huje msimanye afyatane nesiri ene, huje msibhe ne eshinshi nashi asebhanye hwenyu mwemwe. Esiri ene huje okhome guifumilene na Israeli, hadi akamilisye hwa mataifa nahwayiyenza.
My friends, so that you don’t think too highly of yourselves, I want you to recognize the truth, hitherto hidden, that the callousness which has come over Israel is only partial, and will continue only until the whole Gentile world has been gathered in.
26 Epo aIsraeli yote bhaihwokoha, nashi sagasimbilwe afume: “Afume hu Sayuni ayihwenza Owakhokole. Ayihwefya oubhibhi afume hwa Yakobo.
And then all Israel will be saved. As scripture says – ‘From Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.
27 Neli lyayibha malagano gane pandwemo nabhene, ensiku ezyo naihwefye embibhi zyabho.”
And they will see the fulfillment of my covenant, when I have taken away their sins.’
28 Ahusuhudwemo humo ashilile iizuu, bhavitilwa hwu sababu yenyu. Hudwemo ohwamwabho ashilile nasalule hwa Ngolobhe, bhagenwe husababu ya amaamaa.
From the standpoint of the good news, the Jews are God’s enemies for your sake; but from the standpoint of God’s selection, they are dear to him for the sake of the patriarchs.
29 Hwa huje ezawadi nakwiziwe hwa Ngolobhe sagahugaluhana.
For God never regrets his gifts or his call.
30 Hwa huje ehale amwee mwalimleshile Ongolobhe, lakini esalezi muiposheye ewene hwusababu ya aleshe hwabho.
Just as you at one time were disobedient to him, but have now found mercy in the day of their disobedience;
31 Hwidala lyelyo esalezi, ebha Ayahudi bhaleshile. Afumilane nego huuje nesanjilo zya mlinazyo amwe bhawezizye bhope aposhele ewene.
so, too, they have now become disobedient in your day of mercy, in order that they also in their turn may now find mercy.
32 Maana Ongolobhe abhankonjele abhantu woti ashilile huleshe, huje awezizye abhasajile bhoti. (eleēsē g1653)
For God has given all alike over to disobedience, that to all alike he may show mercy. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Shahuhweli outabhalo nenshinshi nenjele eya Ngolobhe! Zagapimwapimwa naloonje hwakwe, namadala gakwe sagazimanyiha!
Oh! The unfathomable wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments, how untraceable his ways! Yes –
34 “Maana yonanu walimenye ilengo lya Gosi? Au yonanu waliyanzi wakwe?
ho has ever comprehended the mind of the Lord? Who has ever become his counsellor?
35 Au yonanu owakwanza hupele ahantu Ongolobhe, huje alipwe nantele?”
Or who has first given to him, so that he may claim a reward?
