VaRoma 11
1 Zvino ndinobvunza ndichiti: Mwari akarasa vanhu vake here? Kwete napaduku pose! Nokuti ini pachangu ndiri muIsraeri, chizvarwa chaAbhurahama, ndiri worudzi rwaBhenjamini.
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 Mwari haana kurasa vanhu vake, avo vaakaziva pakutanga. Hamuzivi here zvinorehwa noRugwaro pandima inotaura nezvaEria, kuti akakumbira sei kuna Mwari pamusoro peIsraeri achiti,
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 “Ishe vakauraya vaprofita venyu uye vakaputsa aritari dzenyu; ndini ndoga ndasara, uye vari kuedza kundiuraya”?
“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 Uye Mwari akamupindura achiti kudiniko? “Ndakazvichengetera varume zviuru zvinomwe vasina kupfugamira Bhaari.”
But what was the divine response? “I have kept for myself seven thousand who have never bowed the knee to Baal.”
5 Saizvozvowo, panguva ino varipo vakasara, vakasanangurwa nenyasha.
And so in our own time, too, there is to be found a remnant of our nation selected by God in love.
6 Uye kana zvava zvenyasha, saka hazvichisiri zvamabasa; kana dai zvaiva zvakadaro, nyasha hadzaizova nyasha.
But if in love, then it is not as a result of obedience. Otherwise love would cease to be love.
7 Zvino tichatiiko? Zvakatsvakwa navaIsraeri nokushingaira havana kuzviwana, asi vasanangurwa ndivo vakazviwana. Vamwe vakaomeswa mwoyo,
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 sezvazvakanyorwa zvichinzi: “Mwari akavapa mweya wehope, meso kuti vasaona, nzeve kuitira kuti vasanzwa, kusvikira nanhasi uno.”
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 Uye Dhavhidhi anoti: “Tafura yavo ngaive musungo neriva, nechigumbuso uye nechinotsiva kwavari.
David, too, says – “May their feasts prove a snare and a trap to them – a hindrance and a retribution;
10 Meso avo ngaasvibirwe kuti vasaona; uye mukotamise misana yavo nokusingaperi.”
may their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see; and do you always make their backs to bend.”
11 Zvakare ndinobvunza ndichiti: Ko, vakagumbuswa vakawa zvokusazomukazve here? Kwete napaduku pose! Asi kuti nokuwa kwavo ruponeso rwakauya kune veDzimwe Ndudzi kuti Israeri ive negodo.
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 Zvino kana kudarika kwavo kuchipfumisa nyika, uye kurasikirwa kwavo kuchireva pfuma kune veDzimwe Ndudzi, kuzara kwavo kuchauyisa pfuma yakakura zvakadii!
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 Ndiri kutaura kwamuri imi veDzimwe Ndudzi. Sezvandiri mupostori weveDzimwe Ndudzi, ndinokudza ushumiri hwangu
But I am speaking to you who were Gentiles.
14 netariro yokuti zvimwe ndingamutsa godo kuvanhu vangu uye ndiponese vamwe vavo.
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 Nokuti kana kuraswa kwavo kuri kuyananiswa kwenyika, ko, kugamuchirwa kwavo kuchagoveiko, asi upenyu kubva kurufu?
For, if their being cast aside has meant the reconciliation of the world, what will their reception mean, but life from the dead?
16 Zvino kana chikamu chechikanyiwa chakapiwa sechibereko chokutanga chiri chitsvene, saka chikanyiwa chose chitsvene; kana mudzi uri mutsvene namatavi acho akadarowo.
If the first handful of dough is holy, so is the whole mass, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 Kana mamwe matavi akavhuniwa, uye imi, kunyange muri muorivhi wokudondo, wakabatanidzwa pakati pamamwe, zvino mava nomugove pamwe chete nawo kubva pamudzi womuorivhi,
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 musazvikudza pamusoro pamatavi ayo. Kana muchizvikudza murangarire izvi: Hamuzimi makatakura mudzi, asi kuti mudzi ndiwo wakakutakurai.
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 Zvino iwe uchati, “Matavi akavhuniwa kuti ini ndibatanidzwe.”
But branches, you will say, were broken off, so that I might be grafted in.
20 Ndizvozvo. Asi akavhuniwa nokuda kwokusatenda, uye iwe unomira nokutenda kwako. Usazvikudza, asi uve nokutya.
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 Nokuti kana Mwari asina kurega matavi okutanga, haangakuregi newewo.
For, if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
22 Naizvozvo nyatsofunga pamusoro pounyoro nokukasharara kwaMwari; kukasharara kuna vakawa, asi unyoro kwauri, kana ukaramba uchifamba muunyoro hwake. Kana zvikasadaro newewo uchatemwa.
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 Uye kana vakasarambirira pakusatenda, vachabatanidzwa, nokuti Mwari anogona kuvabatanidza zvakare.
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 Nokuti, kana iwe wakatemwa kubva pamuorivhi womumunda pakusikwa kwawo, uye ukabatanidzwa pamuorivhi womumunda zvichipesana namasikirwo azvo, ko, kuzoti ayo agara ari epo achazofara sei kuti abatanidzwezve mumuti wawo womuorivhi?
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 Hama dzangu, handidi kuti musaziva, chakavanzika ichi, kuti murege kuva namanyawi: vaIsraeri vakaomeswa mwoyo kusvikira veDzimwe Ndudzi vakakwana vapinda.
My friends, so that you don’t think too highly of yourselves, I want you to recognise 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 Naizvozvo Israeri yose ichaponeswa, sezvazvakanyorwa zvichinzi: “PaZioni pachabuda musununguri; achabvisa kusada Mwari kuna Jakobho.
And then all Israel will be saved. As scripture says – “From Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.
27 Uye iyi ndiyo sungano yangu navo kana ndabvisa zvivi zvavo.”
And they will see the fulfilment of my covenant, when I have taken away their sins.”
28 Kana zviri zvevhangeri, ivo vavengi nokuda kwenyu; asi kana kuri kusanangurwa, vadikanwi nokuda kwamadzibaba,
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 nokuti zvipo zvaMwari nokudana kwake hazvishandurwi.
For God never regrets his gifts or his call.
30 Nokuti sezvo imi makanga musingateereri Mwari pane imwe nguva magamuchira ngoni zvino nokuda kwokusateerera kwavo,
Just as you at one time were disobedient to him, but have now found mercy in the day of their disobedience;
31 saizvozvo naivowo zvino havachateereri kuitira kuti vagamuchire ngoni nokuda kwengoni dzaMwari kwamuri.
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 Nokuti Mwari akapfigira vanhu vose pakusateerera kwavo, kuti avanzwire ngoni vose. (eleēsē g1653)
For God has given all alike over to disobedience, that to all alike he may show mercy. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Haiwa, udzamu hwokupfuma kwouchenjeri noruzivo rwaMwari! Kutonga kwake hakunganzverwi, uye makwara ake haangarondwi!
Oh! The unfathomable wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments, how untraceable his ways! Yes –
34 “Ndianiko akaziva pfungwa dzaShe? Kana akava mupi wake wamazano?”
ho has ever comprehended the mind of the Lord? Who has ever become his counsellor?
35 “Ndianiko akambopa kuna Mwari kuti Mwari angamuripirazve?”
Or who has first given to him, so that he may claim a reward?
