VaRoma 9
1 Ndinotaura chokwadi muna Kristu, handirevi nhema, hana yangu inondipupurira muMweya Mutsvene
I am speaking the truth as one in union with Christ; it is no lie; and my conscience, enlightened by the Holy Spirit,
2 ndino kusuwa kukuru kwazvo neshungu dzisingaperi mumwoyo mangu.
bears me out when I say that there is a great weight of sorrow on me and that my heart is never free from pain.
3 Nokuti ndinoshuva kuti dai ini pachangu ndaiva munhu akatukwa uye ndakaparadzaniswa naKristu nokuda kwehama dzangu, ivo vorudzi rwangu,
I could wish that I were myself accursed and severed from the Christ, for the sake of my people – my own flesh and blood.
4 ivo vanhu veIsraeri. Kuva vana ndokwavo; nokubwinya ndokwavo, nesungano, nokupiwa kwomurayiro, nokunamata Mwari mutemberi uye zvipikirwa ndezvavo.
For they are Israelites, and theirs are the adoption as children, the visible presence, the covenants, the revealed Law, the Temple worship, and the promises.
5 Madzibaba ndeavo, uye naKristu akabva kwavari panyama, ari Mwari pamusoro pazvose, anokudzwa nokusingaperi! Ameni. (aiōn g165)
They are descended from the patriarchs, and, as far as his human nature was concerned, from them came the Christ – he who is supreme over all things, God for ever blessed. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 Hazvirevi kuti shoko raMwari rakakundikana. Nokuti havasi vose vari zvizvarwa zvaIsraeri vanova vaIsraeri.
Not that God’s Word has failed. For it is not all who are descended from Israel who are true Israelites;
7 Uye nokuti zvavari vorudzi rwake, vose vana vaAbhurahama. Asi zvinonzi, “Kuna Isaka ndiko kuchatumidzwa rudzi rwako.”
nor, because they are Abraham’s descendants, are they all his children; but – “It is Isaac’s children who will be called your descendants.”
8 Namamwe mashoko, havasi vana panyama vanova vana vaMwari, asi vana vechipikirwa ndivo vanonzi vana vaAbhurahama.
This means that it is not the children born in the course of nature who are God’s children, but it is the children born in fulfilment of the promise who are to be regarded as Abraham’s descendants.
9 Nokuti aya ndiwo mashoko echipikirwa: “Panguva yakatarwa ndichauya, uye Sara achava nomwanakomana.”
For these words are the words of a promise – “About this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”
10 Kwete izvozvo zvoga, asi kuti naRabhekawo akava navana vomunhu mumwe uye baba vamwe, baba vedu Isaka.
Nor is that all. There is also the case of Rebecca, when she was about to bear children to our ancestor Isaac.
11 Asi mapatya asati azvarwa, vasati vaita chakanaka kana chakaipa, kuitira kuti kuda kwaMwari pakusarudza kwake kusimbiswe,
For in order that the purpose of God, working through selection, might not fail – a selection depending, not on obedience, but on his call – Rebecca was told, before her children were born and before they had done anything either right or wrong,
12 kwete nokuda kwamabasa asi nokuda kwake iye anodana, akaudzwa kuti, “Mukuru achava muranda womuduku.”
that the elder would be a servant to the younger.
13 Sezvazvakanyorwa zvichinzi: “Jakobho ndakamuda, asi Esau ndakamuvenga.”
The words of scripture are – “I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.”
14 Zvino tichatiiko? Mwari haaruramisiri here? Kwete napaduku!
What are we to say, then? Is God guilty of injustice? Heaven forbid!
15 Nokuti anoti kuna Mozisi: “Ndichanzwira ngoni wandichanzwira ngoni, uye ndichaitira tsitsi wandichaitira tsitsi.”
For his words to Moses are – “I will take pity on whom I take pity, and be merciful to whom I am merciful.”
16 Naizvozvo, hazvibvi pashungu kana pamabasa omunhu, asi patsitsi dzaMwari.
So, then, all depends, not on human wishes or human efforts, but on God’s mercy.
17 Nokuti Rugwaro runoti kuna Faro, “Ndakakumutsira chikonzero ichochi, kuti ndiratidze simba rangu mauri uye kuti zita rangu rigoparidzwa panyika yose.”
In scripture, again, it is said to Pharaoh – “It was for this purpose that I raised you to the throne, to show my power by my dealings with you, and to make my name known throughout the world.”
18 Naizvozvo Mwari anonzwira ngoni waanoda kunzwira ngoni, uye anoomesa mwoyo wouyo waanoda kuomesa.
So, then, where God wills, he takes pity, and where he wills, he hardens the heart.
19 Mumwe wenyu angati kwandiri, “Zvino sei Mwari achiramba achitipa mhosva? Nokuti ndianiko acharamba kuda kwake?”
Perhaps you will say to me – “How can anyone still be blamed? For who withstands his purpose?”
20 Zvino iwe munhu, ndiwe aniko, kuti upindure Mwari? “Chakaumbwa chingati kune akachiumba, ‘Wakandiitirei zvakadai?’”
I might rather ask “Who are you who are arguing with God?” Does a thing which a person has moulded say to the person who has moulded it “Why did you make me like this?”
21 Muumbi wehari haana simba pamusoro pevhu here, kuti nebundu rimwe chetero aite mimwe midziyo inokudzwa nemimwe midziyo isingakudzwi?
Has not the potter absolute power over their clay, so that out of the same lump they make one thing for better, and another for common, use?
22 Ko, kana Mwari akasarudza kuratidza kutsamwa kwake, uye kuti azivise simba rake, akaita nomwoyo murefu zvikuru pamusoro pemidziyo yokutsamwira kwake, yakagadzirirwa kuparadzwa?
And what if God, intending to reveal his displeasure and make his power known, bore most patiently with the objects of his displeasure, though they were fit only to be destroyed,
23 Kana akaita izvi kuti azivise kupfuma kwokubwinya kwake kumidziyo yengoni, avo vaakagadzirira kare kubwinya,
so as to make known his surpassing glory in dealing with the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared beforehand for glory,
24 kunyange isu, vaya vaakadana, kwete kubva kuvaJudha chete asi nokubva kune veDzimwe Ndudziwo?
and whom he called – even us – not only from among the Jews but from among the Gentiles also!
25 Sezvaanotaura mubhuku raHosea achiti: “Ndichavati ‘vanhu vangu’ vaya vakanga vasiri vanhu vangu; uye ndichamuti, ‘mudikanwi wangu’ iye akanga asiri mudikanwi wangu,”
This, indeed, is what he says in the book of Hosea – “Those who were not my people, I will call my people, and those who were unloved I will love.
26 uye, Zvichaitika kuti paya painzi kwavari, “Hamusi vanhu vangu; vachanzi ‘vanakomana vaMwari mupenyu.’”
And in the place where it was said to them – ‘You are not my people’, they will be called sons of the living God.”
27 Uye Isaya anodanidzira pamusoro peIsraeri, achiti: “Kunyange kuwanda kwavaIsraeri kwakaita sejecha regungwa, vakasara chete ndivo vachaponeswa.
And Isaiah cries aloud over Israel – “Though the sons of Israel are like the sand of the sea in number, only a remnant of them will escape!
28 Nokuti Ishe achaisa mutongo wake panyika nokukurumidza uye achaupedzisa.”
For the Lord will execute his sentence on the world, fully and without delay.”
29 Zvakaita sezvakarehwa kare naIsaya achiti: “Dai asiri Jehovha Wamasimba Ose akatisiyira zvizvarwa, tingadai takaita seSodhomu tingadai takaita seGomora.”
It is as Isaiah foretold – “Had not the Lord of Hosts spared some few of our people to us, we should have become like Sodom and been made to resemble Gomorrah.”
30 Zvino tichatiiko? Tichati veDzimwe Ndudzi vasina kutsvaka kururama, ndivo vakakuwana, iko kururama kwokutenda;
What are we to say, then? Why, that Gentiles, who were not in search of righteousness, secured it – a righteousness which was the result of faith;
31 asi vaIsraeri vakatevera murayiro wokurarama, havana kukuwana.
while Israel, which was in search of a Law which would ensure righteousness, failed to discover one.
32 Seiko zvakadaro? Nokuti havana kuutevera nokutenda asi sokunge namabasa avo. Vakagumburwa neibwe “rinogumbusa.”
And why? Because they looked to obedience, and not to faith, to secure it. They stumbled over the stumbling-block.
33 Sezvazvakanyorwa zvichinzi: “Tarira, ndinoisa paZioni ibwe rinogumbusa kuvanhu, nedombo rinovapinganidza kuti vawe, uye uyo anotenda kwaari haazonyadziswi.”
As scripture says – “See, I place a stumbling-block in Zion – a rock which will prove a hindrance; and he who believes in him will have no cause for shame.”
