VaRoma 9
1 Ndinotaura chokwadi muna Kristu, handirevi nhema, hana yangu inondipupurira muMweya Mutsvene
I am telling you the truth as a Christian man--it is no falsehood, for my conscience enlightened, as it is, by the Holy Spirit adds its testimony to mine--
2 ndino kusuwa kukuru kwazvo neshungu dzisingaperi mumwoyo mangu.
when I declare that I have deep grief and unceasing anguish of heart.
3 Nokuti ndinoshuva kuti dai ini pachangu ndaiva munhu akatukwa uye ndakaparadzaniswa naKristu nokuda kwehama dzangu, ivo vorudzi rwangu,
For I could pray to be accursed from Christ on behalf of my brethren, my human kinsfolk--for such the Israelites are.
4 ivo vanhu veIsraeri. Kuva vana ndokwavo; nokubwinya ndokwavo, nesungano, nokupiwa kwomurayiro, nokunamata Mwari mutemberi uye zvipikirwa ndezvavo.
To them belongs recognition as God's sons, and they have His glorious Presence and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the Temple service, and the ancient Promises.
5 Madzibaba ndeavo, uye naKristu akabva kwavari panyama, ari Mwari pamusoro pazvose, anokudzwa nokusingaperi! Ameni. (aiōn g165)
To them the Patriarchs belong, and from them in respect of His human lineage came the Christ, who is exalted above all, God blessed throughout the Ages. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 Hazvirevi kuti shoko raMwari rakakundikana. Nokuti havasi vose vari zvizvarwa zvaIsraeri vanova vaIsraeri.
Not however that God's word has failed; for all who have sprung from Israel do not count as Israel,
7 Uye nokuti zvavari vorudzi rwake, vose vana vaAbhurahama. Asi zvinonzi, “Kuna Isaka ndiko kuchatumidzwa rudzi rwako.”
nor because they are Abraham's true children. But the promise was "Through Isaac shall your posterity be reckoned."
8 Namamwe mashoko, havasi vana panyama vanova vana vaMwari, asi vana vechipikirwa ndivo vanonzi vana vaAbhurahama.
In other words, it is not the children by natural descent who count as God's children, but the children made such by the promise are regarded as Abraham's posterity.
9 Nokuti aya ndiwo mashoko echipikirwa: “Panguva yakatarwa ndichauya, uye Sara achava nomwanakomana.”
For the words are the language of promise and run thus, "About this time next year I will come, and Sarah shall have a son."
10 Kwete izvozvo zvoga, asi kuti naRabhekawo akava navana vomunhu mumwe uye baba vamwe, baba vedu Isaka.
Nor is that all: later on there was Rebecca too. She was soon to bear two children to her husband, our forefather Isaac--
11 Asi mapatya asati azvarwa, vasati vaita chakanaka kana chakaipa, kuitira kuti kuda kwaMwari pakusarudza kwake kusimbiswe,
and even then, though they were not then born and had not done anything either good or evil, yet in order that God's electing purpose might not be frustrated, based, as it was, not on their actions but on the will of Him who called them, she was told,
12 kwete nokuda kwamabasa asi nokuda kwake iye anodana, akaudzwa kuti, “Mukuru achava muranda womuduku.”
"The elder of them will be bondservant to the younger."
13 Sezvazvakanyorwa zvichinzi: “Jakobho ndakamuda, asi Esau ndakamuvenga.”
This agrees with the other Scripture which says, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
14 Zvino tichatiiko? Mwari haaruramisiri here? Kwete napaduku!
What then are we to infer? That there is injustice in God?
15 Nokuti anoti kuna Mozisi: “Ndichanzwira ngoni wandichanzwira ngoni, uye ndichaitira tsitsi wandichaitira tsitsi.”
No, indeed; the solution is found in His words to Moses, "Wherever I show mercy it shall be nothing but mercy, and wherever I show compassion it shall be simply compassion."
16 Naizvozvo, hazvibvi pashungu kana pamabasa omunhu, asi patsitsi dzaMwari.
And from this we learn that everything is dependent not on man's will or endeavour, but upon God who has mercy. For the Scripture said to Pharaoh,
17 Nokuti Rugwaro runoti kuna Faro, “Ndakakumutsira chikonzero ichochi, kuti ndiratidze simba rangu mauri uye kuti zita rangu rigoparidzwa panyika yose.”
"It is for this very purpose that I have lifted you so high--that I may make manifest in you My power, and that My name may be proclaimed far and wide in all the earth."
18 Naizvozvo Mwari anonzwira ngoni waanoda kunzwira ngoni, uye anoomesa mwoyo wouyo waanoda kuomesa.
This is a proof that wherever He chooses He shows mercy, and wherever he chooses He hardens the heart.
19 Mumwe wenyu angati kwandiri, “Zvino sei Mwari achiramba achitipa mhosva? Nokuti ndianiko acharamba kuda kwake?”
"Why then does God still find fault?" you will ask; "for who is resisting His will?"
20 Zvino iwe munhu, ndiwe aniko, kuti upindure Mwari? “Chakaumbwa chingati kune akachiumba, ‘Wakandiitirei zvakadai?’”
Nay, but who are you, a mere man, that you should cavil against GOD? Shall the thing moulded say to him who moulded it, "Why have you made me thus?"
21 Muumbi wehari haana simba pamusoro pevhu here, kuti nebundu rimwe chetero aite mimwe midziyo inokudzwa nemimwe midziyo isingakudzwi?
Or has not the potter rightful power over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for more honourable and another for less honourable uses?
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, while choosing to make manifest the terrors of His anger and to show what is possible with Him, has yet borne with long-forbearing patience with the subjects of His anger who stand ready for destruction,
23 Kana akaita izvi kuti azivise kupfuma kwokubwinya kwake kumidziyo yengoni, avo vaakagadzirira kare kubwinya,
in order to make known His infinite goodness towards the subjects of His mercy whom He has prepared beforehand for glory,
24 kunyange isu, vaya vaakadana, kwete kubva kuvaJudha chete asi nokubva kune veDzimwe Ndudziwo?
even towards us whom He has called not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles?
25 Sezvaanotaura mubhuku raHosea achiti: “Ndichavati ‘vanhu vangu’ vaya vakanga vasiri vanhu vangu; uye ndichamuti, ‘mudikanwi wangu’ iye akanga asiri mudikanwi wangu,”
So also in Hosea He says, "I will call that nation My People which was not My People, and I will call her beloved who was not beloved.
26 uye, Zvichaitika kuti paya painzi kwavari, “Hamusi vanhu vangu; vachanzi ‘vanakomana vaMwari mupenyu.’”
And in the place where it was said to them, 'No people of Mine are you,' there shall they be called sons of the everliving God."
27 Uye Isaya anodanidzira pamusoro peIsraeri, achiti: “Kunyange kuwanda kwavaIsraeri kwakaita sejecha regungwa, vakasara chete ndivo vachaponeswa.
And Isaiah cries aloud concerning Israel, "Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sands of the sea, only a remnant of them shall be saved;
28 Nokuti Ishe achaisa mutongo wake panyika nokukurumidza uye achaupedzisa.”
for the Lord will hold a reckoning upon the earth, making it efficacious and brief."
29 Zvakaita sezvakarehwa kare naIsaya achiti: “Dai asiri Jehovha Wamasimba Ose akatisiyira zvizvarwa, tingadai takaita seSodhomu tingadai takaita seGomora.”
Even as Isaiah says in an earlier place, "Were it not that the Lord, the God of Hosts, had left us some few descendants, we should have become like Sodom, and have come to resemble Gomorrah."
30 Zvino tichatiiko? Tichati veDzimwe Ndudzi vasina kutsvaka kururama, ndivo vakakuwana, iko kururama kwokutenda;
To what conclusion does this bring us? Why, that the Gentiles, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have overtaken it--a righteousness, however, which arises from faith;
31 asi vaIsraeri vakatevera murayiro wokurarama, havana kukuwana.
while the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a Law that could give righteousness, have not arrived at one.
32 Seiko zvakadaro? Nokuti havana kuutevera nokutenda asi sokunge namabasa avo. Vakagumburwa neibwe “rinogumbusa.”
And why? Because they were pursuing a righteousness which should arise not from faith, but from what they regarded as merit. They stuck their foot against the stone which lay in their way;
33 Sezvazvakanyorwa zvichinzi: “Tarira, ndinoisa paZioni ibwe rinogumbusa kuvanhu, nedombo rinovapinganidza kuti vawe, uye uyo anotenda kwaari haazonyadziswi.”
in agreement with the statement of Scripture, "See, I am placing on Mount Zion a stone for people to stumble at, and a rock for them to trip over, and yet he whose faith rests upon it shall never have reason to feel ashamed."
