Warumi 9
1 Ninasema kweli katika Kristo, wala sisemi uongo, dhamiri yangu inanishuhudia katika Roho Mtakatifu.
I am speaking the truth in Christ. My conscience confirms through the Holy Spirit that I am not lying when I say
2 Nina huzuni kuu na uchungu usiokoma moyoni mwangu.
that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.
3 Kwa maana ningetamani hata mimi nilaaniwe na kutengwa na Kristo kwa ajili ya ndugu zangu hasa, wale walio wa kabila langu kwa jinsi ya mwili,
For I could wish that I myself were accursed, cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
4 yaani, watu wa Israeli, ambao ndio wenye kule kufanywa wana, ule utukufu wa Mungu, yale maagano, kule kupokea sheria, ibada ya kwenye Hekalu na zile ahadi.
They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises.
5 Wao ni wa uzao wa mababa wakuu wa kwanza, ambao kutoka kwao Kristo alikuja kwa jinsi ya mwili kama mwanadamu, yeye ambaye ni Mungu aliye juu ya vyote, mwenye kuhimidiwa milele! Amen. (aiōn g165)
To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, came the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 Si kwamba Neno la Mungu limeshindwa. Kwa maana si kila Mwisraeli ambaye ni wa uzao utokanao na Israeli ni Mwisraeli halisi.
It is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all Israelites truly belong to Israel,
7 Wala hawakuwi wazao wa Abrahamu kwa sababu wao ni watoto wake, lakini: “Uzao wako utahesabiwa kupitia kwake Isaki.”
and not all of Abraham's children are his true descendants, but, “Through Isaac yoʋr descendants will be counted.”
8 Hii ina maana kwamba, si watoto waliozaliwa kimwili walio watoto wa Mungu, bali ni watoto wa ahadi wanaohesabiwa kuwa uzao wa Abrahamu.
That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; rather, the children of the promise are counted as descendants.
9 Kwa maana ahadi yenyewe ilisema, “Nitakurudia tena wakati kama huu, naye Sara atapata mtoto wa kiume.”
For this is what God promised: “About this time next year I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”
10 Wala si hivyo tu, bali pia watoto aliowazaa Rebeka walikuwa na baba huyo huyo mmoja, yaani, baba yetu Isaki.
Not only that, but when Rebecca had conceived by one man, our father Isaac,
11 Lakini, hata kabla hao mapacha hawajazaliwa au kufanya jambo lolote jema au baya, ili kwamba kusudi la Mungu la kuchagua lipate kusimama,
though her sons were not yet born and had done nothing good or evil, in order for the purpose of God's choice to stand (not because of works but because of him who calls),
12 si kwa matendo, bali kwa yeye mwenye kuita, Rebeka aliambiwa, “Yule mkubwa atamtumikia yule mdogo.”
she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”
13 Kama vile ilivyoandikwa, “Nimempenda Yakobo, lakini nimemchukia Esau.”
As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 Tuseme nini basi? Je, Mungu ni dhalimu? La, hasha!
What then shall we say? Is there injustice with God? Certainly not!
15 Kwa maana Mungu alimwambia Mose, “Nitamrehemu yeye nimrehemuye, na pia nitamhurumia yeye nimhurumiaye.”
For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
16 Kwa hiyo haitegemei kutaka kwa mwanadamu au jitihada, bali hutegemea huruma ya Mungu.
So then, it does not depend on human will or effort, but on God's mercy.
17 Kwa maana Maandiko yamwambia Farao, “Nilikuinua kwa kusudi hili hasa, ili nipate kuonyesha uweza wangu juu yako, na ili Jina langu lipate kutangazwa duniani yote.”
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “I have raised yoʋ up for the very purpose of showing my power in yoʋ, so that my name might be declared in all the earth.”
18 Kwa hiyo basi, Mungu humhurumia yeye atakaye kumhurumia na humfanya mgumu yeye atakaye kumfanya mgumu.
So then, God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
19 Basi mtaniambia, “Kama ni hivyo, kwa nini basi bado Mungu anatulaumu? Kwa maana ni nani awezaye kupinga mapenzi yake?”
Yoʋ will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”
20 Lakini, ewe mwanadamu, u nani wewe ushindane na Mungu? “Je, kilichoumbwa chaweza kumwambia yeye aliyekiumba, ‘Kwa nini umeniumba hivi?’”
On the contrary, O man, who are yoʋ to answer back to God? Shall the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why did yoʋ make me like this?”
21 Je, mfinyanzi hana haki ya kufinyanga kutoka bonge moja vyombo vya udongo, vingine kwa matumizi ya heshima na vingine kwa matumizi ya kawaida?
Does the potter not have a right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
22 Iweje basi, kama Mungu kwa kutaka kuonyesha ghadhabu yake na kufanya uweza wake ujulikane, amevumilia kwa uvumilivu mwingi vile vyombo vya ghadhabu vilivyoandaliwa kwa uharibifu?
What if God, although willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath fitted for destruction,
23 Iweje basi, kama yeye alitenda hivi ili kufanya wingi wa utukufu wake ujulikane kwa vile vyombo vya rehema yake, alivyotangulia kuvitengeneza kwa ajili ya utukufu wake,
in order to make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy that he has prepared in advance for glory,
24 yaani pamoja na sisi, ambao pia alituita, si kutoka kwa Wayahudi peke yao, bali pia kutoka kwa watu wa Mataifa?
namely us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
25 Kama vile Mungu asemavyo katika Hosea: “Nitawaita ‘watu wangu’ wale ambao si watu wangu; nami nitamwita ‘mpenzi wangu’ yeye ambaye si mpenzi wangu,”
As he says in Hosea, “Those who were ‘not my people’ I will call ‘my people,’ and those who were ‘not beloved’ I will call ‘beloved.’
26 tena, “Itakuwa hasa mahali pale walipoambiwa, ‘Ninyi si watu wangu,’ wao wataitwa ‘wana wa Mungu aliye hai.’”
And in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”
27 Isaya anapiga kelele kuhusu Israeli: “Ingawa idadi ya wana wa Israeli ni wengi kama mchanga wa pwani, ni mabaki yao tu watakaookolewa.
And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
28 Kwa kuwa Bwana ataitekeleza hukumu yake duniani kwa haraka na kwa ukamilifu.”
For the Lord will settle the matter swiftly and justly; his sentence will be executed upon the earth without delay.”
29 Ni kama vile alivyotabiri Isaya akisema: “Kama Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote asingelituachia uzao, tungelikuwa kama Sodoma, tungelifanana na Gomora.”
And just as Isaiah foretold, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us any descendants, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.”
30 Kwa hiyo tuseme nini basi? Kwamba watu wa Mataifa ambao hawakutafuta haki, wamepata haki ile iliyo kwa njia ya imani.
What then shall we say? That Gentiles who were not pursuing righteousness have obtained righteousness, that is, the righteousness that is by faith.
31 Lakini Israeli, ambao walijitahidi kupata haki kwa njia ya sheria, hawakuipata.
But Israel, although they pursued a law of righteousness, did not attain a law of righteousness.
32 Kwa nini? Kwa sababu hawakuitafuta kwa njia ya imani bali kwa njia ya matendo. Wakajikwaa kwenye lile “jiwe la kukwaza.”
Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stone of stumbling,
33 Kama ilivyoandikwa: “Tazama naweka katika Sayuni jiwe la kukwaza watu na mwamba wa kuwaangusha. Yeyote atakayemwamini hataaibika kamwe.”
as it is written, “Behold, I am placing in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, yet no one who believes in him will be put to shame.”
