< Warumi 9 >

1 Ninasema kweli katika Kristo, wala sisemi uongo, dhamiri yangu inanishuhudia katika Roho Mtakatifu.
I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit
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 from Christ for my brothers’ sake, my relatives 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.
who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the 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)
of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, 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.
But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel that are of Israel.
7 Wala hawakuwi wazao wa Abrahamu kwa sababu wao ni watoto wake, lakini: “Uzao wako utahesabiwa kupitia kwake Isaki.”
Neither, because they are Abraham’s offspring, are they all children. But, “your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac.”
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 children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as heirs.
9 Kwa maana ahadi yenyewe ilisema, “Nitakurudia tena wakati kama huu, naye Sara atapata mtoto wa kiume.”
For this is a word of promise: “At the appointed time 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 so, but Rebekah also conceived by one, by 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,
For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls,
12 si kwa matendo, bali kwa yeye mwenye kuita, Rebeka aliambiwa, “Yule mkubwa atamtumikia yule mdogo.”
it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.”
13 Kama vile ilivyoandikwa, “Nimempenda Yakobo, lakini nimemchukia Esau.”
Even as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 Tuseme nini basi? Je, Mungu ni dhalimu? La, hasha!
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be!
15 Kwa maana Mungu alimwambia Mose, “Nitamrehemu yeye nimrehemuye, na pia nitamhurumia yeye nimhurumiaye.”
For he said 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 is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has 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, “For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
18 Kwa hiyo basi, Mungu humhurumia yeye atakaye kumhurumia na humfanya mgumu yeye atakaye kumfanya mgumu.
So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.
19 Basi mtaniambia, “Kama ni hivyo, kwa nini basi bado Mungu anatulaumu? Kwa maana ni nani awezaye kupinga mapenzi yake?”
You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?”
20 Lakini, ewe mwanadamu, u nani wewe ushindane na Mungu? “Je, kilichoumbwa chaweza kumwambia yeye aliyekiumba, ‘Kwa nini umeniumba hivi?’”
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you 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?
Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?
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, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared 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,
and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory—
24 yaani pamoja na sisi, ambao pia alituita, si kutoka kwa Wayahudi peke yao, bali pia kutoka kwa watu wa Mataifa?
us, whom he also 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 also in Hosea, “I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people; and her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.”
26 tena, “Itakuwa hasa mahali pale walipoambiwa, ‘Ninyi si watu wangu,’ wao wataitwa ‘wana wa Mungu aliye hai.’”
“It will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children 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.
Isaiah cries concerning Israel, “If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant who will be saved;
28 Kwa kuwa Bwana ataitekeleza hukumu yake duniani kwa haraka na kwa ukamilifu.”
for he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”
29 Ni kama vile alivyotabiri Isaya akisema: “Kama Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote asingelituachia uzao, tungelikuwa kama Sodoma, tungelifanana na Gomora.”
As Isaiah has said before, “Unless the Lord of Armies had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah.”
30 Kwa hiyo tuseme nini basi? Kwamba watu wa Mataifa ambao hawakutafuta haki, wamepata haki ile iliyo kwa njia ya imani.
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;
31 Lakini Israeli, ambao walijitahidi kupata haki kwa njia ya sheria, hawakuipata.
but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the 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 didn’t seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
33 Kama ilivyoandikwa: “Tazama naweka katika Sayuni jiwe la kukwaza watu na mwamba wa kuwaangusha. Yeyote atakayemwamini hataaibika kamwe.”
even as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense; and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.”

< Warumi 9 >