Warumi 11
1 Basi nasema, je, Mungu aliwakataa watu wake? Hata kidogo. Kwa kuwa mimi pia ni Mwiisraeli, wa ukoo wa Abrahamu, wa kabila la Benyamini.
I ask then, has God rejected his people? Certainly not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 Mungu hakuwakataa watu wake, aliowajua tangu mwanzo. Je hamjui andiko linasema nini kuhusu Eliya, jinsi alivyomsihi Mungu juu ya Israeli?
God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,
3 “Bwana, wamewaua manabii wako, nao wamebomoa madhabahu zako. Mimi peke yangu nimesalia, nao wanatafuta uhai wangu.”
“Lord, they have killed yoʋr prophets and demolished yoʋr altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life”?
4 Lakini jibu la Mungu lasema nini kwako? “Nimetunza kwa ajili yangu watu elfu saba ambao hawampigii magoti Baali.”
But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed down to Baal.”
5 Hata hivyo, wakati huu wa sasa pia kuna walio salia kwa sababu ya uchaguzi wa neema.
So then, in the present time also there is a remnant chosen by grace.
6 Lakini ikiwa ni kwa neema, si tena kwa matendo. Vinginevyo neema haitakuwa tena neema.
Now if it is by grace, it is no longer by works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace. But if it is by works, it is no longer grace, otherwise work would no longer be work.
7 Ni nini basi? Jambo ambalo Israeli alikuwa akitafuta, hakukipata, bali wateule walikipata, na wengine walitiwa uzito.
What then? Israel did not obtain what it was seeking. The chosen obtained it, but the rest were hardened,
8 Ni kama ilivyoandikwa: “Mungu amewapa roho ya ubutu, macho ili wasione, na masikio ili wasisikie, mpaka leo hii.”
as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes not to see and ears not to hear, down to this very day.”
9 Naye Daudi anasema, “Acha meza zao na ziwe wavu, mtego, sehemu ya kujikwaa, na kulipiza kisasi dhidi yao.
And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
10 Acha macho yao yatiwe giza ili wasiweze kuona. Ukawainamishe migongo yao daima.”
Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and keep their backs forever bent.”
11 Basi nasema, “Je, wamejikwaa hata kuanguka?” Isiwe hivyo kamwe. Badala yake, kwa kushindwa kwao, wokovu umefika kwa Mataifa, ili wao wenyewe watiwe wivu.
I ask then, did the Israelites stumble so as to fall? Certainly not! Rather, by their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke Israel to jealousy.
12 Sasa ikiwa kushindwa kwao ni utajiri wa ulimwengu, na kama hasara yao ni utajiri wa mataifa, ni kiasi gani zaidi itakuwa kukamilika kwao?
Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will it mean when their full number is included?
13 Na sasa naongea nanyi watu wa Mataifa. Kwa kuwa nimekuwa mtume kwa watu wa Mataifa mengine, najivunia huduma yangu.
Now I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry
14 Labda nitawatia wivu walio mwili mmoja na mimi. Labda tutawaokoa baadhi yao.
if somehow I provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them.
15 Maana ikiwa kukataliwa kwao ni maridhiano ya dunia, kupokelewa kwao kutakuwaje ila uhai toka kwa wafu?
For if their rejection means reconciliation for the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?
16 Kama matunda ya kwanza ni akiba, ndivyo ilivyo kwa donge la unga. Kama mzizi ni akiba, matawi nayo kadhalika.
If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 Lakini kama baadhi ya matawi yamekatwa, kama wewe, tawi pori la mzeituni, ulipandikizwa kati yao, na kama ulishiriki pamoja nao katika mizizi ya utajiri wa mzeituni,
Now if some of the branches have been broken off, and yoʋ, a wild olive branch, have been grafted in among them and have become a fellow partaker of the root and richness of the olive tree,
18 usijisifu juu ya matawi. Lakini kama unajisifu, si wewe ambaye unaisaidia mizizi, bali mizizi inakusaidia wewe.
do not boast against the branches. But if yoʋ do boast against them, remember that yoʋ do not sustain the root, but the root sustains yoʋ.
19 Basi utasema, “Matawi yalikatwa ili nipate kupandikizwa katika shina.”
Yoʋ will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”
20 Hiyo ni kweli. Kwa sababu ya kutoamini kwao walikatwa, lakini wewe ulisimama imara kwa sababu ya imani yako. Usijifikirie mwenyewe kwa hali ya juu sana, bali ogopa.
Right! They were broken off because of unbelief, but yoʋ stand because of faith. So do not be arrogant, but be afraid.
21 Kwa maana ikiwa Mungu hakuyaachia matawi ya asili, hatakuhurumia wewe pia.
For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare yoʋ either.
22 Angalia, basi, matendo mema na ukali wa Mungu. Kwa upande mmoja, ukali ulikuja juu ya Wayahudi ambao walianguka. Lakini kwa upande mwingine, wema wa Mungu huja juu yako, kama utadumu katika wema wake. Vinginevyo wewe pia utakatiliwa mbali.
Consider therefore the kindness and severity of God: to those who have fallen, severity; but to yoʋ, kindness, if yoʋ continue in his kindness; otherwise yoʋ too will be cut off.
23 Na pia, kama hawataendelea katika kutoamini kwao, watapandikizwa tena. Maana Mungu anao uwezo wa kuwapandikiza tena.
And if they do not continue in unbelief, they will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again.
24 Kwa maana ikiwa ninyi mlikatwa nje kwa ulio kwa asili mzeituni mwitu, na kinyume cha asili mlipandikizwa katika mzeituni ulio mwema, si zaidi sana hawa Wayahudi, ambao ni kama matawi ya asili kuweza kupandikizwa tena ndani ya mzeituni wao wenyewe?
For if yoʋ were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will the natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree?
25 Kwa maana ndugu sitaki msijue, kuhusiana na siri hii, ili kwamba msiwe na hekima katika kufikiri kwenu wenyewe. Siri hii ni kwamba ugumu umetokea katika Israeli, hadi kukamilika kwa mataifa kutakapokuja.
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation: A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the full number of Gentiles has come in,
26 Hivyo Israeli wote wataokoka, kama ilivyoandikwa: “Kutoka Sayuni atakuja Mkombozi. Atauondoa uovu kutoka kwa Yakobo.
and in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion and will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
27 Na hili litakuwa agano langu pamoja nao, wakati nitakapoziondoa dhambi zao.”
“And this will be my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”
28 Kwa upande mmoja kuhusu injili, wanachukiwa kwa sababu yenu. Kwa upande mwingine kutokana na uchaguzi wa Mungu, wamependwa kwa sababu ya mababu.
With respect to the gospel, the Israelites are enemies for your sake; but with respect to being chosen, they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.
29 Kwa kuwa zawadi na wito wa Mungu haubadiliki.
For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.
30 Kwa kuwa awali ninyi mlikuwa mmemwasi Mungu, lakini sasa mmeipokea rehema kwa sababu ya kuasi kwao.
Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience,
31 Kwa njia iyo hiyo, sasa hawa Wayahudi wameasi. Matokeo yake ni kwamba kutokana na huruma mliyojaliwa ninyi wanaweza pia kupokea rehema.
so they too have now become disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they also may receive mercy.
For God has confined all in disobedience so that he might have mercy on all. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Jinsi zilivyo kuu utajiri na hekima na maarifa ya Mungu! Hazichunguziki hukumu zake, na njia zake hazigunduliki!
Oh the depth of the riches, wisdom, and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and untraceable his ways!
34 “Maana ni nani aliyeijua nia ya Bwana? Au ni nani amekuwa mshauri wake?
“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has become his counselor?”
35 Au ni nani kwanza aliyempa kitu Mungu, ili alipwe tena?”
“Or who has first given to God, that he should be repaid?”
