Warumi 9
1 Nasema ukweli katika Kristo. Sisemi uongo, na dhamira yangu hushuhudia pamoja nami katika Roho Mtakatifu,
I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit
2 kwamba kuna huzuni kubwa na maumivu yasiyo koma ndani ya moyo wangu.
that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.
3 Kwamba ningetamani mimi mwenyewe kulaaniwa na kutengwa mbali na Kristo kwa ajili ya ndugu zangu, wale wa jamii yangu katika mwili.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers’ sake, my relatives according to the flesh
4 Wao ni Waisraeli. Walio na hali ya kufanyika watoto, wa utukufu, wa maagano, na zawadi ya sheria, kumwabudu Mungu, na 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 watangulizi ambako Kristo amekuja kwa heshima kuvaa mwili huu - ambaye yeye ni Mungu wa vyote. Naye asifiwe milele. Amina. (aiōn g165)
of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed for the ages (aiōn g165). Amen.
6 Lakini si kwamba ahadi za Mungu zimeshindwa kutimia. Maana si kila mtu aliye Israeli ni Mwiisraeli 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 Sivyo hata kwa uzao wa Abrahamu kuwa ni watoto wake halisi. Lakini, “ni kupitia Isaka uzao wako utaitwa.”
Neither, because they are Abraham’s offspring, are they all children. But, “your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac.”
8 Hii ni kwamba, watoto wa mwili si watoto wa Mungu. Lakini watoto wa ahadi wanatazamwa kuwa kama uzao.
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 Maana hili ndilo neno la ahadi: “Katika majira haya nitakuja, na Sara atapewa mtoto.”
For this is a word of promise: “At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”
10 Si hili tu, lakini baada ya Rebeka kupata mimba kwa mtu mmoja, Isaka baba yetu-
Not only so, but Rebekah also conceived by one, by our father Isaac.
11 kwamba watoto walikuwa bado hawajazaliwa na alikuwa hajafanya jambo lolote zuri au baya, ili kwamba kusudi la Mungu kulingana na uchaguzi lisimame, wala si kwa matendo, lakini ni kwa sababu ya yule aitae.
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 Ilinenwa kwake, “Mkubwa atamtumikia mdogo.”
it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.”
13 Kama ilivyo kwisha andikwa: “Yakobo nilimpenda, lakini Esau nilimchukia.”
Even as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 Basi tena tutasema nini? Je kuna udhalimu kwa Mungu? La hasha.
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be!
15 Kwa kuwa anasema kwa Musa, “nitakuwa na rehema kwa yule nitakayemrehemu, na nitakuwa na huruma kwa yule nitakayemhurumia.”
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 basi, si kwa sababu ya yeye atakaye, wala si kwa sababu ya yeye ambaye hukimbia, lakini kwa sababu ya Mungu, ambaye huonesha rehema.
So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.
17 Kwa kuwa maandiko husema kwa Farao, “Kwa kusudi hili maalumu nilikuinua, ili kwamba nioneshe nguvu zangu katika wewe, na ili kwamba jina langu litangazwe katika nchi 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 Hivyo basi, Mungu huwa na rehema kwa yeyote ampendaye, na kwa ambaye humpenda, humfanya kuwa mkaidi.
So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.
19 Kisha utasema kwangu, “Kwa nini bado anaona kosa? Ni yupi ambaye alikwisha kustahimili matakwa yake?”
You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?”
20 Kinyume chake, mwanadamu, wewe ni nani ujibue kinyume na Mungu? Kuna uwezekano wowote wa kilichofinyangwa kusema kwa mfinyanzi, “Kwanini ulinifanya hivi mimi?”
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 mfinyazi huwa hana haki juu ya udongo kutengeneza chombo kwa matumizi maalumu kutokana na bonge lile lile, na chombo kingine kwa matumizi ya kila siku?
Or has not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?
22 Vipi kama Mungu, ambaye ana utayari wa kuonesha gadhabu yake na kufanya nguvu yake kujulikana, alistahimili kwa uvumilivu wa kutosha vyombo vya gadhabu vilivyoandaliwa kwa kuangamiza?
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 Vipi kama alifanya hivi ili kwamba aoneshe wingi wa utukufu wake juu ya vyombo vya rehema, ambavyo alikwisha kuviandaa kwa ajili ya utukufu?
and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory—
24 Vipi kama alifanya hii pia kwetu, ambaye pia alituita, si tu kutoka kwa Wayahudi, lakini pia kutoka kwa watu wa Mataifa?
us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?
25 Kama asemavyo pia katika Hosea: “Nitawaita watu wangu ambao hawakuwa watu wangu, na mpendwa wake ambaye hakupendwa.
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 Na itakuwa kwamba pale iliposemwa kwao, 'Ninyi si watu wangu,' pale 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 analia kuhusiana na Israeli, “Kama hesabu ya wana wa Israeli ingekuwa kama mchanga wa bahari, itakuwa ni masalia ambao wataokolewa.
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 atalichukua neno lake juu ya nchi, mapema na kwa utimilifu.
for he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”
29 Na kama jinsi Isaya alivyosema awali, “Kama Bwana wa majeshi hakutuachia nyuma uzao kwa ajili yetu, tungekuwa kama Sodoma, na tungefanywa kama 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 Tutasema nini basi? kwamba watu wa Mataifa ambao walikuwa hawatafuti haki, walipata haki, haki kwa imani.
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who did not follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;
31 Lakini Israeli, ambaye alitafuta sheria ya haki, hakuifikia.
but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at the law of righteousness.
32 Kwanini si hivyo? Kwa sababu hawakuitafuta kwa imani, bali kwa matendo. Walijikwaa juu ya jiwe la kujikwaa,
Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
33 kama ilivyo kwisha andikwa, “Tazama, nimelaza jiwe la kujikwaa katika Sayuni na mwamba wa kukosa. Yeye ambaye huamini katika hili hataaibika.”
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.”
