Warumi 9
1 Nasema ukweli katika Kristo. Sisemi uongo, na dhamira yangu hushuhudia pamoja nami katika Roho Mtakatifu,
I am in Christ, and what I say is true. I'm not lying! My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm
2 kwamba kuna huzuni kubwa na maumivu yasiyo koma ndani ya moyo wangu.
how terribly sad I am, how I have never-ending 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 my own people, my brothers and sisters. I would rather be cursed myself, separated from Christ, if that would help them.
4 Wao ni Waisraeli. Walio na hali ya kufanyika watoto, wa utukufu, wa maagano, na zawadi ya sheria, kumwabudu Mungu, na ahadi.
They are my fellow-Israelites, God's chosen people. God revealed to them his glory and made agreements with them, giving them the law, true worship, and his 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)
They are our forefathers—ancestors of Christ, humanly-speaking, the one who rules over everything, the eternally-blessed God. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 Lakini si kwamba ahadi za Mungu zimeshindwa kutimia. Maana si kila mtu aliye Israeli ni Mwiisraeli halisi.
It's not that God's promise has failed. For not every Israelite is a true Israelite,
7 Sivyo hata kwa uzao wa Abrahamu kuwa ni watoto wake halisi. Lakini, “ni kupitia Isaka uzao wako utaitwa.”
and all those who are descended from Abraham are not his true children. For Scripture says, “Your descendants will be counted through Isaac,”
8 Hii ni kwamba, watoto wa mwili si watoto wa Mungu. Lakini watoto wa ahadi wanatazamwa kuwa kama uzao.
so it's not Abraham's actual children who are counted as God's children, but only those children of God's promise who are considered his true descendants.
9 Maana hili ndilo neno la ahadi: “Katika majira haya nitakuja, na Sara atapewa mtoto.”
This is what the promise was: “I will return next year and Sarah will have a son.”
10 Si hili tu, lakini baada ya Rebeka kupata mimba kwa mtu mmoja, Isaka baba yetu-
In addition Rebecca's twin sons had the same father, our forefather 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.
But even before the children were born, and before they'd done anything right or wrong, (so that God's purpose could continue, proving God's calling of people is not based on human performance),
12 Ilinenwa kwake, “Mkubwa atamtumikia mdogo.”
she was told, “The older brother will serve the younger one.”
13 Kama ilivyo kwisha andikwa: “Yakobo nilimpenda, lakini Esau nilimchukia.”
As Scripture says, “I chose Jacob, but rejected Esau.”
14 Basi tena tutasema nini? Je kuna udhalimu kwa Mungu? La hasha.
So what should we conclude? That God was unjust? Certainly not!
15 Kwa kuwa anasema kwa Musa, “nitakuwa na rehema kwa yule nitakayemrehemu, na nitakuwa na huruma kwa yule nitakayemhurumia.”
As he said to Moses, “I will be merciful to whoever I should show mercy, and I will have compassion on whoever I should show 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 it does not depend on what we want, or our own efforts, but the merciful nature of God.
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.”
Scripture records God saying to Pharaoh: “I put you here for a reason—so that through you I could demonstrate my power, and so that my name could be made known throughout the earth.”
18 Hivyo basi, Mungu huwa na rehema kwa yeyote ampendaye, na kwa ambaye humpenda, humfanya kuwa mkaidi.
So God is merciful to those he wishes to be, and hardens the attitude of those he wants to.
19 Kisha utasema kwangu, “Kwa nini bado anaona kosa? Ni yupi ambaye alikwisha kustahimili matakwa yake?”
Now you'll argue with me and ask, “So why does he still blame us then? Who can resist the will of God?”
20 Kinyume chake, mwanadamu, wewe ni nani ujibue kinyume na Mungu? Kuna uwezekano wowote wa kilichofinyangwa kusema kwa mfinyanzi, “Kwanini ulinifanya hivi mimi?”
That's no way to speak, for who are you—a mere mortal—to contradict God? Can something that is created say to its creator, “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?
Doesn't a potter have the right to use the same batch of clay to make both a decorative bowl and an everyday pot?
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?
It's as if God, wanting to demonstrate his opposition to sin and to reveal his power, bears patiently with these “pots destined 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?
so that he might reveal the greatness of his glory through these “pots of mercy” which he has prepared in advance for glory.
24 Vipi kama alifanya hii pia kwetu, ambaye pia alituita, si tu kutoka kwa Wayahudi, lakini pia kutoka kwa watu wa Mataifa?
This is who we are—people he has called, not just from among the Jews, but from among the foreigners too...
25 Kama asemavyo pia katika Hosea: “Nitawaita watu wangu ambao hawakuwa watu wangu, na mpendwa wake ambaye hakupendwa.
As God said in the book of Hosea, “Those who are not my people I will call my people, and those who are not loved I will call the ones I love,”
26 Na itakuwa kwamba pale iliposemwa kwao, 'Ninyi si watu wangu,' pale wataitwa 'wana wa Mungu aliye hai.”'
and, “It will happen that at the place where they were told, ‘You're not my people,’ there they will be called the 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 out regarding Israel: “Even if the children of Israel have become as numerous as the sands of the sea, only a small number will be saved.
28 Kwa kuwa Bwana atalichukua neno lake juu ya nchi, mapema na kwa utimilifu.
For the Lord is going to quickly and completely finish his work of judgment on 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 previously said, “If the Lord Almighty had not left us some descendants, we would have become just like Sodom and Gomorrah.”
30 Tutasema nini basi? kwamba watu wa Mataifa ambao walikuwa hawatafuti haki, walipata haki, haki kwa imani.
What shall we conclude, then? That even though the foreigners were not even looking to do right, they did grasp what is right, and through their trust in God did what was morally right.
31 Lakini Israeli, ambaye alitafuta sheria ya haki, hakuifikia.
But the people of Israel, who looked to the law to make them right with God, never succeeded.
32 Kwanini si hivyo? Kwa sababu hawakuitafuta kwa imani, bali kwa matendo. Walijikwaa juu ya jiwe la kujikwaa,
Why not? Because they relied on what they did rather than trusting in God. They tripped on the stumbling-block,
33 kama ilivyo kwisha andikwa, “Tazama, nimelaza jiwe la kujikwaa katika Sayuni na mwamba wa kukosa. Yeye ambaye huamini katika hili hataaibika.”
just as Scripture predicted: “Look, I'm placing in Zion a stumbling-block, a rock that will offend people. But those who trust in him won't be disappointed.”
