Romafoɔ 11
1 Afei, mebisa sɛ Onyankopɔn ato ne ɔman atwene anaa? Dabi. Mʼankasa meyɛ Israelni na meyɛ Abraham aseni a mefiri Benyamin abusua mu.
I ask, then, “Has God rejected his people?” Heaven forbid! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 Onyankopɔn ampo ne nkurɔfoɔ a ɔyii wɔn ahyɛaseɛ no. Monim deɛ Atwerɛsɛm no ka fa Elia sɛdeɛ ɔkasa tiaa Israelfoɔ wɔ Onyankopɔn anim sɛ,
God has not rejected his people, whom he chose from the first. Have you forgotten the words of scripture in the story of Elijah – how he appeals to God against Israel?
3 “Awurade, wɔakum wʼadiyifoɔ na wɔadwiri wʼafɔrebukyia, na me nko na maka a wɔpɛ sɛ wɔkum me.”
“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have pulled down your altars, and I only am left; and now they are eager to take my life.”
4 Mmuaeɛ bɛn na Onyankopɔn de maa no? Onyankopɔn kaa sɛ, “Mewɔ nnipa mpemnson a wɔnsom ɔbosom Baal.”
But what was the divine response? “I have kept for myself seven thousand who have never bowed the knee to Baal.”
5 Saa ara nso na ɛte ɛnnɛ. Nnipa kakra bi wɔ hɔ a Onyankopɔn nam ne dom so ayi wɔn.
And so in our own time, too, there is to be found a remnant of our nation selected by God in love.
6 Yi a wayi wɔn no gyina nʼadom so na ɛnyɛ wɔn nnwuma so. Na sɛ Onyankopɔn yi a ɔyi nnipa no gyina wɔn nnwuma so a, ɛnneɛ na adom no nyɛ adom turodoo.
But if in love, then it is not as a result of obedience. Otherwise love would cease to be love.
7 Ɛnneɛ na ɛne ɛdeɛn? Deɛ Israelfoɔ tii akyire hwehwɛeɛ no, wɔn nsa anka, na mmom, kakraa a Onyankopɔn ayi wɔn no deɛ, wɔn nsa kaeɛ. Wɔn a wɔaka no pirim wɔn akoma
What follows from this? Why, that Israel as a nation failed to secure what it was seeking, while those whom God selected did secure it.
8 sɛdeɛ Atwerɛsɛm no ka sɛ, “Onyankopɔn maa wɔn honhom a ɛyɛ tebɔɔ, ani a ɛmma wɔnhunu adeɛ aso a ɛmma wɔnnte asɛm, de bɛsi ɛnnɛ.”
The rest grew callous; as scripture says – “God has given them a deadness of mind – eyes that are not to see and ears that are not to hear – and it is so to this very day.”
9 Na Dawid ka sɛ, “Ma wɔn didipono a ɛsi wɔn anim nyi wɔn sɛ afidie na wɔnhwehwe ase na wɔntwe wɔn aso!
David, too, says – “May their feasts prove a snare and a trap to them – a hindrance and a retribution;
10 Ma wɔn ani so nyɛ wɔn kusuu na wɔanhunu adeɛ; na wɔn akyi nkuntunu afebɔɔ.”
may their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see; and do you always make their backs to bend.”
11 Afei, mebisa sɛ, ɛberɛ a Yudafoɔ yɛɛ bɔne no, ɛde wɔn kɔɔ ɔsɛeɛ mu anaa? Dabi! Amanamanmufoɔ nam Yudafoɔ no bɔne a wɔyɛeɛ no so nyaa nkwagyeɛ. Yei maa Yudafoɔ no twee wɔn so ninkunu.
I ask then – “Was their stumbling to result in their fall?” Heaven forbid! On the contrary, through their falling away salvation has reached the Gentiles, to stir the rivalry of Israel.
12 Yudafoɔ no bɔne a wɔyɛeɛ no de nnepa brɛɛ ewiase na wɔn honhom mu hia a wɔdiiɛ no nso de ahonya brɛɛ amanamanmufoɔ. Na ɛba sɛ Yudafoɔ no mu bebree bɛka wɔn ho a, nhyira mmorosoɔ bɛn na ɛremma?
And, if their falling away has enriched the world, and their failure has enriched the Gentiles, how much more will result from their full restoration!
13 Afei, merekasa akyerɛ mo amanamanmufoɔ: Esiane sɛ meyɛ amanamanmufoɔ somafoɔ enti, mehoahoa me ho wɔ adwuma a wɔde ahyɛ me nsa no ho.
But I am speaking to you who were Gentiles.
14 Sɛ ɛbɛtumi a, mɛma wɔn a wɔyɛ me nuanom Yudafoɔ no kɔn adɔ deɛ mo amanamanmufoɔ nsa aka yi bi, na wɔnam so agye wɔn mu bi nkwa.
Being myself an apostle to the Gentiles, I exalt my office, in the hope that I may stir my countrymen to rivalry, and so save some of them.
15 Na sɛ wɔn po a wɔpoo wɔn no ama Onyankopɔn ne ewiasefoɔ aka abom a, ɛnneɛ, gye a Onyankopɔn bɛgye wɔn no de ɛdeɛn na ɛbɛba? Ɛde nkwa bɛbrɛ awufoɔ.
For, if their being cast aside has meant the reconciliation of the world, what will their reception mean, but life from the dead?
16 Sɛ wɔde burodo sin ma Onyankopɔn a, ɛnneɛ na ne mu nyinaa yɛ ne dea. Saa ara nso na sɛ dua no nhini yɛ kronkron a, ne mman no nyinaa nso yɛ kronkron.
If the first handful of dough is holy, so is the whole mass, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 Wɔapempan ngo dua a wɔahyɛda adua no mman no bi agu, na wɔde ngo dua a wɔanhyɛda annua no mman abɛhyɛ nʼanan mu. Mo amanamanmufoɔ no te sɛ ngo dua a wɔanhyɛ da annua, nanso afei deɛ, mo ne Yudafoɔ no nyinaa anya Onyankopɔn adom a wɔde adom wɔn no bi.
Some, however, of the branches were broken off, and you, who were only a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and came to share with them the root which is the source of the richness of the cultivated olive.
18 Nanso monhwɛ yie na moanhoahoa mo ho sɛ wɔde mo asi mman a wɔapempan no ananmu. Monkae sɛ moyɛ mman kɛkɛ, na monyɛ nhini.
Yet do not exult over the other branches. But, if you do exult over them, remember that you do not support the root, but that the root supports you.
19 Na mobɛka sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, wɔbubuu mman no sɛ wɔmfa me nsi wɔn ananmu.”
But branches, you will say, were broken off, so that I might be grafted in.
20 Aane, nanso monkae sɛ wɔpempan saa mman a ɛyɛ Yudafoɔ no, ɛfiri sɛ wɔannye Onyankopɔn anni, na mogye di enti na mowɔ hɔ. Mommma mo ho so, na mmom monsuro deɛ ɛbɛtumi asie.
True, it was because of their want of faith that they were broken off, and it is because of your faith that you are standing. Do not think too highly of yourself, but beware.
21 Na sɛ Onyankopɔn amfa Yudafoɔ a wɔte sɛ ngo dua pa mman no bɔne ankyɛre wɔn a, mosusu sɛ ɔde mo bɔne bɛkyɛ mo?
For, if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
22 Enti monhwɛ Onyankopɔn ayamyɛ ne ne denyɛ. Ɔyɛ den wɔ wɔn a wɔyɛɛ asoɔden no so, nanso ne yam yɛ ma mo wɔ ɛberɛ a mode mo ho ato nʼayamyɛ so. Na sɛ moamfa mo ho anto no so a, saa ara na wɔbɛpempan mo.
See, then, both the goodness and the severity of God – his severity towards those who fell, and his goodness towards you, provided that you continue to confide in that goodness; otherwise you, also, will be cut off.
23 Na sɛ Yudafoɔ no gye di bio a, Onyankopɔn bɛsane de wɔn ayɛ dua no mman bio. Ɔbɛtumi ayɛ saa.
And they, too, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God has it in his power to graft them in again.
24 Na sɛ Onyankopɔn pɛɛ sɛ ɔde mo a moyɛ wiram ngo dua mman bɛfam dua papa a ɔno ankasa adua ho, deɛ anka ɛmfa kwan mu a, ɛnneɛ ɔbɛpɛ no mmorosoɔ sɛ ɔde Yudafoɔ no bɛfam dua a ɛyɛ wɔn ankasa dea no ho.
If you were cut off from your natural stock – a wild olive – and were grafted, contrary to the course of nature, on a good olive, much more will they – the natural branches – be grafted back into their parent tree.
25 Me nuanom, ahintasɛm bi wɔ hɔ a mepɛ sɛ mote aseɛ, sɛdeɛ monnyɛ ahantan na monhoahoa mo ho. Yudafoɔ no mu bi apirim wɔn akoma, nanso sɛ amanamanmufoɔ no nyinaa dane ba Kristo nkyɛn a, ɛtoɔ bɛtwa.
My friends, so that you don’t think too highly of yourselves, I want you to recognise the truth, hitherto hidden, that the callousness which has come over Israel is only partial, and will continue only until the whole Gentile world has been gathered in.
26 Enti Israelfoɔ nyinaa bɛnya nkwagyeɛ. Mokae deɛ adiyifoɔ no kaa wɔ yei ho? “Agyenkwa no bɛfiri Sion aba, na ɔbɛyi amumuyɛsɛm nyinaa afiri Yakob asefoɔ mu.
And then all Israel will be saved. As scripture says – “From Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.
27 Na mɛdi apam a me ne wɔn ayɛ no so na mapepa wɔn bɔne.”
And they will see the fulfilment of my covenant, when I have taken away their sins.”
28 Yudafoɔ no bebree ayɛ Asɛmpa no atamfoɔ. Na mo, amanamanmufoɔ anya ho mfasoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ Onyankopɔn de nʼakyɛdeɛ no ama mo. Nanso, Yudafoɔ yɛ ne ɔman a wapa wɔn ara, ɛsiane ɛbɔ a wahyɛ wɔn nananom enti,
From the standpoint of the good news, the Jews are God’s enemies for your sake; but from the standpoint of God’s selection, they are dear to him for the sake of the patriarchs.
29 ɛfiri sɛ Onyankopɔn akyɛdeɛ ne ne frɛ no, wɔnsesa.
For God never regrets his gifts or his call.
30 Na mo amanamanmufoɔ deɛ, ɛberɛ a atwam no mu, moyɛɛ asoɔden tiaa Onyankopɔn, nanso Yudafoɔ no poo nʼahummɔborɔ no enti Onyankopɔn hunuu mo mmɔbɔ mmom.
Just as you at one time were disobedient to him, but have now found mercy in the day of their disobedience;
31 Saa ara nso na ɛsiane adom a moanya no enti, seesei, Yudafoɔ no nso ayɛ asoɔden atia Onyankopɔn. Nanso nna bi akyire no wɔn nso bɛnya Onyankopɔn adom no.
so, too, they have now become disobedient in your day of mercy, in order that they also in their turn may now find mercy.
For God has given all alike over to disobedience, that to all alike he may show mercy. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Ao Onyankopɔn ahonya ne nyansa ne nimdeɛ bunu a emu dɔ! Hwan na ɔbɛtumi ahunu nʼatemmuo mu pɛɛpɛeɛ, na wɔahunu deɛ nʼakwan nenam.
Oh! The unfathomable wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments, how untraceable his ways! Yes –
34 “Hwan na ɔnim Awurade adwene anaasɛ hwan na ɔyɛ ne fotufoɔ?”
ho has ever comprehended the mind of the Lord? Who has ever become his counsellor?
35 “Hwan na wama Onyankopɔn biribi kane a ɛsɛ sɛ Onyankopɔn tua no so ka?”
Or who has first given to him, so that he may claim a reward?
