Romans 9
1 Òtítọ́ ni èmi ń sọ nínú Kristi, èmi kò ṣèké, ọkàn mi sì ń jẹ́ mi ní ẹ̀rí nínú Ẹ̀mí Mímọ́.
I am speaking the truth as one in union with Christ; it is no lie; and my conscience, enlightened by the Holy Spirit,
2 Pé mo ní ìbìnújẹ́ púpọ̀, àti ìkáàánú ìgbà gbogbo ni ọkàn mi.
bears me out when I say that there is a great weight of sorrow on me and that my heart is never free from pain.
3 Nítorí mo fẹ́rẹ lè gbàdúrà pé kí èmi tìkára mi kúrò lọ́dọ̀ Kristi nítorí àwọn ará mi, àwọn ìbátan mi nípa ti ara.
I could wish that I were myself accursed and severed from the Christ, for the sake of my people – my own flesh and blood.
4 Àwọn ẹni tí i ṣe Israẹli; tí àwọn ẹni tí ìsọdọmọ í ṣe, àti ògo, àti májẹ̀mú, àti ìfúnilófin, àti ìsìn Ọlọ́run, àti àwọn ìlérí.
For they are Israelites, and theirs are the adoption as children, the visible presence, the covenants, the revealed Law, the Temple worship, and the promises.
5 Tí ẹni tí àwọn Baba í ṣe, àti láti ọ̀dọ̀ àwọn ẹni tí Kristi ti wá nípa ti ara, ẹni tí ó borí ohun gbogbo, Ọlọ́run olùbùkún láéláé. Àmín. (aiōn g165)
They are descended from the patriarchs, and, as far as his human nature was concerned, from them came the Christ – he who is supreme over all things, God for ever blessed. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 Ṣùgbọ́n kì í ṣe pé nítorí ọ̀rọ̀ Ọlọ́run di asán. Kì í sá í ṣe gbogbo àwọn tí ó ti inú Israẹli wá, àwọn ni Israẹli.
Not that God’s Word has failed. For it is not all who are descended from Israel who are true Israelites;
7 Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni kì í ṣe pé, nítorí wọ́n jẹ́ irú-ọmọ Abrahamu, gbogbo wọn ni ọmọ. Ní ọ̀nà mìíràn, “Nínú Isaaki ni a ó ti pe irú-ọmọ rẹ̀.”
nor, because they are Abraham’s descendants, are they all his children; but – ‘It is Isaac’s children who will be called your descendants.’
8 Èyí nì ni pé, kì í ṣe àwọn ọmọ nípa ti ara ni ọmọ Ọlọ́run, ṣùgbọ́n àwọn ọmọ ìlérí ni a kà ní irú-ọmọ.
This means that it is not the children born in the course of nature who are God’s children, but it is the children born in fulfillment of the promise who are to be regarded as Abraham’s descendants.
9 Nítorí ọ̀rọ̀ ìlérí ni èyí: “Ní ìwòyí àmọ́dún ni èmi yóò wá, Sara yóò sì ní ọmọ ọkùnrin.”
For these words are the words of a promise – ‘About this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.’
10 Kì í sì í ṣe kìkì èyí, ṣùgbọ́n nígbà tí Rebeka pẹ̀lú lóyún fún ẹnìkan, fún Isaaki baba wa.
Nor is that all. There is also the case of Rebecca, when she was about to bear children to our ancestor Isaac.
11 Nítorí nígbà tí kò tí ì bí àwọn ọmọ náà, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni wọn kò tí ì ṣe rere tàbí búburú—kí ìpinnu Ọlọ́run nípa ti ìyànfẹ́ kí ó lè dúró,
For in order that the purpose of God, working through selection, might not fail – a selection depending, not on obedience, but on his call – Rebecca was told, before her children were born and before they had done anything either right or wrong,
12 kì í ṣe nípa ti iṣẹ́, bí kò ṣe ti ẹni tí ń peni—a ti sọ fún un pé, “Ẹ̀gbọ́n ni yóò máa sin àbúrò.”
that the elder would be a servant to the younger.
13 Gẹ́gẹ́ bí a ti kọ ọ́ pé, “Jakọbu ni mo fẹ́ràn, ṣùgbọ́n Esau ni mo kórìíra.”
The words of scripture are – ‘I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.’
14 Ǹjẹ́ àwa yóò ha ti wí? Àìṣòdodo ha wà lọ́dọ̀ Ọlọ́run bí? Kí a má ri!
What are we to say, then? Is God guilty of injustice? Heaven forbid!
15 Nítorí ó wí fún Mose pé, “Èmi ó ṣàánú fún ẹni tí èmi yóò ṣàánú fún, èmi yóò sì ṣe ìyọ́nú fún ẹni tí èmi yóò ṣe ìyọ́nú fún.”
For his words to Moses are – ‘I will take pity on whom I take pity, and be merciful to whom I am merciful.’
16 Ǹjẹ́ bẹ́ẹ̀ ni kì í ṣe ti ẹni tí ó fẹ́, kì í sì í ṣe ti ẹni tí ń sáré, bí kò ṣe ti Ọlọ́run tí ń ṣàánú.
So, then, all depends, not on human wishes or human efforts, but on God’s mercy.
17 Nítorí ìwé mímọ́ wí fún Farao pé, “Nítorí èyí náà ni mo ṣe gbé ọ dìde, kí èmi kí ó le fi agbára mi hàn lára rẹ, àti kí a bá à le máa ròyìn orúkọ mi ká gbogbo ayé.”
In scripture, again, it is said to Pharaoh – ‘It was for this purpose that I raised you to the throne, to show my power by my dealings with you, and to make my name known throughout the world.’
18 Nítorí náà ni ó ṣe ń ṣàánú fún ẹni tí ó wù ú, ẹni tí ó wù ú a sì mú ní ọkàn le.
So, then, where God wills, he takes pity, and where he wills, he hardens the heart.
19 Ìwọ ó sì wí fún mi pé, “Kín ni ó ha tún bá ni wí sí? Nítorí ta ni ó ń de ìfẹ́ rẹ lọ́nà?”
Perhaps you will say to me – ‘How can anyone still be blamed? For who withstands his purpose?’
20 Bẹ́ẹ̀ kọ́, ìwọ ènìyàn, tà ni ìwọ tí ń dá Ọlọ́run lóhùn? “Ohun tí a mọ, a ha máa wí fún ẹni tí ó mọ ọ́n pé, ‘Èéṣe tí ìwọ fi mọ mi báyìí?’”
I might rather ask ‘Who are you who are arguing with God?’ Does a thing which a person has moulded say to the person who has moulded it ‘Why did you make me like this?’
21 Amọ̀kòkò kò ha ni agbára lórí amọ̀, nínú ìṣù kan náà láti ṣe apá kan nínú ohun èlò sí ọlá, àti apá kan nínú ohun èlò sí àìlọ́lá?
Has not the potter absolute power over their clay, so that out of the same lump they make one thing for better, and another for common, use?
22 Ǹjẹ́ bí Ọlọ́run bá fẹ́ fi ìbínú rẹ̀ hàn ń kọ́? Tí ó sì fẹ́ sọ agbára rẹ̀ di mí mọ̀, tí ó sì mú sùúrù púpọ̀ fún àwọn ohun èlò ìbínú tí a ṣe fún ìparun.
And what if God, intending to reveal his displeasure and make his power known, bore most patiently with the objects of his displeasure, though they were fit only to be destroyed,
23 Àti kí ó lè sọ ọ̀rọ̀ ògo rẹ̀ di mí mọ̀ lára àwọn ohun èlò àánú tí ó ti pèsè ṣáájú fún ògo.
so as to make known his surpassing glory in dealing with the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared beforehand for glory,
24 Àní àwa, tí ó ti pè, kì í ṣe nínú àwọn Júù nìkan, ṣùgbọ́n nínú àwọn Kèfèrí pẹ̀lú?
and whom he called – even us – not only from among the Jews but from among the Gentiles also!
25 Bí ó ti wí pẹ̀lú ní Hosea pé, “Èmi ó pe àwọn tí kì í ṣe ènìyàn mi, ní ‘ènìyàn mi’, àti ẹni tí kí í ṣe àyànfẹ́ ní ‘àyànfẹ́.’”
This, indeed, is what he says in the book of Hosea – ‘Those who were not my people, I will call my people, and those who were unloved I will love.
26 Yóò sì ṣe, “Ní ibi ti a gbé ti sọ fún wọn pé, ‘Ẹ̀yin kì í ṣe ènìyàn mi,’ níbẹ̀ ni a ó gbé pè wọ́n ní ‘ọmọ Ọlọ́run alààyè.’”
And in the place where it was said to them – “You are not my people”, they will be called sons of the living God.’
27 Isaiah sì kígbe nítorí Israẹli pé: “Bí iye àwọn ọmọ Israẹli bá rí bí iyanrìn Òkun, apá kan ni ó gbàlà.
And Isaiah cries aloud over Israel – ‘Though the sons of Israel are like the sand of the sea in number, only a remnant of them will escape!
28 Nítorí Olúwa yóò mú ọ̀rọ̀ rẹ̀ ṣẹ lórí ilẹ̀ ayé, yóò parí rẹ̀, yóò sì ké e kúrò ní òdodo.”
For the Lord will execute his sentence on the world, fully and without delay.’
29 Àti bí Isaiah ti wí tẹ́lẹ̀: “Bí kò ṣe bí Olúwa àwọn Ọmọ-ogun ti fi irú-ọmọ sílẹ̀ fún wa, àwa ìbá ti dàbí Sodomu, a bá sì ti sọ wá dàbí Gomorra.”
It is as Isaiah foretold – ‘Had not the Lord of Hosts spared some few of our people to us, we should have become like Sodom and been made to resemble Gomorrah.’
30 Ǹjẹ́ kí ni àwa ó ha wí? Pé àwọn Kèfèrí, tí kò lépa òdodo, ọwọ́ wọn tẹ òdodo, ṣùgbọ́n òdodo tí ó ti inú ìgbàlà wá ni.
What are we to say, then? Why, that Gentiles, who were not in search of righteousness, secured it – a righteousness which was the result of faith;
31 Ṣùgbọ́n Israẹli ti ń lépa òfin òdodo, ọwọ́ wọn kò tẹ òfin òdodo.
while Israel, which was in search of a Law which would ensure righteousness, failed to discover one.
32 Nítorí kí ni? Nítorí wọn kò wá a nípa ìgbàgbọ́, ṣùgbọ́n bí ẹni pé nípa iṣẹ́ òfin. Nítorí wọn kọsẹ̀ lára òkúta ìkọ̀sẹ̀ ni.
And why? Because they looked to obedience, and not to faith, to secure it. They stumbled over the stumbling-block.
33 Gẹ́gẹ́ bí a ti kọ ọ́ pé, “Kíyèsi, mo gbé òkúta ìkọ̀sẹ̀ kalẹ̀ ní Sioni àti àpáta tí ó mú wọn ṣubú, ẹnikẹ́ni ti ó bá sì gbà a gbọ́, ojú kì yóò tì í.”
As scripture says – ‘See, I place a stumbling-block in Zion – a rock which will prove a hindrance; and he who believes in him will have no cause for shame.’
