Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.
Ukukholwa yikuba leqiniso lalokhu esikulindeleyo njalo kuqinisekile ngalokho esingakuboniyo.
2 For by this, the elders obtained approval.
Lokhu yikho abendulo abanconywa ngakho.
3 By faith we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible. (aiōn g165)
Ngokukholwa siyezwisisa ukuthi izulu lomhlaba kwadalwa ngokulaya kukaNkulunkulu, ngoba okubonakalayo kakwenziwanga ngalokho okwakubonakala. (aiōn g165)
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with respect to his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks.
Ngokukholwa u-Abheli wanikela kuNkulunkulu umnikelo omuhle kulokaKhayini. Ngokukholwa wanconywa njengomuntu olungileyo, ngesikhathi uNkulunkulu ekhuluma kuhle ngeminikelo yakhe. Njalo ngokukholwa ulokhu ekhuluma, lanxa sewafa.
5 By faith Enoch was taken away, so that he wouldn’t see death, and he was not found, because God translated him. For he has had testimony given to him that before his translation he had been well pleasing to God.
Ngokukholwa u-Enoki wasuswa kulumhlaba ephila ukuze angakuzwa ukufa: “Kabonakalanga ngoba uNkulunkulu wayesemthethe.” Engakathathwa, wayenconywe njengowayethokozise uNkulunkulu.
6 Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.
Kungelakukholwa akweneliseki ukumthokozisa uNkulunkulu ngoba oza kuye kumele akholwe ukuthi ukhona lokuthi uyabanika umvuzo labo abamdinga ngobuqotho.
7 By faith Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
Ngokukholwa uNowa esexwayisiwe ngezinto ezazingakabonakali, ngokwesaba okungcwele wakha umkhumbi ukuba ahlenge abendlu yakhe. Ngokukholwa kwakhe wawulahla umhlaba waba yindlalifa yokulunga okuza ngokukholwa.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went.
Ngokukholwa u-Abhrahama esebizelwe ukuba aye endaweni ayezayamukela muva njengelifa lakhe, walalela wahamba, lanxa wayengakwazi lapho ayesiya khona.
9 By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.
Ngokukholwa wahlala elizweni lesithembiso njengesihambi, elizweni elingayisilo lakibo; wahlala emathenteni, njengokwenziwa ngu-Isaka loJakhobe, ababezindlalifa zalelolizwe lesithembiso kanye laye.
10 For he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Ngoba wayelindele idolobho elilezisekelo, elimcandi walo lomakhi walo nguNkulunkulu.
11 By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive, and she bore a child when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised.
Ngokukholwa, lanxa u-Abhrahama wayeseluphele loSara eyinyumba, wanikwa amandla okuba lomntwana ngoba wambona njengothembekileyo lowo owayenze isithembiso.
12 Therefore as many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as innumerable as the sand which is by the sea shore, were fathered by one man, and him as good as dead.
Ngakho-ke, kusukela kulumuntu oyedwa, owayefana lofileyo, kwavela inzalo enengi njengezinkanyezi emkhathini njalo engeke ibalwe njengenhlabathi ekhunjini lolwandle.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Abantu bonke laba bafa belokhu bephila ngokukholwa. Kabazamukelanga izinto ezathenjiswayo; bazibona nje kuphela bazithakazelela zikude. Njalo bavuma ukuthi bona babeyizizwe lezihambi emhlabeni.
14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.
Abantu abakhuluma izinto ezinje babonakalisa ukuthi bafuna ilizwe elingelabo.
15 If indeed they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had enough time to return.
Aluba babecabanga ngelizwe abasuka kulo, babezakuba lethuba lokubuyela.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Kodwa-ke bona babefuna ilizwe elingcono, lona elisezulwini. Ngakho uNkulunkulu akumyangisi ukubizwa ngokuthi unguNkulunkulu wabo, ngoba usebalungisele idolobho.
17 By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his only born son,
Ngokukholwa, kwathi u-Abhrahama ehlolwa nguNkulunkulu, wanikela u-Isaka njengomhlatshelo. Yena owayamukele izithembiso wayeseseduze ukuba anikele indodana yakhe eyodwa njalo eyiyo kuphela,
18 to whom it was said, “Your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac,”
lanxa uNkulunkulu wayethe kuye, “isizukulwane sakho sizabalwa ngo-Isaka.”
19 concluding that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Figuratively speaking, he also did receive him back from the dead.
U-Abhrahama wanakana ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayengabavusa abafileyo, njalo nxa kuzekeliswa, wamamukela u-Isaka evela ekufeni.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.
Ngokukholwa u-Isaka wabusisa uJakhobe lo-Esawu ngekusasa labo.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
Ngokukholwa uJakhobe, esesifa wawabusisa wonke amadodana kaJosefa, wasekhonza eyame phezu kwentonga yakhe.
22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.
Ngokukholwa uJosefa, isiphetho sakhe sesisondele, walandisa ngokuphuma kwabako-Israyeli eGibhithe njalo walayezela ngamathambo akhe.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
Ngokukholwa abazali bakaMosi bamfihla izinyanga ezintathu emva kokuzalwa kwakhe, ngoba babona ukuthi wayengasumntwana nje ojayelekileyo, njalo babengawesabi umthetho wenkosi.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
Ngokukholwa uMosi esekhulile, wala ukuba aziwe njengendodana yendodakazi kaFaro.
25 choosing rather to share ill treatment with God’s people than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time,
Wakhetha ukuphathwa kubi kanye labantu bakaNkulunkulu kulokuba akholise injabulo yesono okwesikhathi esifitshane.
26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
Wakhetha ihlazo ngenxa kaKhristu njengegugu elikhulu kulenotho yaseGibhithe ngoba wayekhangelele umvuzo phambili.
27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Ngokukholwa wasuka eGibhithe, engalwesabi ulaka lwenkosi; wabekezela ngoba wambona lowo ongabonakaliyo.
28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch them.
Ngokukholwa wagcina iPhasika lokuchelwa kwegazi, ukuze umbulali wamazibulo angawathinti amazibulo ako-Israyeli.
29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as on dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do so, they were swallowed up.
Ngokukholwa abantu badabula phakathi koLwandle oluBomvu njengasemhlabathini owomileyo, kodwa kwathi amaGibhithe ezama ukwenzanjalo agalula.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
Ngokukholwa imiduli yaseJerikho yadilika emva kokuba abantu beyibhode okwensuku eziyisikhombisa.
31 By faith Rahab the prostitute didn’t perish with those who were disobedient, having received the spies in peace.
Ngokukholwa uRahabi isifebe, ngoba wamukela inhloli, kabulawanga kanye lalabo ababengalaleli.
32 What more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I told of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets—
Kuyini okunye engingakutsho? Kangilasikhathi sokulandisa ngoGidiyoni, loBharakhi, loSamsoni, loJeftha, loDavida, loSamuyeli kanye labaphrofethi,
33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked out righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
abanqoba imibuso ngokukholwa benza okulungileyo njalo bathola okwakuthenjisiwe; bona abavala imilomo yezilwane,
34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, grew mighty in war, and caused foreign armies to flee.
bacitsha ukuvutha kwamalangabi, baphepha lasebukhalini benkemba; ubuthakathaka babo baphenduka baba ngamandla; njalo baba lamandla empini bawachitha amabutho ezizweni.
35 Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
Abesifazane bamukela abafayo babo sebevuselwe ekuphileni futhi. Abanye bahlukuluzwa njalo bala ukukhululwa, ukuze bathole ukuvuka ekufeni okuhle.
36 Others were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, moreover by bonds and imprisonment.
Abanye bahozwa batshaywa, kwathi abanye babotshwa ngamaketane bafakwa entolongweni.
37 They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheep skins and in goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated—
Batshaywa ngamatshe, baqunywa ngesaha baba yiziqa ezimbili; babulawa ngenkemba. Bahamba begqoke izikhumba zezimvu lezikhumba zembuzi, beswela, behlukuluzwa, bephathwa kubi,
38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and the holes of the earth.
umhlaba kubo wawungabafanele. Bantula enkangala lasezintabeni lasezimbalwini kanye lasemilindini emhlabathini.
39 These all, having been commended for their faith, didn’t receive the promise,
Bonke laba banconywa ngokukholwa kwabo, kodwa kakho phakathi kwabo owathola okwakuthenjisiwe.
40 God having provided some better thing concerning us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
Thina uNkulunkulu wayesimisele okuhle ukuze kuthi sebe kanye lathi bapheleliswe.
