Romans 11
1 I ask then, did God reject his people? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
Lapho-ke ngiyabuza ngithi: Kanti uNkulunkulu wabalahla yini abantu bakhe? Hatshi akunjalo! Mina uqobo ngingumʼIsrayeli inzalo ka-Abhrahama, owesizwana sikaBhenjamini.
2 God didn’t reject his people, whom he foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel:
UNkulunkulu kabalahlanga abantu bakhe abazi kuqala. Kalikwazi yini ukuthi uMbhalo uthini esahlukwaneni ngo-Elija, ukuthi wakhalaza njani kuNkulunkulu esola u-Israyeli esithi:
3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have broken down your altars. I am left alone, and they seek my life.”
“Nkosi, bababulele abaphrofethi bakho, badiliza lama-alithare akho; yimi ngedwa engiseleyo, njalo bafuna ukungibulala?”
4 But how does God answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
Impendulo kaNkulunkulu kuye yathini na? Yathi, “Ngizigodlele mina ngokwami abazinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa abangamkhothamelanga uBhali.”
5 Even so too at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Ngakho futhi, ngalesisikhathi kulensalela ezakhethwa ngomusa.
6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
Njalo nxa kungomusa, ngakho akuseyikho ngemisebenzi; nxa kwakunjalo, umusa wawungeke ube usaba ngumusa.
7 What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened.
Pho-ke? Lokho u-Israyeli akufuna ngokuzimisela kakuzuzanga, kodwa abakhethiweyo bakuthola. Abanye baba lukhuni,
8 According as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.”
njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “UNkulunkulu wabanika umoya wokozela, lamehlo ukuze bangaboni, lendlebe ukuze bangezwa, kuze kube lamhla.”
9 David says, “Let their table be made a snare, a trap, a stumbling block, and a retribution to them.
Njalo uDavida uthi: “Sengathi itafula yabo ingaba ngumjibila lesifu, isikhubekiso kanye lesijeziso kubo.
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Always keep their backs bent.”
Sengathi amehlo abo angafiphala ukuze bangaboni, lamaqolo abo akhokhobe kokuphela.”
11 I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.
Ngiyabuza njalo ngithi: Kambe bangabe bakhubeka bawa okungangokuthi kakuselakuphepha na? Akunjalo! Kodwa ngenxa yesiphambeko sabo, ukusindiswa sekufikile kwabeZizwe ukuba kwenze u-Israyeli abe lomona.
12 Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
Kodwa nxa isiphambeko sabo sisitsho inotho emhlabeni, lencithakalo yabo isitsho inotho kwabeZizwe, inkulu kangakanani inotho elethwa yikuphelela kwabo!
13 For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry,
Ngikhuluma lani lina abeZizwe. Njengoba ngingumpostoli wabezizwe, ngikhulisa inkonzo yami
14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them.
ngethemba lokuthi mhlawumbe ngingavusa umona ebantwini bakithi ngisilise abanye babo.
15 For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead?
Ngoba nxa ukulahlwa kwabo kuyikubuyisana komhlaba, ukwamukelwa kwabo kuzakuba yini na ngaphandle kokuphila okuvela kwabafileyo?
16 If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches.
Nxa ingxenye yenhlama enikelwe njengezithelo zakuqala ingcwele, injalo yonke enye; nxa impande zingcwele, zinjalo lezingatsha.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree,
Nxa ezinye ingatsha zephulwe, njalo wena, lanxa ulihlumela lomʼoliva weganga, usuxhunyelelwe phakathi kwezinye njalo usuhlanganyela emhluzini okhulisayo ovela empandeni zomʼoliva,
18 don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you.
ungazincomi ngalezongatsha. Nxa ukwenza, cabanga ngalokhu: Impande kakusuwe oyithwalayo, kodwa impande yiyo ekuthweleyo.
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.”
Lapho-ke lina lizakuthi, “Ingatsha zephulwa ukuze mina ngixhunyelelwe.”
20 True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear;
Yebo. Kodwa zephulwa ngenxa yokungakholwa, kodwa lina limi ngokukholwa. Lingazikhukhumezi, kodwa yesabani.
21 for if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
Ngoba nxa uNkulunkulu engaziyekelanga ingatsha zemvelo, lani kasoze aliyekele.
22 See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
Ngakho cabangani ngesisa njalo lobulukhuni bukaNkulunkulu: ubulukhuni kulabo abawayo, kodwa isisa kini, nxa liqhubeka esiseni sakhe. Kungenjalo, lani lizaqunywa.
23 They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
Njalo nxa bengaphikeleli ngokungakholwa, bazaxhunyelelwa, ngoba uNkulunkulu uyenelisa ukubaxhumelela futhi.
24 For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
Phezu kwalokho, nxa laliqunywe esihlahleni somʼoliva weganga ngemvelo, kwathi ngokuphambene lemvelo laxhunyelelwa esihlahleni se-oliva esilinywayo, pho kuzakuba lula kakhulu okunjani kulezi, ingatsha zemvelo, ukuba zixhunyelelwe esihlahleni sazo se-oliva.
25 For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,
Bazalwane, kangifuni ukuthi lingaze lazi ngale imfihlakalo, ukuze lingazikhukhumezi: U-Israyeli useyibonile ingxenye yokuba lukhuni inani elipheleleyo labeZizwe lize lingene.
26 and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
Ngokunjalo u-Israyeli wonke uzasindiswa, njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Umkhululi uzafika eZiyoni: uzasusa kuJakhobe ukungakholwa.
27 This is my covenant with them, when I will take away their sins.”
Lesi yisivumelwano sami labo lapho ngizisusa izono zabo.”
28 Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake.
Mayelana levangeli, bayizitha ngenxa yenu; kodwa mayelana lokukhetha, bayathandwa ngenxa yabokhokho,
29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
ngoba izipho zikaNkulunkulu lokubiza kwakhe akuguquleki.
30 For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,
Njengoba lina elake ladelela uNkulunkulu khathesi selamukele umusa ngenxa yokudelela kwabo,
31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy.
ngokunjalo labo, ngenxa yomusa kaNkulunkulu kini, kabasalaleli ukuze labo khathesi bamukele umusa.
Ngoba uNkulunkulu ubophele abantu bonke ekudeleleni ukuze abe lomusa kubo bonke. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!
Yeka ukuzika kwenotho yenhlakanipho kanye lokwazi kukaNkulunkulu! Yeka ukwahlulela kwakhe okungeke kuhlolwe, kanye lezindlela zakhe ezingeke zilandelwe!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”
“Ngubani owake wayazi ingqondo yeNkosi na? Loba owake waba ngumcebisi wayo na?”
35 “Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?”
“Ngubani owake wanika uNkulunkulu ulutho ukuba uNkulunkulu aluhlawule na?”
