Romans 9
1 I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit
Ngikhuluma iqiniso kuKristu, kangiqambi manga, isazela sami sifakazelana lami ngoMoya oNgcwele,
2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.
ukuthi ngilokudabuka okukhulu, lobuhlungu obungapheliyo enhliziyweni yami.
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers’ sake, my relatives according to the flesh
Ngoba ngingafisa ukuthi mina uqobo ngiqalekiswe kuKristu ngenxa yabazalwane bami, izihlobo zami ngokwenyama;
4 who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises;
abangamaIsrayeli, okungokwabo ukuma kwabantwana, lenkazimulo, lezivumelwano, lokunikwa komlayo, lenkonzo kaNkulunkulu, lezithembiso,
5 of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen. (aiōn g165)
abangababo obaba, njalo avela kubo uKristu ngokwenyama, ophezu kwakho konke, uNkulunkulu obongekayo kuze kube nininini. Ameni. (aiōn g165)
6 But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel that are of Israel.
Kodwa kakunjengokuthi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lehlulekile. Ngoba kakusibo bonke abavela kuIsrayeli, abanguIsrayeli;
7 Neither, because they are Abraham’s offspring, are they all children. But, “your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac.”
njalo kungesikuthi ngoba bayinzalo kaAbrahama, bonke bangabantwana; kodwa: NgoIsaka inzalo izabizelwa kuwe.
8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as heirs.
Lokhu kutsho ukuthi, kakusibo abantwana benyama, bona bangabantwana bakaNkulunkulu; kodwa abantwana besithembiso bathiwa yinzalo.
9 For this is a word of promise: “At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”
Ngoba ilizwi lesithembiso yileli elokuthi: Ngalesisikhathi ngizafika, njalo uSara uzakuba lendodana.
10 Not only so, but Rebekah also conceived by one, by our father Isaac.
Kakusikho lokhu kuphela, kodwa loRebeka esekhulelwe ngomunye, ubaba wethu uIsaka;
11 For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls,
ngoba abantwana bengakazalwa, bengakenzi okuhle loba okubi, ukuze icebo likaNkulunkulu elingokokukhetha lime, kungaveli emisebenzini, kodwa kuvele kobizayo,
12 it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.”
kwatshiwo kuye ukuthi: Omkhulu uzakhonza omncinyane,
13 Even as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: UJakobe ngamthanda, kodwa uEsawu ngamzonda.
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be!
Pho-ke sizakuthini? Kukhona ukungalungi kuNkulunkulu yini? Phinde!
15 For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
Ngoba uthi kuMozisi: Ngizakuba lomusa kwengilomusa kuye, njalo ngimhawukele engimhawukelayo.
16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.
Ngakho kakusikho kothandayo, njalo kakusikho kogijimayo, kodwa ngokukaNkulunkulu olesihawu.
17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
Ngoba umbhalo uthi kuFaro: Ngakuphakamisela khona lokho, ukuze ngibonakalise amandla ami ngawe, njalo ukuze ibizo lami litshunyayelwe emhlabeni wonke.
18 So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.
Ngakho uhawukela lowo athanda ukumhawukela; njalo amenze abe lukhuni lowo athanda ukumenza lukhuni.
19 You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?”
Ngakho uzakuthi kimi: Usasolelani? Ngoba ngubani ongamelana lentando yakhe?
20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”
Hatshi bo, wena muntu, ungubani wena ophikisana loNkulunkulu? Okubunjiweyo kungatsho yini kowakubumbayo ukuthi: Wangenzelani ngabanje?
21 Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?
Kumbe umbumbi kalagunya yini phezu kwebumba, ukuthi ngesigaqa sisinye enze isitsha esinye esihloniphekayo, lesinye esingahloniphekiyo?
22 What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
Njalo uba uNkulunkulu ethanda ukubonakalisa ulaka lwakhe, lokwazisa amandla akhe, wathwala ngokubekezela okukhulu izitsha zolaka ezilungiselwe ukubhujiswa;
23 and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory—
njalo ukuze azise inotho yenkazimulo yakhe phezu kwezitsha zomusa, ayezilungisele ngaphambili inkazimulo,
24 us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?
ngitsho thina, asibizileyo, kungeyisikho kumaJuda kuphela, kodwa lakwabezizwe?
25 As he says also in Hosea, “I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people; and her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.”
Njengalokhu akutsho lakuHoseya: Abangeyisibo abantu bami ngizababiza ngokuthi ngabantu bami; lowayengathandwa ngokuthi ngothandekayo;
26 “It will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”
njalo kuzakuthi, endaweni lapho okwathiwa khona kubo: Kalisibo abantu bami, khona lapho bazabizwa ngokuthi ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu ophilayo.
27 Isaiah cries concerning Israel, “If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant who will be saved;
LoIsaya umemeza ngoIsrayeli esithi: Lanxa inani labantwana bakoIsrayeli lingangetshebetshebe lolwandle, insali izasindiswa;
28 for he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”
ngoba uzaqeda isenzo asiqume ngokulunga; ngoba iNkosi izakwenza isenzo siqunywe ngokuphangisa emhlabeni.
29 As Isaiah has said before, “Unless the Lord of Armies had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah.”
Njalo njengoba uIsaya watsho ngaphambili ukuthi: Uba iNkosi yamabandla ibingasitshiyelanga inzalo, besizakuba njengeSodoma, njalo besizakwenziwa sifanane leGomora.
30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;
Pho sizakuthini? Ukuthi abezizwe abangadingisisi ukulunga, bakubambile ukulunga, ukulunga-ke okungokholo;
31 but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness.
kodwa uIsrayeli, edingisisa umlayo wokulunga, kawufinyelelanga umlayo wokulunga.
32 Why? Because they didn’t seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
Ngani? Ngoba kabadingisisanga ngokholo, kodwa ngokungathi ngemisebenzi yomlayo; ngoba bakhubeka elitsheni lokukhubekisa,
33 even as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense; and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.”
njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: Khangela ngibeka eSiyoni ilitshe lokukhubekisa ledwala lokuwisa; laye wonke okholwa kuye kayikuyangeka.
