Romans 11
1 I say, then—Hath God cast off his people? Far be it! For, I also, am an Israelite, —of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin:
Basi, nauliza: je, Mungu amewakataa watu wake? Hata kidogo! Mini binafsi ni Mwisraeli mzawa wa Abrahamu, wa kabila la Benyamini.
2 God hath not cast off his people, whom he fore approved. Or know ye not, in [the account of] Elijah what the scripture saith, when he intercedeth with God against Israel?
Mungu hakuwakataa watu wake aliowateua tangu mwanzo. Mnakumbuka yasemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu juu ya Eliya wakati alipomnung'unikia Mungu kuhusu Israeli:
3 Lord! Thy prophets, have they slain, thine altars, have they overthrown, and, I, am left alone, and they are seeking my life!
“Bwana, wamewaua manabii wako na kubomoa madhabahu yako. Ni mimi tu peke yangu niliyebaki, nao wanataka kuniua?”
4 But what saith unto him the response? I have left for myself seven thousand men, who, indeed, have not bowed a knee unto Baal.
Je, Mungu alimjibu nini? Alimwambia: “Nimejiwekea elfu saba ambao hawakumwabudu Baali.”
5 Thus, then, in the present season also, a remnant, by way of an election of favour, hath come into being.
Basi, ndivyo ilivyo pia wakati huu wa sasa: ipo idadi ya waliobaki ambao Mungu aliwateua kwa sababu ya neema yake.
6 If, however, by favour, no longer of works; else, favour, no longer proveth to be favour!
Uteuzi wake unatokana na neema yake, na si kwa sababu ya matendo yao. Maana, kama uteuzi wake ungetegemea matendo ya watu, neema yake haingekuwa neema tena.
7 What then? That which Israel seeketh after, the same, it hath not obtained: —the election, however, have obtained it, and, the rest, have been hardened; —
Sasa, je? Watu wa Israeli hawakukipata kile walichokuwa wanakitafuta; lakini wote walioteuliwa walikipata. Wengine walipumbazwa,
8 Even as it is written—God hath given unto them a spirit of stupor, —eyes not to see, and ears not to hear, —until this very day;
kama yasemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu: “Mungu ameifanya mioyo yao kuwa mizito, na mpaka leo hii hawawezi kuona kwa macho yao wala kusikia kwa masikio yao.”
9 And, David, saith—Let their table be turned into a snare, and into gin, and into a trap, and into a recompense unto them,
Naye Daudi anasema: “Karamu zao na ziwe mtego wa kuwanasa, waanguke na kuadhibiwa.
10 Darkened be their eyes, not to see, and, their back, do thou continually bow down.
Macho yao yatiwe giza wasiweze kuona. Migongo yao ipindike kwa taabu daima!”
11 I say then—Did they stumble in order that they might fall? Far be it! But, by their fall, salvation [hath come] unto the nations, to the end of provoking them to jealousy.
Basi, nauliza: je, Wayahudi wamejikwaa hata wakaangamia kabisa? Hata kidogo! Kutokana na kosa lao ukombozi umewajia watu wa mataifa mengine, ili Wayahudi wapate kuwaonea wivu.
12 If, moreover, their fall, is the riches of a world, and their loss, the riches of nations, how much rather their fullness?
Kosa la Wayahudi limesababisha baraka nyingi kwa ulimwengu, na utovu wao kwa kiroho umeleta baraka nyingi kwa watu wa mataifa mengine. Basi, ni dhahiri zaidi kwamba utimilifu wao utasababisha baraka nyingi zaidi.
13 Unto you, however, am I speaking, —you of the nations; inasmuch, indeed, then, as, I, am an apostle to the nations, my ministry, I glorify,
Basi, sasa nawaambieni ninyi watu wa mataifa mengine: Maadamu mimi nimekuwa mtume kwa watu wa mataifa mengine, ninajivunia huduma yangu,
14 If by any means I may provoke to jealousy my own flesh, and save some from among them; —
nipate kuwafanya wananchi wenzangu wawaonee ninyi wivu, na hivyo nipate kuwaokoa baadhi yao.
15 For, if, the casting away of them, hath become the reconciling of a world, what shall, the taking of them in addition, be, but life from among the dead?
Maana ikiwa kukataliwa kwao kulisababisha ulimwengu upatanishwe na Mungu, itakuwaje wakati watakapokubaliwa na Mungu? Wafu watafufuka!
16 If, moreover, the first fruit [is] holy, the lump [shall be] also; and, if the root [is] holy, the branches [shall be] also.
Ikiwa kipande cha kwanza cha mkate kimewekwa wakfu, mkate wote umewekwa wakfu; mizizi ya mti ikiwa mizuri, na matawi yake huwa mazuri pia.
17 If, however, some of the branches, have been broken out, and, thou, being a wild olive hast been grafted in among them, and hast become a joint partaker of the root of the fatness of the olive,
Naam, baadhi ya matawi ya mzeituni bustanini yalikatwa, na mahali pake tawi la mzeituni mwitu likapandikizwa. Ninyi watu wa mataifa mengine ndio hilo tawi la mzeituni mwitu; na sasa mnashiriki nguvu na utomvu wa mzeituni bustanini.
18 Be not boasting over the branches! Howbeit, if thou boast, it is not, thou, that bearest the root, but the root, thee!
Basi, msiwadharau wale waliokatwa kama matawi! Na, hata kama kuna la kujivunia, kumbukeni kwamba si ninyi mnaoitegemeza mizizi, bali mizizi ndiyo inayowategemeza ninyi.
19 Thou wilt say, then—Branches were broken out in order that, I, might he grafted in.
Lakini utasema: “Matawi yalikatwa kusudi mimi nipandikizwe mahali pake.”
20 Well: by their want of faith, they have been broken out, —and, thou, by thy faith, dost stand!—Regard not lofty things, but be afraid;
Sawa! Yalikatwa kwa sababu ya kukosa imani, bali wewe unasimama kwa imani yako. Lakini usijivune; ila uwe na tahadhari.
21 For, if, God, hath not spared, the natural branches, neither, thee, will he spare!
Kwa maana, ikiwa Mungu hakuwahurumia Wayahudi ambao ni kama matawi ya asili, je, unadhani atakuhurumia wewe?
22 See, then, the kindness and the severity of God: upon them who have fallen, severity, —but, upon thee, the kindness of God, if thou abide still in the kindness, —otherwise, thou also, shalt he cut out;
Kumbuka, basi, jinsi Mungu alivyo mwema na mkali. Yeye ni mkali kwa wale walioanguka, na ni mwema kwako wewe ikiwa utaendelea katika wema wake; la sivyo, nawe pia utakatwa.
23 Whereas, they also, unless they abide still in their want of faith, shall be grafted in, for God is, able, again to engraft them!
Nao Wayahudi, hali kadhalika; wakiacha utovu wao wa imani, watapandikizwa tena. Maana Mungu anao uwezo wa kuwapandikiza tena.
24 For, if, thou, out of the naturally wild olive was cut out, and, beyond nature, hast been engrafted into the good olive, how much rather, shall these, the natural [branches] be engrafted into their own olive tree?
Ninyi watu wa mataifa mengine, kwa asili ni kama tawi la mzeituni mwitu, lakini mmeondolewa huko, mkapandikizwa katika mzeituni bustanini mahali ambapo kwa asili si penu. Lakini, Wayahudi kwa asili ni kama mzeituni bustanini, na itakuwa jambo rahisi zaidi kwao kupandikizwa tena katika mti huohuo wao.
25 For I wish not, ye should be ignorant, brethren, of this sacred secret, lest within yourselves ye be presumptuous, that, a hardening in part, hath befallen Israel, until, the full measure of the nations, shall come in;
Ndugu zangu, napenda mjue ukweli huu uliofichika msije mkajiona wenye akili sana. Ukaidi wa Wayahudi ulikuwa ni wa muda tu, mpaka watu wa mataifa mengine watakapokuwa wamemfikia Mungu.
26 And, so, all Israel shall be saved: even as it is written—There shall have come out of Zion the Deliverer, —He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
Hapo ndipo taifa lote la Israeli litakapookolewa, kama yesemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu: “Mkombozi atakuja kutoka Sioni, atauondoa uovu wa Yakobo.
27 And, this, for them, is the covenant from me, as soon as I take away their sins.
Hili ndilo agano nitakalofanya nao wakati nitakapoziondoa dhambi zao.”
28 As touching the joyful-message, indeed, they are enemies for your sake, but, as touching the election, beloved for their father’s sake;
Kwa sababu wanaikataa Habari Njema, Wayahudi wamekuwa adui wa Mungu, lakini kwa faida yenu nyinyi watu wa mataifa. Lakini, kwa kuwa waliteuliwa, bado ni rafiki wa Mungu kwa sababu ya baba zao.
29 For, not to be regretted, are the gifts and the calling of God: —
Maana Mungu akisha wapa watu zawadi zake na kuwateua, hajuti kwamba amefanya hivyo.
30 For, just as, ye, at one time had not yielded unto God, and yet now have received mercy by their refusal to yield,
Hapo awali ninyi mlikuwa mmemwasi Mungu, lakini sasa mmepata huruma yake kutokana na kuasi kwao.
31 So, these also, have now refused to yield, by your own mercy, in order that, themselves also, should now become objects of mercy;
Hali kadhalika, kutokana na huruma mliyojaliwa ninyi, Wayahudi wanamwasi Mungu sasa ili nao pia wapokee sasa huruma ya Mungu.
32 For God hath shut up all together, in a refusal to yield, in order that, upon all, he may bestow mercy. (eleēsē g1653)
Maana Mungu amewafunga watu wote katika uasi wao ili wapate kuwahurumia wote. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Oh! the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments! and untraceable his ways!
Utajiri, hekima na elimu ya Mungu ni kuu mno! Huruma zake hazichunguziki, na njia zake hazieleweki! Kama yasemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu:
34 For who hath come to know the mind of the Lord? Or who hath become his counselor?
“Nani aliyepata kuyajua mawazo ya Bwana? Nani awezaye kuwa mshauri wake?
35 Or who hath first given unto him, and it shall be recompensed to him again?
Au, nani aliyempa yeye kitu kwanza hata aweze kulipwa tena kitu hicho?”
