Romans 1
1 [I], Paul, who serve Christ Jesus, [am writing this letter]. God chose me to be an apostle, and I was appointed by him {he appointed me} in order that [I should proclaim] (the good message/the gospel) that [comes from him].
UPhawuli, inceku kaKhristu uJesu, owabizelwa ukuba ngumpostoli njalo wahlukaniselwa ivangeli likaNkulunkulu,
2 Long before [Jesus came to earth, God] promised [that he would reveal] this good message by means of what his prophets [wrote] in the sacred Scriptures.
ivangeli alithembisa ngaphambilini ngabaphrofethi bakhe emibhalweni engcwele
3 This good message is [about the one whom we know as] his Son. As to his Son’s physical/human nature, he was born a descendant of [King] David.
mayelana leNdodana yakhe, yona okuthi ngokwemvelo yayo yoluntu yayiyinzalo kaDavida,
4 As to his divine nature, it was shown {[God] showed} powerfully that he is (God’s own Son/the man who is also God). [God] showed this by his Holy Spirit causing him to become alive again after he died. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.
njalo ngoMoya wobungcwele yabonakaliswa ngamandla ukuthi iyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu ngokuvuka kwayo kwabafileyo; uJesu Khristu iNkosi yethu.
5 He is the one who appointed me, who did not deserve it, [to be] an apostle. He did that in order that [many] among the non-Jews would honor [him] and would obey him as a result of their believing [my message about him].
Ngaye samukela umusa lobupostoli ukuba sinxusele abantu beZizwe bonke ekulaleleni okuza ngokukholwa ngenxa yebizo lakhe.
6 You [believers] who are living in Rome [city] are included among those whom God has chosen to belong to Jesus Christ.
Lani futhi lingabanye babeZizweni ababizelwe ukuba babe ngabakaJesu Khristu.
7 [I am writing this letter] to all of [you in Rome] whom God loves and whom he has chosen [to become his] people. [I pray that] God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord will [continue to] act kindly toward you and [will continue to] cause you to have [inner] peace.
Kubo bonke abaseRoma abathandwa nguNkulunkulu njalo ababizelwe ukuba ngabangcwele bakhe: Umusa lokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba laseNkosini uJesu Khristu kakube kini.
8 As I begin [this letter], I thank my God for all you [believers in Rome]. It is because of [what] Jesus Christ [has done for us that] I [am able to do that]. I thank him because your trusting [in Jesus Christ] is something that people all over [the Roman Empire] [HYP] are talking about.
Kuqala ngibonga uNkulunkulu wami ngoJesu Khristu ngilibongela lani, ngoba ukukholwa kwenu kubikwa umhlaba wonke.
9 God, whom I devotedly serve as I [proclaim to people] the gospel concerning his Son, knows that I tell the truth when I say that I always mention you whenever [DOU] I pray [to God] [HYP].
UNkulunkulu engimkhonza ngenhliziyo yami yonke ngokutshumayela ivangeli leNdodana yakhe, ungufakazi wami ekuthini ngilikhumbula kokuphela
10 I especially ask God that if he desires [me to visit you], somehow at last I shall be able to do so.
emikhulekweni yami izikhathi zonke; njalo ngiyakhuleka khathesi ukuthi sengathi ekucineni ngentando kaNkulunkulu ngivulelwe indlela yokuza kini.
11 [I pray this] because I long to visit you to help you spiritually, in order that you will become stronger [spiritually].
Ngiyafisa ukulibona ukuze ngilinike isipho somoya sokuliqinisa,
12 I long to visit you in order that you and I might encourage each other [by means of our sharing with each other] how each of us trusts [in Jesus].
okuyikuthi ngokufananayo lina lami siqiniswe lukholo lomunye wethu.
13 My fellow believers, many times I planned to visit you. I certainly want you to know [LIT] that. [But I have not been able to come to you because] I have been hindered {[things] have always prevented me} until the present time. I have wanted to come in order that I might help you to mature spiritually [IDM], as [I have helped people to mature spiritually] in many other non-Jewish groups [HYP].
Kangifuni ukuba lingaze lazi, bazalwane, ukuthi sengaceba kanengi ukuba ngize kini (kodwa ngisehluleka ukwenzanjalo kuze kube khathesi) ukuze ngibe lesivuno phakathi kwenu, njengalokhu engakwenzayo kwabanye abeZizweni.
14 I feel obliged [to proclaim the gospel to all non-Jewish people], specifically to [people who know] the Greek [language and culture] and to those who do not know it, to people who are educated and to those who are uneducated.
Ngilomlandu kumaGrikhi lakwabangasiwo, kwabahlakaniphileyo labayiziwula.
15 So what I have eagerly desired is that I might proclaim this good message to you who are living in Rome also.
Yikho-nje ngitshisekela ukutshumayela ivangeli lakini eliseRoma.
16 [That leads me to say that] I very confidently proclaim [LIT] the good message [about what Christ has done], because this good message is the powerful [means] that God [uses] to save [from the guilt of their sins] all people who trust [in what Christ has done for them]. Specifically, God first has saved the Jews [who believe the good message], and then he has saved non-Jews.
Kangilanhloni ngevangeli, ngoba lingamandla kaNkulunkulu okusindiswa kwabo bonke abakholwayo: kuqala amaJuda, kulandele abeZizwe.
17 By means of this good message God reveals how he erases the record of people’s sins (OR, declares people no longer guilty for having sinned); and his doing this is entirely because [IDM] they trust [in Christ. This is confirmed] by what [a prophet long ago] wrote [that God said], “Those (whose record of sin [I] have erased/whom [I] have declared no longer guilty for sin) because they trust [in me] will live [forever].”
Ngoba ukulunga okuvela kuNkulunkulu kubonakaliswa evangelini, ukulunga okungokukholwa kusukela ekuqaleni kusiya ekucineni, njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Abalungileyo bazaphila ngokukholwa.”
18 From [where God rules in] heaven he is making it clear to all [non-Jewish] people who show no respect for God and who do wicked things, that he is angry with them [and that they deserve to be punished] {[that he would punish them]} [MTY]. By means of [their behaving] wickedly, they keep other people [from believing what they know] to be true [about God].
Ulaka lukaNkulunkulu luyabonakaliswa luvela ezulwini kulabo abangalunganga kanye lobubi babantu abancindezela iqiniso ngobubi babo,
19 [Everyone] can clearly know what God [is like], because God himself has revealed to everyone [what he is like].
kalokho okungazakala ngoNkulunkulu kusobala kubo, ngoba uNkulunkulu ekwenze kwabasobala kubo.
20 [People] cannot see what God is like. But ever since he created the world, by means of what he created he has clearly revealed what he is like. He has made clear to everyone that he has always been able to do very powerful things. [Therefore, we should recognize that] God is powerful, [completely different from all that he created]. So no one has a basis for saying, [“We never knew about God].” (aïdios g126)
Ngoba kusukela ekudalweni komhlaba isimo sikaNkulunkulu esingabonakaliyo, amandla akhe angapheliyo kanye lobuNkulunkulu bakhe, sekubonakele ngokusobala, kuzwisiseka ngokwenziweyo, ukuze abantu bangabi lasizatho sokuzigeza. (aïdios g126)
21 Although [the non-Jews] knew what God [is like], they did not honor him as God, nor did they thank [him for what he had done]. But instead, they began to think foolish [things about him], and they became unable to understand [MET] [what he wanted them to know].
Ngoba lanxa uNkulunkulu babemazi, kabamdumisanga njengoNkulunkulu loba bambonge, kodwa imicabango yabo yaba yize lezinhliziyo zabo eziyiziwula zaba mnyama.
22 Although they claimed that they were wise, they became foolish,
Lanxa bazenza abahlakaniphileyo baba yizithutha
23 and they refused to [admit that] God is glorious and will never die. Instead, they made and worshipped idols [that resembled people who] will some day die, and [then they made other idols that resembled] birds and four-footed animals, and [finally] they made idols that resembled reptiles.
benana inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu ongafiyo ngemfanekiso eyenziwa yafana labantu abalakho ukufa lezinyoni lezinyamazana kanye lezinanakazana ezihuquzelayo.
24 So God allowed [the non-Jews] do immoral sexual things that they [SYN] strongly desired, things [that their desires were compelling them to do]. As a result, they [began to] dishonor each other’s bodies [by their sexual actions].
Ngakho uNkulunkulu wabanikela esonweni sezinkanuko zezinhliziyo zabo zobufebe ngokwenza imzimba yabo ihlazo phakathi kwabo.
25 Also, they [chose to worship] false [gods] instead (of admitting/of choosing to believe) what is true [about] God. They worshipped and served things [that God] created instead of [worshipping and serving God himself], the one who created [everything. They did this even though] he [deserves that those he created] would forever praise him. Amen!/May it be so! (aiōn g165)
Benana iqiniso likaNkulunkulu ngamanga, badumisa bekhonza izinto ezadalwayo kuloMdali odunyiswa kuze kube nini lanini. Ameni. (aiōn g165)
26 So, God allowed [the non-Jews to do] shameful [sexual] things that they [strongly] desired. As a result, many women did not have natural sexual relations [with their husbands] [EUP]. Instead, they were doing sexual actions with other women [EUP].
Ngenxa yalokhu, uNkulunkulu wabanikela ezinkanukweni ezilihlazo. Labesifazane bakibo benana imvelo yobudlelwano bemacansini ngokungasikho kwemvelo.
27 Similarly, [many] men stopped having/did not have natural sexual relations with women [EUP]. Instead, they strongly desired to have sexual relations with other men. They committed [homosexual] acts with other men, acts that were shameful. As a result, [God has] punished them [by sicknesses] in their bodies, which is what they deserve [because] they [thought] wrongly [that God would not punish them for doing that].
Ngokufanayo abesilisa labo badela ukuphathana kwemvelo labesifazane batshiseka ngokukhanukana. Abesilisa benza izenzo ezilihlazo lamanye amadoda, bazilethela isijeziso esifanele ukuxhwala kwabo.
28 Furthermore, because they decided that it was not [worthwhile] to know God, he allowed their own worthless thoughts [to completely control them]. As a result, they began doing [evil] things that [God says that people] should not do.
Phezu kwalokho, njengoba bengazange bacabange ukuthi kufanele bagcine ukumazi uNkulunkulu, wabanikela engqondweni yokuxhwala, ukuba benze okungamelanga kwenziwe.
29 They strongly desire to do all [kinds of] unrighteous [things]. They strongly desire to do all [kinds of] evil things [to others]. They strongly desire to possess things that [belong to others]. They strongly desire to harm [others] in various ways. [Many non-Jews] are constantly envying [other people. Many] constantly desire to murder [people. Many] constantly desire to cause strife [between people. Many] constantly desire to deceive [others. Many] constantly desire to speak hatefully [about others] (OR, [to speak harmful things about others, things that are not true]). [Many] gossip [about others].
Sebegcwele ngokonakala konke, ububi, ubuhaga kanye lokuxhwala. Bagcwele umhawu, lokubulala, lengxabano, lenkohliso kanye lolunya. Bangabanyeyayo,
30 [Many] slander [others. Many] act especially hatefully toward God. [Many] speak or act in an insulting way [toward others. Many] treat others contemptuously. [Many] boast [about themselves to others. Many] invent new ways to do evil things. [Many non-Jewish children] disobey their parents.
labahlebi, labazonda uNkulunkulu, leziqholo, labazigqajayo kanye labazikhukhumezayo; baqala izindlela zokwenza okubi; badelela abazali babo;
31 [Many non-Jews] act in other morally foolish ways. [Many] do not do what they promised [others that they would do. Many] do not [even] love [their own family members. And many] do not act mercifully [toward other people].
kabaqedisisi, kabathembekanga, kabalathando njalo kabalamusa.
32 Although they know that God has declared that those who do such things deserve to be killed, they not only habitually do these [kinds of evil] things, but they also approve of others who habitually do them.
Lanxa besazi isimiso esilungileyo sikaNkulunkulu sokuthi labo abenza izinto ezinje bafanele ukufa, kabaqhubeki nje kuphela besenza zona kanye lezizinto, kodwa bayavumelana njalo lalabo abazenzayo.
