Romans 3
1 [Someone may object to this, saying], “[If being circumcised does not cause God to accept us Jews], (there is no advantage in being a Jew [over being a non-Jew]./is there any advantage in being a Jew [over being a non-Jew]?) [RHQ] Being circumcised does not benefit [us Jews at all]!”
Sena mulayeyengeti Bayuda bapita bantu ba mishobo naimbi? Ninga kupalulwa kukute pindu cini?
2 [I would reply that being Jews] benefits [us] in many ways [HYP]. First of all, it benefits us because it was to [our ancestors] that God’s words, [words that contain his promises], were given {that [God] gave his words, [words that contain his promises]}.
Pali bwinishi bunene pakuba Muyuda, pakwinga pakutanguna Lesa walapa Bayuda maswi akendi kwambeti basungenga.
3 Many [Jews did not obey God as they promised that they would. So someone might ask], “Does their not being faithful mean that God will not [bless us Jews] as he promised [that he would]?”
Nomba nabambi pakati pabo nkabalashomeka, sena kubula lushomo kwabo ngakupesheti Lesa abule kushomeka?
4 [I would reply], “No, it certainly does not mean that! God always does [what he has promised], even though [people do not]. All those who accuse God [of not keeping his promises to us Jews] are very mistaken.” [What King David wrote about God’s justly saying that he would punish him for his sins is also true of those who accuse God of not keeping his promises. What he said to God was], “So everyone must acknowledge that what you [(sg)] have said [about them] (OR, [their sin]) is true, and you will always win the case when you are accused {when [people] accuse you}.”
Sobwe, ico nkacela kwinshika! Lesa abe wakubinga, necikabeti bantu bonse nibandemishibili. Mbuli Mabala ncakute kwambeti, “Amwe Lesa, lekani bantu bonse benshibeti mukute kwamba cakubinga, Kayi cindi conse mukute kucaniketi muliya kampenda pakukombolosha.”
5 So if we [Jews’] being wicked [PRS] shows that it is right that God [does not bless us], what shall we say/conclude? Shall we conclude that it is not right for God to be angry [and punish us Jews] [MTY]? I [should not be saying these things], [but] I am speaking as ordinary humans [speak].
Lino na kwipa kwetu kulaleshengeti Lesa walulama, ngatwambeconi? Sena ngatwambeti Lesa nkalulama pakutupa cisubulo? Ndambanga mbuli bantu nabambi ncobakute kwamba.
6 We should certainly not [conclude that God should not judge us], because if God [did not judge us Jews], (it would not possibly be right for him to judge [anyone in] the world [MTY]!/how could he judge [anyone in] the world?) [MTY, RHQ]
Sobwe, Lesa nalabula kuba walulama, sena nalakombolosheconi bantu bonse bapacishi capanshi?
7 But [someone might object and say to me], “The fact that God truly [keeps his promises] becomes very clear/evident because of my not doing [what God has commanded]. But the result is that people praise God! So (God should no longer say that I should be punished {that [he] should punish me} on account of my having sinned!/why should God still say that I should be punished {that [he] should punish me} on account of my having sinned?) [RHQ]
Nabambi ngabambeti, “Nakubepa kwakame kulaleshenga patuba kushomeka kwa Lesa ne kukonempesha bulemeneno bwakendi, nomba ngaung'ombolosheconi eti nkute bwipishi?”
8 [If what you, Paul, say is true], then (we might as well/it is all right for us to) do evil things in order that good things [like that] will result! For example, [then people will praise God]!” Some people speak evil about me by their [falsely] saying that I say [such things. God] will fairly/justly punish [people who say such things about me]!
Lino nicani ncotwelela kwambileti “katwinsani byaipa kwambeti byaina biboneke?” Cakubinga bantu nabambi balatutukananga pakwambeti, tulamba makani awa. Bantu aba Lesa nakabape cisubulo celela.
9 [If someone would ask], “[Shall we conclude that God] will treat us [Jews] more favorably [and will treat] the non-Jews less [favorably] [RHQ]?” [I would reply that we can] certainly not [conclude that]! I have already shown you that all people, the Jews and also the non-Jews, have sinned and [so they deserve to be punished] {[that God will punish them]} [PRS].
Nomba lino sena afwe Bayuda twapita bantu ba mishobo naimbi? Sobwe! Tulapandululu kendi kwambeti bonse balepisha, Bayuda pamo ne bantu ba mishobo naimbi.
10 [The following words] that are written {prophets have written} [in the Scriptures support this], No person is righteous. There is not even one righteous person!
Pakwinga Mabala akute kwambeti, “Paliya muntu walulama, sobwe naba umo kuliya.
11 There is no one who understands [how to live properly] (OR, [about God]). There is no one who seeks/desires [to know] God!
Kuliya muntu ukute kunyumfwishisha, kuliyawa muntu lalangaulunga Lesa.
12 Absolutely everyone has turned away [MET] [from God]. God considers them depraved (OR, Everyone has become useless [to God]). There is no one who acts righteously; no, there is not even one!
Bantu bonse basula Lesa, kayi bonse basendama, paliya shikwinsa byaina, sobwe kuliya naba umo.
13 What people say [MTY] [is foul/bad, like the smell that comes from] a grave that has been {that [people] have} opened [MET]. [By what people say] [MTY], they deceive people. [By what they say] [MTY] [they injure people, just like] the poison of snakes [injures people] [MET].
Kwamba kwabo nikwakubepa, kayi kukute kushinisha. Milaka yabo ikute kwamba byakubepa kayi mumilomo yabo mukute kufuma maswi aipa aipa eti mata anjoka.
14 They are continually (cursing/asking God to do harmful things to) others and saying (cruel/harsh/hateful) things [MTY].
Mumilomo mwabo mwesula mashingo, mukute kufuma maswi aipa.
15 They (go quickly/are eager) to murder people [MTY].
Nibantu bakute kufwambana kulinga ne kushina banabo.
16 Wherever they go, they ruin everything and make [people] miserable [MTY].
Bakute kononga ne kupensha bantu kulikonse nkobalayi,
17 They have not/never known how [to live] peacefully [with other people].
kayi nkabacinshi kwikala mulumuno.
18 They absolutely refuse to fear/reverence God [SYN]!
Nkabakute kutina Lesa nambi pang'ana sobwe.”
19 Furthermore, we know that it is to [Jewish] people, [who are] required to obey [God’s] laws, that Moses wrote those laws [PRS]. [We can infer from this that] there are no [Jews or non-Jews] [SYN] who are able to say anything [in reply to God’s saying that he will punish them for having sinned]. God has declared everyone in the world [MTY] guilty!
“Lino tucinshi kwambeti byonse byambwa mu Milawo ya Lesa, bikute kwamba pali abo balakonkelenga Milawo kwambeti bantu bonse pa cishi capanshi bakabule pakuyubila milandu Lesa njeshakabape.
20 It is not because people have done the things that God’s laws [require] that [God] will (erase the record of their sins/declare them no longer guilty for sin), [because no one has done those things completely]. In fact, the result of [our knowing God’s] laws is that we know clearly that we have sinned (OR, are sinful).
Pakwinga kuliyawa muntu Lesa ngwakute kubona walulama pacebo ca kukonkela Milawo. Mulawo ukute kutulesheti bantu bonse balepisha.”
21 But God’s (erasing the record of our sins/declaring us no longer guilty) does not depend on [our obeying] the laws [that he gave Moses]. It has now been {[God] has now} revealed [to us] how he erases the record of our sins [by a different way]. It was written about [by Moses] {[Moses] wrote about it} in the laws [PRS] [God gave] him, and it was also written about by the prophets {the prophets also wrote about it}.
Nomba lino nshila ilaboneke yakucaninamo bululami pamenso a Lesa, nteyo yakukonkela Milawo sobwe. Milawo iyo niya Mose ne bashinshimi bakute kuyinshila bukamboni.
22 God erases the record of our sins because we trust in [what] Jesus Christ [has done for us]. God does this for every person who trusts [in Christ], because [he considers] that there is no difference [between Jews and non-Jews].
Nshila bantu njobakute kucaninamo bululami pamenso a Lesa nikushoma Yesu Klistu. Lesa eukute kululamika bantu bashoma Yesu Klistu, pakwinga kuliya bupusano pakati pa bantu bonse.
23 All people have done evil, and all people have failed to accomplish the glorious [goals] that God [set for them].
Bantu bonse balepisha, kayi balalilwa kushika ku bulemeneno bwa Lesa.
24 Our record of sins has been erased {God erased the record of our sins} by God acting kindly [to forgive our sins], without our doing anything to earn it. Christ Jesus accomplished this [by dying for us].
Nsombi kwinamoyo kwakendi Lesa kwabulyo, bantu balulamikwa kupitila muli Klistu Yesu uyo walabalubula.
25 God showed that Christ was the one who would atone for (OR, forgive) our sins [with the] blood [that flowed from his body when he died. God redeems/forgives] us because of our trusting [in Christ’s having died for us. God wanted] to show that he acts justly. [He wanted to do that] because, before [Jesus came, God] did not punish [everyone who sinned. So it seemed as though he was not being just]. But he was overlooking people’s sins during [that time],
Lesa walamubengeti abe mulumbo kwambeti lufu lwakendi, lulesheti Lesa walulama uliyawa kubapa cisubulo abo balepisha mucindi cakunyuma
26 because he is patient. [God arranged for Jesus to die for us]. By doing that, God now shows that he is just, and he shows that he is justly able to erase the record of sins for everyone who trusts/believes in Jesus.
pacebo cakuba ne moyonteka. Nomba pacindi cino Lesa walabenga Yesu kwambeti aboneshe kululama kwakendi, ne kwambeti benshibeti nendi walulama, kayi uliyense washoma Yesu ukute kuba walulama pamenso a Lesa.
27 It is not at all [RHQ] because of [our obeying the] laws [of Moses that God erases the record of our sins]. So, (there is no way that we can boast [that God does that because of our obeying those laws]./how can we boast [about God erasing the record of our sins because of our obeying those laws]?) [RHQ] Instead, [it is because of our] believing/trusting [in Christ that God erases the record of our sins].
Nomba sena lino muntu ngolitukumuna? Sobwe, nkela kulitukumuna. Pacebo cini? Sena nipakukonkela Milawo? Sobwe, nsombi kushoma.
28 [We cannot boast about that], because we conclude that the record of our sins is erased {God erases the record of our sins} because of our trusting [in Christ]. God does not erase the record of our sins because of our obeying the laws [that he gave to Moses, because it is impossible for us to completely obey them].
Neco lino tulabono kwambeti muntu ukute kuba walulama pamenso a Lesa na lashomo, nteko kukonkela Milawo sobwe.
29 (You who are Jews certainly should not [think that you] are the only ones whom God [will accept]!/Do you Jews [think it is you] alone whom God [will accept]?) [RHQ] You certainly should [realize that he will accept] non-Jews, too. [RHQ] Of course, [he will accept] non-Jews also,
Sena Lesa ni Lesa wa Bayuda bonka? Sena ntendiye kayi Lesa wa bantu ba mishobo naimbi? Cakubinga endiye Lesa wa bantu ba mishobo naimbi.
30 because, [as you firmly believe], there is only one God, who will erase the record of Jews’ [MTY] sins if they trust [in what Christ has done], and who will similarly erase the record of non-Jews’ [MTY] sins if they trust [in Christ].
Lesa ni umo, neco endiye ukute kululamika Bayuda kupitila mulushomo kayi nabo bantu bakunsa bakute kuba balulama kupitila mulushomo.
31 So, [if someone should ask concerning the laws that God gave Moses], “By saying [that God erases the record of our sins because of our] trusting [in Christ], does that mean that those laws now are useless?”, [I would reply], “Certainly not. Instead, we truly fulfill the laws [that God gave Moses].”
Sena ici cilambangeti Milawo iliyawa ncito pakwambeti nikupitila mulushomo? Sobwe! Empotulaiyumishinga Milawo.
