Romans 9
1 I tell the truth in Messiah. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit
Nasema ukweli mtupu; nimeungana na Kristo nami sisemi uongo. Dhamiri yangu ikiongozwa na Roho Mtakatifu inanithibitishia jambo hili pia.
2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.
Nataka kusema hivi: nina huzuni kubwa na maumivu yasiyopimika moyoni mwangu
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Messiah for my brothers’ sake, my relatives according to the flesh
kwa ajili ya watu wangu, walio damu moja nami! Kama ingekuwa kwa faida yao, ningekuwa radhi kulaaniwa na kutengwa na Kristo.
4 who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises;
Hao ndio watu wa Israeli ambao Mungu aliwateua wawe watoto wake, akawashirikisha utukufu wake; aliagana nao, akawapa Sheria yake, imani ya kweli na ahadi zake.
5 of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Messiah as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen. (aiōn g165)
Wao ni wajukuu wa mababu, naye Kristo, kadiri ya ubinadamu wake, ametoka katika ukoo wao. Mungu atawalaye juu ya yote, na atukuzwe milele! Amina. (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.
Sisemi kwamba ahadi ya Mungu imebatilika; maana si watu wote wa Israeli ni wateule wa Mungu.
7 Neither, because they are Abraham’s offspring, are they all children. But, “your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac.”
Wala, si wazawa wote wa Abrahamu ni watoto wake wa kweli. Ila, kama yasemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu: “Wazao wake watatokana na Isaka.”
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.
Nido kusema, wale waliozaliwa kimaumbile ndio watoto wa Mungu, bali wale waliozaliwa kutokana na ahadi ya Mungu ndio watakaoitwa watoto wake.
9 For this is a word of promise: “At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”
Maana ahadi yenyewe ni hii: “Nitakujia wakati maalum, naye Sara atapata mtoto.”
10 Not only so, but Rebekah also conceived by one, by our father Isaac.
Tena si hayo tu ila pia Rebeka naye alipata mapacha kwa baba mmoja, yaani Isaka, babu yetu.
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,
Lakini, ili Mungu aonekane kwamba anao uhuru wa kuchagua, hata kabla wale ndugu hawajazaliwa na kabla hawajaweza kupambanua jema na baya,
12 it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.”
Rebeka aliambiwa kwamba yule mtoto wa kwanza atamtumikia yule wa nyuma. Hivyo uchaguzi wa Mungu unategemea jinsi anavyoita mwenyewe, na si matendo ya binadamu.
13 Even as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
Kama Maandiko Matakatifu yasemavyo: “Yakobo nilimpenda, lakini Esau nilimchukia.”
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be!
Basi, tuseme nini? Je, Mungu amekosa haki? Hata kidogo!
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.”
Maana alimwambia Mose: “Nitamhurumia mtu yeyote ninayetaka kumhurumia; nitamwonea huruma mtu yeyote ninayetaka.”
16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.
Kwa hiyo, yote hutegemea huruma ya Mungu, na si bidii au mapenzi ya mtu.
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.”
Maana Maandiko Matakatifu yasema hivi kwa Farao: “Nilikufanya mfalme ili kwa njia yako, uwezo wangu ujulikane, na jina langu litangazwe popote duniani.”
18 So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.
Ni wazi, basi, kwamba Mungu humhurumia yeyote anayetaka kumhurumia, na akipenda kumfanya mtu awe mkaidi, hufanya hivyo.
19 You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?”
Labda utaniuliza: “Ikiwa mambo yako hivyo, Mungu anawezaje kumlaumu mtu? Nani awezaye kuyapinga mapenzi yake?”
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?”
Lakini, ewe binadamu, u nani hata uthubutu kumhoji Mungu? Je, chungu chaweza kumwuliza mfinyanzi wake: “Kwa nini umenitengeneza namna hii?”
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?
Mfinyanzi anaweza kuutumia udongo apendavyo na kufinyanga vyungu viwili kwa udongo uleule; kimoja kwa matumizi ya heshima, na kingine kwa matumizi ya kawaida.
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,
Hivyo ndivyo ilivyo kwa Mungu. Alitaka kuonyesha ghadhabu yake na kujulisha uwezo wake, Basi, alikuwa na saburi sana, akiwavumilia wale ambao walikuwa lengo la ghadhabu yake, ambao walistahili kuangamizwa.
23 and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory—
Alitaka pia kudhihirisha wingi wa utukufu wake ambao alitumiminia sisi tulio lengo la huruma yake; sisi ambao alikwisha kututayarisha kuupokea utukufu wake.
24 us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?
Maana sisi ndio hao aliowaita, si tu kutoka miongoni mwa Wayahudi bali pia kutoka kwa watu wa mataifa mengine.
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.”
Maana ndivyo asemavyo katika kitabu cha Hosea: “Wale waliokuwa Si watu wangu nitawaita: Watu wangu! Naye Sikupendi ataitwa: Mpenzi wangu!
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.’”
Na pale walipoambiwa: Ninyi si wangu hapo wataitwa: Watoto wa Mungu hai.”
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;
Naye nabii Isaya, kuhusu Israeli anapaaza sauti: “Hata kama watoto wa Israeli ni wengi kama mchanga wa pwani, ni wachache tu watakaookolewa;
28 for he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”
maana, Bwana ataitekeleza upesi hukumu yake kamili juu ya ulimwengu wote.”
29 As Isaiah has said before, “Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah.”
Ni kama Isaya alivyosema hapo awali: “Kama Bwana Mwenye Nguvu asingalituachia baadhi ya watoto wa Israeli, tungalikwisha kuwa kama Sodoma, tungalikwisha kuwa ma Gomora.”
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;
Basi, tuseme nini? Ni hivi: watu wa mataifa ambao hawakutafuta kukubaliwa kuwa waadilifu, wamekubaliwa kuwa waadilifu kwa njia ya imani,
31 but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness.
hali watu wa Israeli waliokuwa wakitafuta Sheria iletayo kukubaliwa kuwa waadilifu, hawakuipata.
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,
Kwa nini? Kwa sababu walitegemea matendo yao badala ya kutegemea imani. Walijikwaa juu ya jiwe la kujikwaa
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.”
kama yesemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu: “Tazama! Naweka huko Sioni jiwe likwazalo, mwamba utakaowafanya watu waanguke. Mtu atakayemwamini yeye aliye hilo jiwe, hataaibishwa!”
