Romafo 9
1 Mereka nokware sɛ Okristoni, na mʼahonim a Honhom Kronkron di no adanse kyerɛ me sɛ minni atoro.
Truth, say I, in Christ, I utter no falsehood, —my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit, —
2 Midi awerɛhow na mete daa yaw wɔ me koma mu ma me nkurɔfo.
That I have great grief and incessant travail in my heart;
3 Wɔn nti anka mepɛ sɛ Onyankopɔn nnome ba me so na ɔtew me fi Kristo ho.
For I could have wished to be accursed, even I myself, from the Christ, in behalf of my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh; —
4 Wɔyɛ Onyankopɔn manfo a wɔayi wɔn de wɔn ayɛ ne mma de wɔn asan atena nʼanuonyam mu. Ɔne wɔn yɛɛ apam no na ɔde mmara no maa wɔn; ɔkyerɛɛ ɔkwan pa a wɔfa so som maa wɔn nsa kaa bɔhyɛ no.
Who, indeed, are Israelites, whose are the sonship, and the glory, and the covenants, and the legislation, and the divine service, and the promises,
5 Wɔyɛ tete agyanom asefo, na esiane sɛ Kristo baa onipasu mu nti ɔyɛ wɔn aseni. Ayeyi nka Onyankopɔn a ɔyɛ ade nyinaa so tumfo no daadaa. Amen. (aiōn g165)
Whose are the fathers, and of whom is the Christ—according to the flesh—he who is over all, God, blessed unto the ages. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 Menka sɛ Onyankopɔn bɔhyɛ no amma mu, efisɛ ɛnyɛ Israelfo nyinaa na Onyankopɔn ayi wɔn sɛ ne manfo.
It is not, however, as though the word of God had failed; for, not all they who are of Israel, the same are Israel.
7 Saa ara nso na ɛnyɛ Abraham asefo nyinaa na wɔyɛ Onyankopɔn mma. Onyankopɔn ka kyerɛɛ Abraham se, “Ɛnam Isak so na wʼase bɛtrɛw.”
Neither, because they are seed of Abraham, are all children, —but, In Isaac, shall there be called unto thee a seed.
8 Eyi kyerɛ sɛ ɛnyɛ wɔn a wɔyɛ Abraham mma, na mmom wɔn a wɔnam Onyankopɔn bɔhyɛ so woo wɔn no na wɔyɛ Abraham asefo turodoo.
That is—not the children of the flesh, the same are children of God; but, the children of the promise, are reckoned as a seed.
9 Onyankopɔn nam saa bɔhyɛ nsɛm a ɛka se, “Ampa ara, mɛsan aba wo nkyɛn bio bere a ɛsɛ mu no, na wo yere Sara awo ɔba” no so na ɛhyɛɛ saa bɔ no.
For, of promise, is this word—According to this season, will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
10 Ɛnyɛ eyi nko. Rebeka mma baanu no nyinaa fii agya koro a ɔne yɛn agya Isak.
And, not only so, but, when, Rebekah also, was with child, of one—Isaac our father, —
11 Na sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a Onyankopɔn nam ɔba baako so bɛma ne pɛ ada adi no nti,
They, in fact, not being yet born, nor having practised anything good or bad, —in order that the purpose of God by way of election might stand, —not by works but by him that was calling,
12 ɔka kyerɛɛ Rebeka sɛ, “Ɔpanyin no bɛsom akumaa no.” Ɔkaa eyi ansa na ɔrewo wɔn ama wɔayɛ papa anaa bɔne. Enti na Onyankopɔn pɛ no gyina ne frɛ a ɔfrɛɛ wɔn no so, na ɛnyɛ wɔn nneyɛe so,
It was said unto her—The elder, shall serve the younger;
13 sɛnea Kyerɛwsɛm no ka se, “Medɔɔ Yakob na metan Esau” no.
Even as it is written—Jacob, have I loved, but, Esau, have I hated.
14 Afei asɛm bɛn na yɛbɛka? Sɛ Onyankopɔn nyɛ ɔnokwafo ana? Dabi da!
What, then, shall we say? Is there injustice with God? Far be it!
15 Efisɛ, ɔka kyerɛɛ Mose sɛ, “Nea mepɛ sɛ mihu no mmɔbɔ no, mehu no mmɔbɔ, na nea mepɛ sɛ meyɛ no adɔe nso, mɛyɛ no adɔe.”
For, unto Moses, he saith—I will have mercy upon whomsoever I can have mercy, and I will have compassion upon whomsoever I can have compassion.
16 Eyi kyerɛ sɛ, ennyina nea obi pɛ so anaa ne nnwuma so, na mmom egyina Onyankopɔn ahummɔbɔ so.
Hence, then, it is nor of him that wisheth nor of him that runneth, but of the mercy-shewing God.
17 Kyerɛwsɛm no mu, Onyankopɔn ka kyerɛɛ Farao se, “Eyi ara nti na misii wo hene nam so daa me tumi adi, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a, me tumi bɛda adi wɔ mmaa nyinaa.”
For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh—Unto this end, have I raised thee up, that I may thus shew in thee my power, and that I may declare my name in all the earth.
18 Ɛno de, Onyankopɔn hu nea ɔpɛ sɛ ohu no mmɔbɔ biara no mmɔbɔ, na nea ɔpɛ sɛ ɔma no yɛ asoɔden nso ɔma no yɛ saa.
Hence, then, —on whom he pleaseth, he hath mercy, and, whom he pleaseth, he doth harden.
19 Afei obi bebisa se, “Sɛ yentumi nsiw Onyankopɔn pɛ ho kwan a, adɛn nti na ɔbɔ yɛn sobo?”
Thou wilt say to me, then—Why longer findeth he fault? For, his purpose, who hath withstood?
20 Onua, wone hena a wubetumi akasa akyerɛ Onyankopɔn? Kuku mmisa ne nwemfo se, “Adɛn nti na wonwen me sɛɛ?”
O man! Who, nevertheless, art, thou, that art answering again unto God? Shall the thing formed say unto him that formed it—Why didst thou make me thus?
21 Ɔnwemfo no wɔ ho kwan sɛ ɔde dɔte no nwen nea ɔpɛ biara. Otumi nwen nkuku abien fi dɔte mu, na ɔde mu baako adi dwuma titiriw bi, na ɔde baako no nso ayɛ nea ɔpɛ biara.
Or hath not the potter a right over the clay—out of the same lump, to make some, indeed, into a vessel for honour, and some for dishonour?
22 Saa ara na ade biara a Onyankopɔn ayɛ no te. Ɔpɛɛ sɛ ɔda nʼabufuw adi na ɔma wohu ne tumi. Nanso ɔtɔɔ ne bo ase maa wɔn a anka ofi nʼabufuwhyew mu rebɛsɛe wɔn no.
And, if God—wishing to shew his anger and to make known his power—bare, in much patience, with vessels of anger already fitted for destruction,
23 Ɔyɛɛ eyi de kyerɛɛ sɛnea nʼanuonyam no te, bere a onyaa ayamhyehye maa wɔn a wayi wɔn dedaw sɛ wɔmmɛyɛ nʼanuonyam no fafafo.
In order that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy which he prepared beforehand for glory, —
24 Ɛnyɛ wɔn a wɔfrɛɛ wɔn fii Yudafo mu nko ara, na mmom amanamanmufo nso.
Whom he also called, even us, not only from among Jews, but also from among the nations, [what then?]
25 Wɔka wɔ Hosea nhoma mu se, “Mɛfrɛ wɔn a wɔnyɛ me nkurɔfo no ‘me nkurɔfo,’ na nea ɔnyɛ me dɔfo no mɛfrɛ no ‘me dɔfo,’”
As also in Hosea he saith—I will call the not-my-people, My people, and the not-beloved, beloved,
26 na “Beae koro no ara a wɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, ‘Monnyɛ me nkurɔfo’ no, ɛhɔ ara na wɔbɛfrɛ wɔn se ‘Onyankopɔn teasefo no mma.’”
And it shall be—in the place where it was said [to them]—not my people are, ye! there, shall they be called—Sons of a Living God.
27 Na Yesaia dii Israelfo ho yaw sɛ, “Sɛ Israelfo dɔɔso sɛ mpoano nwea mpo a, wɔn mu kakraa bi na wobegye wɔn nkwa.
Isaiah, moreover, exclaimeth over Israel—Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant, shall be saved;
28 Efisɛ Awurade bɛyɛ ntɛm, na sɛnea ɛte biara no, ɔbɛyɛ nea wabɔ ho kɔkɔ sɛ ɔbɛyɛ wɔ asase so no.”
For, a complete and concise account, will the Lord make upon the earth.
29 Yesaia nso kae se, “Sɛ Asafo Awurade annyaw yɛn asefo a, anka yɛayɛ sɛ Sodom, na yɛadan ayɛ sɛ Gomora.”
And, even as Isaiah hath before said, —If, the Lord of hosts, had not left us a seed, as Sodom, had we become, and, as Gomorrha, had we been made like.
30 Afei asɛm bɛn na yɛbɛka bio? Yɛbɛka sɛ amanamanmufo a wɔanhwehwɛ trenee akyi kwan no nam gyidi so yɛɛ atreneefo;
What, then, shall we say? That, they of the nations, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have laid hold of righteousness, —a righteousness, however, which is by faith;
31 Nanso Israelfo a wɔpɛɛ sɛ wɔnam mmara so di so no bɛsɔ Onyankopɔn ani mpo, Onyankopɔn annye wɔn anto mu.
Whereas, Israel, though in pursuit of a law of righteousness, unto a law, have not attained.
32 Adɛn nti na ɛbaa saa? Efisɛ wɔpɛɛ sɛ wɔnam mmara so di so sɔ Onyankopɔn ani, nanso anka ɛsɛ sɛ wonya gyidi wɔ Onyankopɔn mu mmom. Wohintiw “hintibo” no.
Wherefore? Because, not by faith but as by works, [have they sought it]: they have stumbled at the stone of stumbling,
33 Sɛnea wɔakyerɛw se, “Hwɛ, Mede ɔbo a ɛma nnipa hintiw ato Sion ne ɔbotan a ɛma wɔhwe ase, na nea ɔde ne ho to no so no anim rengu ase da.”
Even as it is written—Lo! I lay in Zion, a stone to strike against and a rock to stumble over, and, he that resteth faith thereupon, shall not be put to shame.
