KwabaseRoma 9:1-33
9 Ngikhuluma iqiniso kuKristu; angiqambi amanga, njengoba unembeza wami ufakazelana nami emoyeni ongcwele,
2 ukuthi nginosizi olukhulu nobuhlungu obungapheli enhliziyweni yami.
3 Ngoba ngifisa sengathi ngabe mina ngokwami ngihlukanisiwe noKristu njengoqalekisiwe ngenxa yabafowethu, izihlobo zami ngokwenyama,
4 abangama-Israyeli. Abathathwa benziwa amadodana kaNkulunkulu + futhi bamukela inkazimulo nezivumelwano + nokunikezwa uMthetho + nenkonzo engcwele + nezithembiso. +
5 Abavela kokhokho, + nokwavela kubo uKristu ngokwenyama. + UNkulunkulu, ophezu kwakho konke, makadunyiswe kuze kube phakade. Amen.
6 Nokho, akukhona ukuthi izwi likaNkulunkulu lihlulekile. Ngoba akubona bonke abavela ku-Israyeli “abangu-Israyeli” ngempela. +
7 Futhi akubona bonke abangabantwana ngenxa yokuthi bayinzalo* ka-Abrahama; + kunalokho, “Lokho okuyobizwa ngokuthi inzalo* yakho kuyoba khona ngo-Isaka.” +
8 Okungukuthi, abangabantwana enyameni ababona ngempela abantwana bakaNkulunkulu +, kodwa abangabantwana ngesithembiso + yibo ababalwa njengenzalo.*
9 Ngoba izwi lesithembiso lalithe: “Ngalesi sikhathi ngizofika futhi uSara uzobe esenendodana.” +
10 Akugcinanga nje lapho, kodwa nalapho uRebheka ekhulelwa amawele endodeni eyodwa, u-Isaka ukhokho wethu; +
11 ngoba ngesikhathi engakazalwa futhi engakakwenzi okuhle noma okubi, ukuze injongo kaNkulunkulu ngokuqondene nokukhethwa kwabo iqhubeke ingancikile emisebenzini, kodwa kuLowo obizayo,
12 kwathiwa kuye: “Omdala uyoba isigqila somncane.” +
13 Njengoba nje kulotshiwe: “Ngangimthanda uJakobe, kodwa u-Esawu yena ngangimzonda.” +
14 Pho sizothini? Ingabe kukhona ukungabi nabulungisa kuNkulunkulu? Lutho neze! +
15 Ngoba uthi kuMose: “Ngizobonisa isihe kunoma ubani engizobonisa isihe kuye, futhi ngizobonisa uzwela kunoma ubani engizombonisa uzwela.” +
16 Ngakho-ke, akuncikile esifisweni somuntu noma emzamweni wakhe,* kodwa kuNkulunkulu, onesihe. +
17 Ngoba umbhalo uthi kuFaro: “Ngenxa yaso kanye lesi sizathu ngikuyekile ukuba uqhubeke ukhona: ukuze ngibonise amandla ami ngawe nokuba ngenze igama lami limenyezelwe emhlabeni wonke.” +
18 Ngakho-ke, unesihe kunoba ubani athanda ukuba nesihe kuye, kodwa noma ubani athanda ukuba abe isijaka uyamvumela. +
19 Ngakho wena uzothi kimi: “Kungani esathola iphutha kubantu? Ukhona yini ongamelana nentando yakhe?”
20 Ungubani-ke wena muntu, ukuba uphendulane noNkulunkulu? + Into ebunjiwe iyasho yini kulowo oyibumbile ukuthi, “Ungenzeleni ngale ndlela?” +
21 Ini? Umbumbi akanalo yini igunya phezu kobumba + ukuba enze esigaxeni esifanayo isitsha esisetshenziswa ngezikhathi ezikhethekile, nesinye esisetshenziswa nsuku zonke?
22 Bekuyoba njani ukube uNkulunkulu ubethanda ukubonisa ulaka lwakhe nokwenza amandla akhe aziwe, wazibekezelela ngesineke esikhulu izitsha zolaka ezifanelwe ukubhujiswa?
23 Ukube lokhu kwakwenziwe ngenjongo yokuba kwaziwe ingcebo yenkazimulo yakhe ayibeke ezitsheni zesihe, + azilungiselela inkazimulo kusengaphambili,
24 okuwukuthi, thina, angasibizanga nje kumaJuda kuphela kodwa nakwabezizwe, + bekuyoba nani?
25 Kunjengoba esho nakwekaHoseya: “Labo abangebona abantu bami + ngizobabiza ngokuthi ‘abantu bami,’ nalowo owayengathandwa ngokuthi ‘othandekayo’; +
26 nasendaweni lapho kwathiwa kubo, ‘Anibona abantu bami,’ lapho bayobizwa ngokuthi ‘abantwana bakaNkulunkulu ophilayo.’ ” +
27 Ngaphezu kwalokho, u-Isaya wamemezela wathi ngokuphathelene no-Israyeli: “Ngisho noma isibalo sabantwana bakwa-Israyeli singaba ngangesihlabathi solwandle, abasele kuphela abayosindiswa. +
28 Ngoba uJehova* uyobenza balandise abahlala emhlabeni, akufeze ngokushesha* lokho.” +
29 Njengoba nje u-Isaya abikezela: “Ukube uJehova* wamabutho akasishiyelanga inzalo,* besiyoba njengeSodoma, besiyofana neGomora.” +
30 Sizothini-ke? Sizothi abantu bezizwe, nakuba babengakufunisisi ukulunga, bakuthola ukulunga, + ukulunga okuvela okholweni; +
31 kodwa u-Israyeli, nakuba ayewufunisisa umthetho wokulunga, akawutholanga lowo mthetho.
32 Ngasizathu sini? Ngoba akawufunisisanga ngokholo, kodwa njengokungathi ngemisebenzi. Bakhubeka “etsheni lokukhubekisa”; +
33 njengoba kulotshiwe: “Bheka! EZiyoni ngibeka itshe + lokukhubekisa nedwala lokucasula, kodwa lowo oba nokholo kulo ngeke adumazeke.” +
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ NgesiGreki, “bayimbewu.”
^ NgesiGreki, “imbewu.”
^ NgesiGreki, “njengembewu.”
^ NgesiGreki, “kulowo ofisayo noma kulowo ogijimayo.”
^ Bheka iSithasiselo A5.
^ Noma, “ngaphandle kokulibala.”
^ Bheka iSithasiselo A5.
^ NgesiGreki, “imbewu.”
