KwabaseRoma 4:1-25
4 Pho-ke sizakuthi ukhokho wethu u-Abrahama watholani?
2 Ngokwesibonelo, ngabe u-Abrahama kwathiwa ulungile ngenxa yemisebenzi, wayezakuba lesizatho sokuzikhukhumeza, kodwa hatshi phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
3 Kanti umbhalo uthini? Uthi: “U-Abrahama wakholwa kuJehova, kwathiwa* ulungile.”
4 Nxa umuntu osebenzayo ephiwa umholo wakhe ngeke kuthiwe ngumusa omkhulu ngoba kuyabe kubhadalwa isikwelede sakhe.
5 Kodwa umuntu ongasebenziyo, okholwa kuNkulunkulu, kuthiwa ulungile ngenxa yokholo lwakhe lanxa eyisoni.
6 UDavida laye ukhuluma ngokuthokoza komuntu uNkulunkulu ambiza ngokuthi ulungile ngaphandle kwemisebenzi. Uthi:
7 “Bayathokoza abaxolelwe izenzo zabo zokwephula umthetho kanye lalabo abazono zabo zithethelelwe.*
8 Uyathokoza umuntu uJehova angasoze ambalele isono sakhe loba sekutheni.”
9 Pho-ke ukuthokoza lokhu ngokwabantu abasokileyo kuphela yini, kumbe labangasokanga bayathokoza? Phela sithi: “U-Abrahama kwathiwa* ulungile ngenxa yokholo lwakhe.”
10 Kwatshiwo nini ukuthi ulungile? Esesokile yini kumbe engakasoki? Wayelokhu engakasoki.
11 Wemukela isibonakaliso, okutsho ukuthi wasoka, kwaba luphawu* lokulunga ngenxa yokholo ayelalo engakasoki ukuze abe nguyise wabo bonke abalokholo lanxa bengasokanga, ukuze labo kuthiwe* balungile.
12 Kanti njalo unguyise wenzalo esokileyo, hatshi owalabo abanamathela ekusokeni kuphela, kodwa lowalabo abahamba ngendlela eqondileyo ezinyathelweni zokholo ubaba wethu u-Abrahama ayelalo engakasoki.
13 U-Abrahama lenzalo* yakhe bathenjiswa ukuthi wayezakuba yindlalifa yomhlaba ngenxa yokulunga okuvela ekukholweni, hatshi ngenxa yomthetho.
14 Nxa abanamathela emthethweni beyizindlalifa, ukukholwa kuyabe kungasancedi njalo lesithembiso siyabe singasatsho lutho.
15 UMthetho uletha ulaka, kodwa kakho ongephula umthetho lapho okungelamthetho khona.
16 Yikho isithembiso satholakala ngokholo, satshengisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu ulomusa omkhulu ukuze yonke inzalo* ka-Abrahama ibe leqiniso lokuthi sizagcwaliseka, hatshi kulabo abanamathela eMthethweni kuphela kodwa lakulabo abanamathela ekukholweni kuka-Abrahama ongubaba wethu sonke.
17 (Njengoba nje kubhaliwe ukuthi: “Sengikubeke ukuthi ube nguyise wezizwe ezinengi.”) Lokhu kwenzakala phambi kukaNkulunkulu, lowo ayelokholo kuye njalo owenza abafileyo baphile, abize lezinto ezingekho angathi zikhona.
18 Lanxa kwakungasathembisi, ithemba lamenza wakholwa ukuthi wayezakuba nguyise wezizwe ezinengi mayelana lalokho ayekutsheliwe ukuthi: “Inzalo* yakho layo izakuba njalo.”
19 Lanxa ukholo lwakhe lungazange lube buthakathaka, wayenakana ngomzimba wakhe owawufanana lokuthi usufile (njengoba wayeseleminyaka engaba ngu-100), langoSara owayengenelisi ukuba labantwana.*
20 Kodwa ngenxa yesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu, kavumanga ukuthi ukholo lwakhe luxege. Ukholo lwakhe lwamenza waba lamandla, wanika uNkulunkulu inkazimulo,
21 njalo wayengathandabuzi ngitsho ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayesenelisa ukwenza lokho ayekuthembisile.
22 Yikho “kwathiwa* ulungile.”
23 Lanxa kunjalo, amazwi athi, “kwathiwa* ulungile” kawabhalelwanga yena kuphela,
24 kodwa abhalelwa lathi okuzathiwa silungile ngenxa yokuthi siyakholwa kuNkulunkulu owayivusa kwabafileyo iNkosi yethu uJesu.
25 Yanikelwa ngenxa yeziphambeko zethu njalo yavuswa kwabafileyo ukuze kuthiwe silungile.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “kwabalwa ngokuthi.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “zembesiwe.”
^ Kumbe, “kwabalwa ngokuthi.”
^ Kumbe, “yisiqinisekiso.”
^ Kumbe, “babalwe ngokuthi.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “lenhlanyelo.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “inhlanyelo.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “Inhlanyelo.”
^ Kumbe, “owayeyinyumba.”
^ Kumbe, “kwabalwa ngokuthi.”
^ Kumbe, “kwabalwa ngokuthi.”
