KwabaseRoma 9:1-33
9 Mina engingumlandeli kaKhristu ngikhuluma iqiniso, kangiqambi amanga njengoba umzwangedwa wami ungifakazela ngomoya ongcwele
2 ukuthi ngidabuke kakhulu njalo ngilobuhlungu obungapheliyo enhliziyweni yami.
3 Bengingafisa ukuthi kube yimi engehlukaniswe loKhristu ngaqalekiswa ngenxa yabafowethu abayizihlobo zami zegazi,
4 abangama-Israyeli. Laba benziwa baba ngamadodana, bemukela inkazimulo, lezivumelwano, loMthetho, lenkonzo engcwele kanye lezithembiso.
5 Bavela kubokhokho bethu, labo uKhristu azalelwa kubo. Kadunyiswe kuze kube nini lanini uNkulunkulu ophezu kwakho konke. Ameni.
6 Kodwa kayisikho ukuthi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lehlulekile ukugcwaliseka ngoba kayisibo bonke abayinzalo ka-Israyeli abangama-Israyeli eqiniso.
7 Loba kunjalo, ukuthi bayinzalo* ka-Abrahama akutsho ukuthi bonke bangabantwana bakhe, kodwa kubhaliwe ukuthi, “Lokho okuzabizwa ngokuthi yinzalo* yakho kuzakuba khona ngo-Isaka,”
8 okutsho ukuthi abantwana abazelwe ngenyama kayisibo abangabantwana bakaNkulunkulu sibili. Kodwa abantwana besithembiso yibo ababizwa ngokuthi bayinzalo,*
9 ngoba ilizwi lesithembiso lalisithi: “Ngomnyaka ozayo ngesikhathi lesi ngizabuya, futhi uSara uzabe eselendodana.”
10 Isithembiso lesi kwaphinda kwakhulunywa ngaso langesikhathi uRabheka ezithwala amaphahla, uyise wawo kungu-Isaka ukhokho wethu.
11 Yikho-ke ukuze injongo kaNkulunkulu yokukhetha iqhubeke ingathembelanga emisebenzini kodwa kuLowo obizayo, amaphahla la athi engakazalwa futhi engakenzi okuhle loba okubi,
12 kwathiwa kuye: “Omdala uzakuba yisigqili salowo omncane,”
13 njengoba nje kubhaliwe ukuthi: “UJakhobe ngamthanda, u-Esawu ngamzonda.”
14 Pho sithini? UNkulunkulu kalunganga yini? Hatshi!
15 Phela uthi kuMosi: “Ngizakuba lesihawu kuloba ngubani engizakuba lesihawu kuye, njalo ngizakuba lozwelo kuloba ngubani engizakuba lozwelo kuye.”
16 Ngakho akuyi ngesifiso somuntu kumbe ngomzamo wakhe,* kodwa kuya ngoNkulunkulu olesihawu.
17 Umbhalo uthi kuFaro: “Ngikuyekelile waqhubeka ukhona ukuze ngitshengise amandla ami phezu kwakho, ngenze lokuthi ibizo lami limenyezelwe emhlabeni wonke.”
18 Yikho yena ulesihawu kuloba ngubani afuna ukuba lesihawu kuye, kodwa abanye uyabavumela ukuthi babe yiziqholo.
19 Ngakho-ke wena uzakuthi kimi: “Pho kungani eqhubeka ebabamba icala? Kambe ukhona ongaphikisana lentando yakhe?”
20 Kodwa wena muntu ungubani ukuthi uphendulane loNkulunkulu? Into ebunjiweyo iyambuza yini umbumbi wayo ithi: “Ungenzeleni ngabanje?”
21 Kanti umbumbi kalawo yini amandla okwenza izitsha ezimbili ngebumba linye, esinye sibe ngesokwenza umsebenzi ohloniphekayo,* esinye sibe ngesomsebenzi ongahloniphekiyo?*
22 Pho sithini njengoba uNkulunkulu waba lesineke wabekezelela izitsha zolaka ezifanele ukubhujiswa lanxa wayelesifiso sokuveza ulaka lwakhe lesokwenza ukuthi amandla akhe aziwe?
23 Sithini nxa lokhu kwenzelwa ukuthi inotho yenkazimulo yakhe esezitsheni zesihawu yaziwe, leyo ayevele wayilungiselela inkazimulo yakhe,
24 okutsho thina asibiza wasikhetha phakathi kwamaJuda laphakathi kwabezizweni?
25 Kunjengoba nje esitsho kuHoseya esithi: “Abangasibantu bami ngizababiza ngokuthi ‘ngabantu bami,’ lowesifazana ongathandwayo ngizambiza ngokuthi ‘ngothandekayo.’
26 Lasendaweni ababetshelwa khona ukuthi, ‘Kalisibo bantu bami,’ bazabizwa ngokuthi ‘ngamadodana kaNkulunkulu ophilayo.’”
27 Phezu kwalokho u-Isaya uyamemezela ngo-Israyeli esithi: “Lanxa inani lamadodana ako-Israyeli lingaba ngangetshebetshebe yolwandle, kuzasindiswa abalutshwana abaseleyo kuphela.
28 UJehova uzalungisa izindaba emhlabeni futhi umsebenzi lo uzawenza masinyane awuqede wonke.”
29 Kanti njalo u-Isaya wayevele wathi: “Ngabe uJehova wamabutho kazange asitshiyele abanye abayinzalo* yethu, besizakuba njengeSodoma, sifanane leGomora.”
30 Pho sithini? Sithi lanxa abantu bezizweni bengazange bazame ngamandla wonke ukuba ngabalungileyo, bakuthola ukulunga, lokho okuza ngokukholwa;
31 kodwa abako-Israyeli behluleka ukuwulandela ngokugcweleyo umthetho wokulunga lanxa babezama ngamandla wonke ukuwulandela.
32 Ngenxa yani? Ngenxa yokuthi babezama ukuwulandela ngemisebenzi hatshi ngokholo. Bakhubeka ‘elitsheni elikhubayo’;
33 njengoba kubhaliwe ukuthi: “Khangela! Ngibeka eZiyoni ilitshe lami elikhubayo ledwala eliwisa abantu, kodwa lowo obeka ukholo lwakhe kulo kasoze adane.”
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiGrikhi, “bayinhlanyelo.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “yinhlanyelo.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “bayinhlanyelo.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “akuyi ngalowo ofisayo kumbe ngalowo ogijimayo.”
^ Kumbe, “ongajayelekanga.”
^ Kumbe, “ojayelekileyo.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “abayinhlanyelo.”
