KwabaseRoma 4:1-25
4 Manje sizakuthi ukhokho wethu u-Abrahama watholani?
2 Ngokwesibonelo, ngabe u-Abrahama kwathiwa ulungile ngenxa yemisebenzi, wayezakuba lesizatho sokuzikhukhumeza kodwa wayengeke azikhukhumeze 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 uyabe ephiwa lokho okungokwakhe.
5 Kodwa umuntu ongathembelanga emisebenzini yakhe, okholwa kuNkulunkulu, kuthiwa ulungile ngenxa yokholo lwakhe lanxa eyisoni.+
6 UDavida laye wakhuluma ngentokozo yomuntu uNkulunkulu ambiza ngokuthi ulungile kodwa kungenziwa yimisebenzi yakhe. Wathi:
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 kumbe engakasoki? Wayelokhu engakasoki.
11 Wemukela isibonakaliso,+ okutsho ukuthi wasoka, kwaba luphawu lokulunga* ngenxa yokholo ayelalo engakasoki. Ngakho waba nguyise wabo bonke abalokholo+ lanxa bengasokanga ukuze labo kuthiwe balungile.
12 Kanti njalo u-Abrahama unguyise walabo abasokileyo, hatshi owalabo abanamathela ekusokeni kuphela kodwa lowalabo abalokholo olunjengolwakhe. Ubaba wethu u-Abrahama+ waba lokholo engakasokwa.
13 Yena labantwabakhe* bathenjiswa ukuthi babezakuba zindlalifa zomhlaba+ 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 bonke abantwana* baka-Abrahama+ babe leqiniso lokuthi sizagcwaliseka, hatshi kulabo abanamathela eMthethweni kuphela kodwa lakulabo abanamathela ekukholweni kuka-Abrahama ongubaba wethu sonke.+
17 (Kunjengoba nje kubhaliwe ukuthi: “Sengikwenze waba 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 njengoba nje wayetsheliwe ukuthi: “Izizukulwane zakho lazo zizakuba* njalo.”+
19 Lanxa ukholo lwakhe lungazange lube buthakathaka, wayecabanga ngomzimba wakhe owawufanana lokuthi usufile (njengoba wayeseleminyaka engaba ngu-100),+ langoSara owayengatholi abantwana.*+
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” awabhalelwanga yena kuphela,+
24 kodwa abhalelwa lathi okuzathiwa silungile ngenxa yokuthi siyakholwa kuNkulunkulu owavusa iNkosi yethu uJesu kwabafileyo.+
25 Yanikelwa ngenxa yeziphambeko zethu+ yasivuswa kwabafileyo ukuze kuthiwe silungile.+
Amabala angaphansi
^ Khangela iSengezo ku-A5.
^ NgesiGrikhi, “zembesiwe.”
^ Khangela iSengezo ku-A5.
^ Kumbe, “yisiqinisekiso sokulunga.”
^ Kumbe, “lenzalo yakhe.”
^ Kumbe, “inzalo.”
^ Kumbe, “Inzalo yakho layo izakuba.”
^ Kumbe, “owayeyinyumba.”
