Roma 4:1-25
4 Alo-ke, sizakuthi khuyini eyazuzwa ngu-Abrahama, ukhokhwethu ngokwenyama?
2 Ngokwesibonelo, ngathana u-Abrahama kwathiwa ulungile ngebanga lemisebenzi, bekazokuba nesizathu sokuzikhakhazisa, kodwana ingasi kuZimu.
3 Ngombana ithini imitlolo? “U-Abrahama wakholwa kuJehova, waqalwa njengolungileko.”
4 Nje-ke emntwini osebenzako, umrholwakhe awuqalwa njengomusa omkhulu kodwana njengento akolodwa yona.
5 Ngakelinye ihlangothi, emntwini ongathembeli emisebenzinakhe kodwana okholwa kuZimu othi isoni silungile, ukukholwa kwakhe kuqalwa njengokulunga.
6 Njengombana noDavida akhuluma ngokuthaba komuntu uZimu amqala njengolungileko ngaphandle kwemisebenzi:
7 “Bayathaba labo izenzo zabo zokweqa umthetho ezilitjalelweko nezono zabo ezigubuzesiweko;*
8 uyathaba umuntu uJehova angekhe ambalele isono sakhe.”
9 Alo-ke kuthaba abantu abasokileko kwaphela, namkha kuthaba nabantu abangakasoki? Ngombana sithi: “Ukukholwa kwaka-Abrahama kwamenza waqalwa njengolungileko.”
10 Yeke waqalwa njengolungileko ngaphasi kwabuphi ubujamo? Ngesikhathi asokile namkha angakasoki? Bekangakasoki.
11 Wafumana itshwayo—okutjho, ukusoka—njengesiqinisekiso sokulunga ngokukholwa ebekanakho ngesikhathi angakasoki, bona abe nguyise wabo boke abakholwa bangakasoki, ukuze nabo kuthiwe balungile;
12 nokuthi abe nguyise wabantwana abasokileko, ingasi kwabanamathela ekusokeni kwaphela kodwana nalabo abakhamba ngokuhleleka emtlhaleni wokukholwa ubabethu u-Abrahama ebekanakho ngesikhathi angakasoki.
13 Ngombana isithembiso sokuthi uzokuba yindlalifa yephasi azange size ku-Abrahama namkha ebantwaneni bakhe* ngomthetho, kodwana ngokulunga okuza ngokukholwa.
14 Ngombana nangabe labo abanamathela emthethweni baziindlalifa, ukukholwa akusanamsebenzi nesithembiso sisuliwe.
15 Eqinisweni umThetho uveza ilaka, kodwana lapho kunganamthetho khona, akukho nokweqa umthetho.
16 Kungakho kungokukholwa, bona kungaba ngomusa omkhulu, ukuze isithembiso sibe ngesiqinisekileko kibo boke abantwana* bakhe, ingasi kwaphela kilabo abanamathela emThethweni kodwana nakilabo abanamathela ekukholweni kwaka-Abrahama, ongubaba wethu soke.
17 (Lokhu kunjengombana kutloliwe: “Ngikukhethe bona ube nguyise weentjhaba ezinengi.”) Lokhu bekuphambi kwakaZimu, obekakholwa kuye, owenza abafileko baphile begodu abize izinto ezingekho njengokungathi zikhona.*
18 Nanyana bekunganabanga lethemba, kodwana ngokusekelwe ethembeni, wakholwa ukuthi uzokuba nguyise weentjhaba ezinengi ngokuvumelana nalokho okwatjhiwo: “Bazokuba njalo-ke abantwana* bakho.”
19 Nanyana angazange abogaboge ekukholweni kwakhe, wacabanga ngomzimbakhe, ebesele unjengofileko (njengombana bekaneminyaka eli-100 ubudala), nokufa kwesibeletho* sakaSara.
20 Kodwana ngebanga lesithembiso sakaZimu, azange adengezele ngokungabi nekholo; kodwana waba namandla ekukholweni kwakhe, adumisa uZimu
21 begodu aqiniseka ngokuzeleko ukuthi lokho uZimu akuthembisileko uyakghona nokukwenza.
22 Ngalokho-ke, “waqalwa njengolungileko.”
23 Nanyana kunjalo, amezwi athi “waqalwa njengolungileko” azange atlolwe ngebanga lakhe kwaphela,
24 kodwana nangebanga lethu, esizokuqalwa njengabalungileko, ngombana sikholelwa kuye ovuse uJesu iKosethu kwabafileko.
25 Wanikelwa ngebanga lemitjhaphwethu begodu wavuswa bona kuthiwe silungile.
