UBawo Wethu Ubalela Ukholo Njengobulungisa
UPawulos uvavanya ingxoxo yakhe ngo-Abraham, owabalelwa ubulungisa engekalusi, nangaphambi kokuba ubekho umthetho. Ukholo asiyontlawulo ezuza umvuzo; kukuthembela kuBawo wethu, onika ubomi kwabafileyo — yiyo loo nto neentlanga zinokuba ngabantwana bakhe nazo.
4 1Sothini ke ngoko, sithi uAbraham, ukhokho wethu ngokwenyama, ufumene ntoni na? 2Kuba ukuba uAbraham wagwetyelwa ngemisebenzi, unento anokuqhayisa ngayo; kodwa hayi phambi koBawo wethu. 3Kuba sithini na isibhalo? UAbraham wakholwa nguBawo wethu, yabalelwa ke loo nto ebulungiseni kuye. a a v3 Igama elithi “yabalelwa” ligama lokubala imali, kodwa uBawo wethu akangombhali-zincwadi obandayo. UAbraham wasuka wathembela kuye nje, waza uBawo wethu wazibona izandla zakhe zingenanto, wamvakalisa ukuba ulilungisa. 4Kulowo usebenzayo, umvuzo awubalelwa njengesipho, koko njengetyala. 5Ke kulowo ungasebenziyo, kodwa athembele kulowo ugwebela abangendawo, ukholo lwakhe lubalelwa ebulungiseni. 6Njengokuba noDavide ethetha ngentsikelelo yomntu uBawo wethu ambalela ubulungisa, ngaphandle kwemisebenzi: 7“Banoyolo abo bakhanjululwe izenzo zabo ezichasene nomthetho, nabo bagutyungelwe izono zabo; 8unoyolo lowo uBawo wethu angasayi kumbalela isono sakhe.”
9Ingaba le ntsikelelo yeyabolwaluko kuphela na, kusini na, ingaba yeyabangalukanga nabo? Kaloku sithi ukholo luka-Abraham lwabalelwa ebulungiseni kuye. 10Lwabalelwa njani na ke? Esaluswe nje, esengalukile kusini na? Kungekhona esaluswe nje, koko esengalukile. 11Wamkela ulwaluko njengomqondiso, njengetywina lobulungisa awayenabo ngokholo esengalukile, ukuze abe nguyise wabo bonke abakholwayo bengalukile, ukuze bona babalelwe ubulungisa nabo, 12abe nguyise nabolwaluko abangabolwaluko kuphela kungekhona, koko bahamba nasekhondweni lokholo awayenalo ubawo wethu uAbraham esengalukile.
13Kuba idinga awalenzelwa uAbraham nembewu yakhe, lokuba iya kulidla ilifa ihlabathi, alizanga ngomthetho, koko ngobulungisa bokholo. 14Kuba ukuba abaphila ngomthetho baziindlalifa, uphuthisiwe ke ukholo, laza lenziwa into engento idinga. 15Umthetho uzisa ingqumbo; apho kungekho mthetho khona, akukho kwaphulwa mthetho.
16Ngenxa yoko luvela ngokholo, ukuze lube ngobabalo, ukuze idinga liqiniseke kuyo yonke imbewu—kungekhona kwabo basemthethweni kuphela, koko nakwabo banokholo luka-Abraham, uyise wethu sonke,
17njengoko kubhaliweyo kwathiwa: “Ndikumisile ukuba ube nguyise weentlanga ezininzi”—phambi koBawo wethu, awakholwa nguye, lowo odlisa ubomi kwabafileyo, obiza izinto ezingekhoyo njengokungathi zikho. 18Ngaphandle kwethemba, wakholwa enethemba, waba nguyise weentlanga ezininzi, ngokwaloo nto wayetshelwe yona, yokuthi: “Yoba njalo imbewu yakho.”
19Engatyhafanga elukholweni, wawugqala umzimba wakhe sele ungathi ufile—wayemalunga neminyaka elikhulu—nesizalo sikaSara sesisifile. 20Akazange athandabuze ngedinga likaBawo wethu ngokusilela elukholweni, koko womelezwa elukholweni, enika uzuko kuBawo wethu, 21eqinisekile kakuhle ukuba oko uBawo wethu wayekudingile ukwanako ukukwenza. 22Kungenxa yoko ke “yabalelwa kuye ebulungiseni.” 23Ke amazwi athi “yabalelwa kuye” awazange abhalelwe yena yedwa, 24koko abhalelwe nathi esiya kubalelwa yona—thina sithembele kulowo wamvusayo iNkosi yethu uYesu kwabafileyo, 25lowo wanikelwa ngenxa yezono zethu, waza wavuswa ukuze asilungise phambi koBawo wethu.
