UBaba Wethu Ubala Ukholo Njengokulunga
UPawulu uhlola impikiswano yakhe ngo-Abrahama, owabalelwa ukulunga engakasokwa futhi umthetho ungakabikho. Ukholo aluyona inkokhelo ezuza iholo; kungukwethemba uBaba wethu, onika abafileyo ukuphila — yingakho nabeZizwe bengaba ngabantwana bakhe.
4 1Pho, sizothini-ke ukuthi uAbrahama, ukhokho wethu ngokwenyama, wakuthola? 2Ngokuba uma uAbrahama walungisiswa ngemisebenzi, unento angaziqhayisa ngayo—kodwa hhayi phambi kukaBaba wethu. 3Ngokuba umBhalo uthini? UAbrahama wakholwa uBaba wethu, kwabalelwa kuye kwaba ngukulunga. a a v3 "Ukubalelwa" yigama lokubala izimali, kodwa uBaba wethu akasiye umgcini-zincwadi obandayo. UAbrahama wamethemba nje, uBaba wethu wabheka izandla zakhe ezingenalutho wamemezela ukuthi ulungile. 4Kolowo osebenzayo, iholo alibalelwa njengesipho kodwa njengalokho akukweletwayo. 5Kodwa kolowo ongasebenzi, kepha ethemba lowo olungisisa ababi, ukholo lwakhe lubalelwa njengokulunga. 6Njengoba noDavide ekhuluma ngesibusiso somuntu uBaba wethu ambalela ukulunga, ngaphandle kwemisebenzi: 7"Babusisiwe labo abazenzo zabo zokungabi namthetho zithethelelwe, nalabo izono zabo ezisibekelwe; 8ubusisiwe lowo uBaba wethu angasoze ayibalele isono sakhe kuye."
9Lesi sibusiso singesabasokile kuphela, noma nesabangasokanga? Sithi ukholo luka-Abrahama lwabalelwa njengokulunga. 10Lwabalelwa kanjani-ke? Esesokile, noma engakasoki? Hhayi esesokile, kodwa engakasoki. 11Wasamukela ukusoka njengophawu, uphawu lokuqinisekisa ukulunga ayenakho ngokholo esengakasoki, ukuze abe nguyise wabo bonke abakholwayo nakuba bengasokile, ukuze nabo babalelwe ukulunga, 12futhi abe nguyise wabasokile abangasiye abasokile kuphela kodwa abahamba nasezinyathelweni zokholo ubaba wethu uAbrahama ayenalo esengakasoki.
13Ngokuba isithembiso ku-Abrahama nasenzalweni yakhe sokuthi uyakudla ilifa lezwe, asizanga ngomthetho, kodwa ngokulunga kokholo. 14Ngokuba uma labo abaphila ngomthetho beyizindlalifa, ukholo luyize nesithembiso senziwa ize. 15Umthetho uletha ulaka; lapho kungekho mthetho khona, akukho kweqa.
16Ngakho kuza ngokholo, ukuze kube ngomusa, ukuqinisekisa isithembiso kuyo yonke inzalo—hhayi kuphela kulabo ababoshwe emthethweni kodwa nakulabo abahlanganyela ukholo luka-Abrahama, uyise wethu sonke,
17njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi, "Ngikwenze uyise wezizwe eziningi"—phambi kukaBaba wethu, ayekholwa kuye, onika abafileyo ukuphila nobiza izinto ezingekho ukuba zibe khona. 18Ngaphandle kwethemba, wakholwa ngethemba, waba nguyise wezizwe eziningi, njengoba ayetsheliwe ukuthi: "Iyakuba njalo inzalo yakho."
19Engabuthakathaka ekholweni, wawucabanga umzimba wakhe owawususuphelelwe amandla—wayeseneminyaka engaba yikhulu—nesizalo sikaSara esesifile. 20Akazange asingabaze isithembiso sikaBaba wethu ngokuntula ukholo, kodwa waqiniswa ekholweni, enika uBaba wethu udumo, 21eqinisekile ngokugcwele ukuthi lokho uBaba wethu akuthembisayo wayenamandla futhi okukwenza. 22Yingakho "kwabalelwa kuye njengokulunga." 23Kodwa amazwi athi "kwabalelwa kuye" awalotshwanga ngenxa yakhe yedwa, 24kodwa nangenxa yethu esiyakubalelwa kona—thina esithemba lowo owavusa iNkosi yethu uJesu kwabafileyo, 25owanikelwa ngenxa yezono zethu wavuswa ukuze asenze silunge phambi kukaBaba wethu.
