KwabaseRoma 9

9 ¹Ngikhuluma iqiniso ngikuKhristu, angiqambi manga—unembeza wami ufakaza kanye nami ngoMoya oNgcwele, ²ukuthi nginosizi olukhulu nobuhlungu obungapheli enhliziyweni yami. ³Bengingafisa ukuba mina ngiqalekiswe, nginqunywe kuKhristu, ngenxa yabafowethu nodadewethu, abantu bakithi ngegazi. ⁴Bangama-Israyeli: ngabawo amalungelo aphelele okuba ngamadodana, inkazimulo, izivumelwano, ukunikezwa komthetho, ukukhonza, nezithembiso. ⁵Okhokho bangabawo; kubo, ngokozalo lwabantu, kuvela uKhristu, onguNkulunkulu phezu kwakho konke, obusisekileyo kuze kube phakade. Ameni. ^a a v5 UPawulu ubiza uKhristu ngokuthi “uNkulunkulu phezu kwakho konke, obusisekileyo kuze kube phakade” — esinye sezimemezelo ezicace kakhulu zeTestamente Elisha zokuthi uJesu unobunkulunkulu ngokugcwele.

⁶Lokhu akusho ukuthi izwi likaBaba wethu lehlulekile, ngokuba akubona bonke abavela ku-Israyeli abangu-Israyeli.

⁷Akubona bonke inzalo ka-Abrahama abangabantwana bakhe; kodwa, “Inzalo yakho iyakubizwa ngo-Isaka.”

⁸Okungukuthi, abantwana benyama abangabantwana bakaBaba wethu, kodwa abantwana besithembiso babalwa njengenzalo.

⁹Ngokuba isithembiso sithi: “Ngesikhathi esinjengalesi ngonyaka ozayo ngiyakuza, uSara abe nendodana.”

¹⁰Akukhona lokho kuphela, kodwa noRebheka naye wakhulelwa ngandoda inye, ubaba wethu u-Isaka, ¹¹nakuba abantwana babengakazalwa, bengakenzi lutho oluhle noma olubi—ukuze injongo kaBaba wethu ngokukhetha ime,

¹²kungaveli emisebenzini, kodwa kulowo obizayo, watshelwa: “omdala uyakukhonza omncane.” ¹³Njengoba kulotshiwe: “UJakobe ngamthanda, kodwa u-Esawu ngamzonda.” ^b b v13 “Ukuzonda” kuyisisho sesiHeberu sokukhetha omunye kunomunye — ukukhetha kukaBaba wethu uJakobe ngokukhululeka, hhayi ubutha ngaku-Esawu.

¹⁴Pho sizakuthini na? Kukhona ukungalungi kuBaba wethu na? Akunjalo nakancane!

¹⁵Ngokuba uthi kuMose: “Ngiyakuba nomusa kulowo enginomusa kuye, ngibe nesihawu kulowo enginesihawu kuye.”

¹⁶Ngakho-ke akuncikile entandweni yomuntu noma emzamweni wakhe, kodwa kuBaba wethu, onomusa.

¹⁷Ngokuba umBhalo uthi kuFaro: “Ngakuvusa ngenxa yalesi sizathu kanye, ukuze ngibonakalise amandla ami kuwe, nokuze igama lami limenyezelwe emhlabeni wonke.”

¹⁸Ngakho-ke unomusa kulowo amthandayo, futhi uyamenza lukhuni lowo amthandayo.

¹⁹Ngakho uyakuthi kimi: “Pho usasolelani na? Ngubani omelana nentando yakhe na?” ²⁰Kodwa ungubani wena, muntu nje, ophikisana noBaba wethu na? Kambe into ebunjiwe ingasho yini kumbumbi wayo ukuthi: “Wangenzelani kanje na?” ²¹Kanti umbumbi akanalo yini igunya phezu kobumba, ukuba enze ngengcweba linye isitsha sodumo, nesinye sokweyisa na? ²²Kuthiwani uma uBaba wethu, ethanda ukubonakalisa ulaka lwakhe nokwazisa amandla akhe, wabekezelela ngokubekezela okukhulu izitsha zolaka ezazilungiselelwe ukubhujiswa, ²³ukuze abonakalise ingcebo yenkazimulo yakhe ezitsheni zomusa aziluNgiselela ngaphambili ukuba zibe senkazimulweni, ²⁴yebo thina asibizileyo, kungekho kumaJuda kuphela kodwa nakwabezizwe na?

²⁵Njengoba esho kuHoseya: “Ngiyakubabiza labo abangebona abantwana bami ngokuthi abantwana bami, nalowo owayengathandwa ngokuthi othandekayo.”

²⁶“Kuyakuthi endaweni kanye lapho kwathiwa kubo khona, ‘Anisibo abantu bami,’ kulapho bayakubizwa khona ngokuthi ‘abantwana bakaBaba ophilayo.’”

²⁷U-Isaya umemeza ngo-Israyeli: “Nakuba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bengangesihlabathi solwandle ngobuningi, insali kuphela eyakusindiswa, ²⁸ngokuba uBaba wethu uyakusifeza isigwebo sakhe emhlabeni, ngokugcwele nangaphandle kokulibala.”

²⁹Njengoba u-Isaya abikezela: “Ukuba uBaba wamabutho asezulwini wayengasishiyelanga inzalo, ngabe saba njengeSodoma, senziwa njengeGomora.”

U-Israyeli Wakhubeka Etsheni

³⁰Pho sizakuthini na? Abezizwe ababengaphishekeli ukulunga bakuzuza ukulunga, ukulunga okungokukholwa; ³¹kodwa u-Israyeli, owayephishekela umthetho wokulunga, akawufinyelelanga lowo mthetho. ³²Ngani na? Ngokuba babengakuphisheki ngokukholwa kodwa kungathi kungemisebenzi. Bakhubeka etsheni lokukhubekisa,

³³njengoba kulotshiwe: “Bheka, ngibeka eSiyoni itshe lokukhubekisa, idwala elikhubekisayo; lowo omethembayo akayikujabhiswa.”