KwabaseRoma

11 Ngakho ngiyabuza ngithi, uNkulunkulu wabalahla yini abantu bakhe?+ Ngitsho sibili! Lami ngingum-Israyeli, ngiyisizukulwane sika-Abrahama futhi ngivela esizwaneni sakoBhenjamini. 2 UNkulunkulu kazange abalahle abantu bakhe ayebazi kusukela kuqala.+ Kanti alikwazi yini ukuthi imibhalo ithini ngo-Elija? Wakhuleka kuNkulunkulu esola abako-Israyeli esithi: 3 “Jehova* sebebulele abaphrofethi bakho badiliza lama-alithare akho. Kusele mina ngedwa futhi khathesi sebezama ukungibulala.”+ 4 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wamphendula wathini? Wathi: “Ngilabantu bami abangu-7 000 abangazange bamguqele uBhali.”+ 5 Ngakho lakhathesi bakhona abaseleyo+ abakhethwa ngenxa yomusa omkhulu. 6 Manje nxa bekhethwa ngenxa yomusa omkhulu,+ akusayi ngemisebenzi+ ngoba ngabe bekunjalo umusa omkhulu ubungasoze ube ngumusa omkhulu.

7 Pho sithini? Yona kanye into abako-Israyeli ababeyidinga ngabomvu abazange bayithole kodwa abakhethiweyo bayithola.+ Abanye bonke baba lenhliziyo ezilukhuni,+ 8 njengoba nje kubhaliwe ukuthi: “UNkulunkulu usebanike umoya wobuthongo obukhulu,+ wenza ukuthi amehlo abo angaboni lendlebe zabo zingezwa kuze kube lamuhla.”+ 9 Kanti njalo uDavida wathi: “Kwangathi itafula yabo ingaba ngumjibila, lesilaha, lesikhubekiso kanye lesijeziso sabo. 10 Kwangathi amehlo abo angafiphala bangaboni lutho, wenze lokuthi bahlale begobise imihlane.”+

11 Yikho ngibuza ngisithi: Kanti bakhubeka bawa okokuthi ngeke baphinde bavuke yini? Hatshi! Kodwa isiphambeko sabo senze abantu bezinye izizwe bathola insindiso, njalo lokhu kwenza amaJuda abe lomhawu.+ 12 Nxa isiphambeko sabo siletha inotho emhlabeni, lokuphunguka kwabo kuletha inotho ebantwini bezinye izizwe,+ kutsho ukuthi kuzakuba lenotho enengi kakhulu nxa inani labo selenele!

13 Khathesi ngikhuluma lani lina bantu bezinye izizwe. Njengoba ngingumphostoli kwabezinye izizwe,+ ngikhazimulisa* inkonzo yami+ 14 ukuze ngibone ukuthi ngingaba layo yini indlela yokwenza ukuthi abantu bakithi bahawukele, ngisindise abanye phakathi kwabo. 15 Nxa ukuxotshwa kwabo+ kusenza ukuthi umhlaba ubuyisane loNkulunkulu, ukwamukelwa kwabo kuzabenza bathole ukuphila, kube angathi bavuke kwabafileyo. 16 Phezu kwalokho, nxa ingxenye yenhlama engumnikelo wezithelo zokuqala ingcwele, lenhlama yonke ingcwele, njalo nxa impande ingcwele, lengatsha lazo zingcwele.

17 Kodwa nxa ezinye ingatsha zephulwa, wena waxhunyelwa esihlahleni sama-oliva lanxa wawungum-oliva weganga, wasuwathola lawe amanzi empande yom-oliva, 18 ungazikhukhumezi phambi kwengatsha ezephulwayo. Nxa uzikhukhumeza phambi kwazo,+ khumbula ukuthi kayisuwe othwele impande kodwa impande yiyo ekuthweleyo. 19 Lanxa kunjalo wena uzakuthi: “Ingatsha zephulwa ukuze mina ngixhunyelwe esihlahleni.”+ 20 Liqiniso sibili lelo! Zephulwa ngenxa yokuthi zazingelakholo,+ kodwa wena umi ngokholo.+ Ungazikhukhumezi kodwa yesaba 21 ngoba nxa uNkulunkulu engaziyekelanga ingatsha ezazivele zingezesihlahla sama-oliva kasoze akuyekele lawe. 22 Ngakho cabangisisa ngomusa kaNkulunkulu+ kanye lesijeziso sakhe. Asebawayo+ bayajeziswa kodwa wena uzathola umusa kaNkulunkulu nxa ungahlala usemuseni wakhe. Ungayekela ukwenza njalo, lawe uzaqunywa. 23 Nxa bangaqalisa ukuba lokholo bazaxhunyelwa esihlahleni+ ngoba uNkulunkulu uyenelisa ukuphinda abaxhumele kuso. 24 Nxa wena waqunywa esihlahleni sama-oliva eseganga wasuxhunyelwa esihlahleni sama-oliva esilinywayo, kusenziwa into engayisiyo yemvelo, kuzakuba lula kakhulu ukuthi ababevele bezingatsha zesihlahla sama-oliva baphinde baxhunyelwe kulesosihlahla ababekuso!

25 Bafowethu, nansi imfihlo engcwele+ engifuna liyazi ukuze lingaziboni angani lihlakaniphile: Abanye abantu bako-Israyeli sebelenhliziyo ezilukhuni futhi bazakuba njalo inani labantu bezinye izizwe lize lenele. 26 Ngaleyondlela bonke abako-Israyeli+ bazasindiswa njengoba nje kubhaliwe ukuthi: “Umkhululi* uzavela eZiyoni,+ enze ukuthi uJakhobe atshiye izenzo zakhe ezimbi. 27 Nxa sengisuse izono zabo,+ ngizakwenza isivumelwano labo.”+ 28 Bayizitha zezindaba ezinhle ukuze lina lincedakale, kodwa ekukhetheni kukaNkulunkulu bangabathandwayo ngenxa yabokhokho babo.+ 29 UNkulunkulu kasoze azisole ngezipho zakhe langalabo ababizayo. 30 Lake langamlaleli uNkulunkulu+ kodwa khathesi selenzelwe isihawu+ ngenxa yokungalaleli kwabo.+ 31 Bona abalalelanga futhi lokho kwenze lina lathola isihawu ukuze labo baphinde benzelwe isihawu. 32 UNkulunkulu usebavumele bonke ukuthi babe njengezibotshwa ngenxa yokungalaleli+ kwabo ukuze abe lesihawu kubo bonke.+

33 Inotho kaNkulunkulu lokuhlakanipha kwakhe kanye lolwazi lwakhe kujule kakhulu! Izahlulelo zakhe ngeke uzihlole uzizwisise ngokugcweleyo njalo ngeke sizazi zonke izindlela zakhe. 34 “Ngubani oseyazi ingqondo kaJehova* njalo ngubani ongumeluleki wakhe?”+ 35 “Ngubani owake wapha uNkulunkulu okuthile osekumele yena akubuyisele kulowomuntu?”+ 36 Phela izinto zonke zivela kuye, zikhona ngaye njalo zenzelwe yena. Kakhazinyuliswe kuze kube nini lanini. Ameni.