KwabaseRoma
9 Mina engingumlandeli kaKhristu ngikhuluma iqiniso, angiqambi amanga njengoba umzwangedwa wami ungifakazela ngomoya ongcwele 2 ukuthi ngidabuke kakhulu lokuthi ngilobuhlungu obungapheliyo enhliziyweni yami. 3 Bengingafisa ukuthi kube yimi engehlukaniswe loKhristu ngaqalekiswa ngenxa yabafowethu abayizihlobo zami zegazi, 4 ama-Israyeli. Bona benziwa baba ngamadodana+ futhi bemukela inkazimulo, lezivumelwano,+ loMthetho,+ lenkonzo engcwele+ kanye lezithembiso.+ 5 Bavela kubokhokho bethu,+ labo uKhristu azalelwa kubo.+ Kadunyiswe kuze kube nini lanini uNkulunkulu ophezu kwakho konke. Ameni.
6 Kodwa ayisikho ukuthi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lehlulekile ukugcwaliseka ngoba ayisibo bonke abayinzalo ka-Israyeli abangama-Israyeli eqiniso.+ 7 Loba kunjalo, ukuthi bayinzalo ka-Abrahama*+ akutsho ukuthi bonke bangabantwana bakhe, kodwa kubhaliwe ukuthi, “Okuzathiwa yinzalo yakho* kuzavela ku-Isaka,”+ 8 okutsho ukuthi abantwana abazelwe ngenyama kayisibo abangabantwana bakaNkulunkulu+ sibili. Kodwa abantwana besithembiso+ yibo ababizwa ngokuthi ngabantwana baka-Abrahama* 9 ngoba ilizwi lesithembiso lalisithi: “Ngizabuya ngalesisikhathi futhi uSara uzakuba lendodana.”+ 10 Isithembiso lesi kwaphinda kwakhulunywa ngaso langesikhathi uRabheka ezithwala amaphahla, uyise wawo kungu-Isaka ukhokho wethu.+ 11 Ngakho ukuze injongo kaNkulunkulu yokukhetha iqhubeke ingathembelanga emisebenzini kodwa kulowo obizayo, amaphahla la athi engakazalwa futhi engakenzi okuhle loba okubi, 12 kwathiwa kuye: “Omdala uzakuba yisigqili somncane,”+ 13 njengoba nje kubhaliwe ukuthi: “Ngathanda uJakhobe, ngazonda u-Esawu.”+
14 Pho sithini? UNkulunkulu kalunganga yini? Hatshi!+ 15 Phela wathi kuMosi: “Ngizakuba lesihawu kuloba ngubani engizakuba lesihawu kuye, ngibe lozwelo kuloba ngubani engizakuba lozwelo kuye.”+ 16 Ngakho akuyi ngesifiso somuntu kumbe ngomzamo wakhe* kodwa kuya ngoNkulunkulu olesihawu.+ 17 Umbhalo uthi kuFaro: “Ngikuyekele waqhubeka ukhona ukuze ngitshengise amandla ami phezu kwakho, ngenze lokuthi ibizo lami limenyezelwe emhlabeni wonke.”+ 18 Yikho yena ulesihawu kuloba ngubani afuna ukuba lesihawu kuye, kodwa abanye uyabavumela ukuthi babe yiziqholo.+
19 Ngakho wena uzakuthi kimi: “Pho kungani eqhubeka ebabeka icala? Kambe ukhona ongaphikisana lentando yakhe?” 20 Kodwa wena muntu ungubani ukuthi uphendulane loNkulunkulu?+ Into ebunjiweyo iyambuza yini umbumbi wayo ithi: “Ungenzeleni ngabanje?”+ 21 Kanti umbumbi kalawo yini amandla okwenza izitsha ezimbili ngebumba linye,+ esinye sibe ngesomsebenzi ohloniphekayo,* esinye sibe ngesomsebenzi ongahloniphekiyo?* 22 Pho sithini njengoba uNkulunkulu waba lesineke wabekezelela izitsha zolaka ezifanele ukubhujiswa, lanxa wayefuna ukuveza ulaka lwakhe lokwenza ukuthi amandla akhe aziwe? 23 Sithini nxa lokhu kwenzelwa ukuthi inotho yenkazimulo yakhe esezitsheni zesihawu yaziwe,+ leyo ayevele wayilungisela inkazimulo yakhe, 24 okutsho thina asibiza wasikhetha phakathi kwamaJuda laphakathi kwabezinye izizwe?+ 25 Kunjengoba nje esitsho kuHosiya esithi: “Abangayisibo bantu bami+ ngizababiza ngokuthi ‘ngabantu bami,’ lowesifazana ongathandwayo ngizambiza ngokuthi ‘yintandokazi.’*+ 26 Endaweni okwathiwa khona kubo, ‘Kalisibo bantu bami,’ bazabizwa ngokuthi ‘ngamadodana kaNkulunkulu ophilayo.’”+
27 Phezu kwalokho u-Isaya wamemezela ngo-Israyeli wathi: “Lanxa inani lamadodana ako-Israyeli lingaba ngangetshebetshebe yolwandle, kuzasindiswa abalutshwana abaseleyo kuphela.+ 28 UJehova* uzalungisa izindaba emhlabeni futhi umsebenzi lo uzawenza masinyane awuqede wonke.”+ 29 Kanti njalo u-Isaya wathi: “Aluba uJehova* wamabutho kenzanga ukuthi kusale ezinye izizukulwane zethu, besizakuba njengeSodoma, sifanane leGomora.”+
30 Pho sithini? Sithi lanxa abantu bezinye izizwe bengazange bazame ngamandla wonke ukuba ngabalungileyo,+ bakuthola ukulunga okuza ngokukholwa.+ 31 Kodwa abako-Israyeli behluleka ukuwulandela ngokugcweleyo umthetho wokulunga lanxa babezama ngamandla wonke ukuwulandela. 32 Ngenxa yani? Ngenxa yokuthi babezama ukuwulandela ngemisebenzi hatshi ngokholo. Bakhubeka ‘elitsheni elikhubayo’+ 33 njengoba kubhaliwe ukuthi: “Khangela! Ngibeka eZiyoni ilitshe+ lami elikhubayo ledwala eliwisa abantu, kodwa lowo okholwa kulo kasoze adane.”+