Roma
4 Njengoba kunjalo, sizothini ngo-Abrahama ukhokho wethu+ ngokwenyama? 2 Ngokwesibonelo, ukube u-Abrahama kwathiwa ulungile ngenxa yemisebenzi,+ wayeyoba nesizathu sokuziqhayisa; kodwa hhayi ngoNkulunkulu. 3 Ngoba uthini umbhalo? “U-Abrahama wabonisa ukholo kuJehova, kwabalelwa kuye njengokulunga.”+ 4 Umuntu osebenzayo+ ubalelwa iholo, hhayi njengomusa ongafanelwe,+ kodwa njengesikweletu.+ 5 Ngakolunye uhlangothi, umuntu ongasebenzi kodwa oba nokholo+ kulowo owenza kuthiwe ulungile umuntu ongamhloniphi uNkulunkulu, ukholo lwakhe lubalwa njengokulunga.+ 6 Njengoba nje noDavide ekhuluma ngenjabulo yomuntu uNkulunkulu ambalela ukulunga ngaphandle kwemisebenzi ethi: 7 “Bayajabula abazenzo zabo zokungabi namthetho zixolelwe+ nabazono zabo zimboziwe;+ 8 uyajabula umuntu osono sakhe uJehova angasoze asibala.”+
9 Khona-ke, ingabe le njabulo ifikela abantu abasokile noma nabantu abangasokile?+ Ngoba sithi: “Ukholo luka-Abrahama lwabalelwa kuye njengokulunga.”+ 10 Khona-ke, lwabalwa ngaphansi kwaziphi izimo? Lapho esokile noma engasokile?+ Hhayi esokile kodwa lapho engasokile. 11 Futhi wamukela isibonakaliso,+ okuwukuthi, ukusoka, njengophawu lokulunga ngokholo aba nalo lapho engasokile, ukuze abe nguyise+ wabo bonke abanokholo+ kodwa bengasokile, ukuze babalelwe ukulunga; 12 futhi abe nguyise wenzalo esokile, hhayi kuphela walabo abanamathela ekusokeni, kodwa nowalabo ngesikhathi bengasokile abahamba ngokuhlelekile ezinyathelweni zalolo lukholo ubaba wethu+ u-Abrahama aba nalo.
13 Ngoba u-Abrahama noma inzalo yakhe abasitholanga ngomthetho isithembiso+ sokuthi uyoba yindlalifa yezwe, kodwa kwakungokulunga ngokholo.+ 14 Ngoba uma labo abanamathela emthethweni beyizindlalifa, ukholo lwenziwe into engenamsebenzi nesithembiso siqediwe.+ 15 Eqinisweni uMthetho ubangela intukuthelo,+ kodwa lapho kungekho mthetho khona, akukho nokweqa umthetho.+
16 Ngakho kwakungenxa yokholo, ukuze kube ngokomusa ongafanelwe,+ ngenjongo yokuba isithembiso+ siqiniseke kuyo yonke inzalo yakhe,+ hhayi kuleyo enamathela eMthethweni kuphela, kodwa nakuleyo enamathela okholweni luka-Abrahama. (Ungubaba+ wethu sonke, 17 njengoba nje kulotshiwe: “Ngikumisé ukuba ube uyise wezizwe eziningi.”)+ Lokhu kwakuphambi kwaLowo ayenokholo kuye, yebo uNkulunkulu, ophilisa abafileyo+ futhi abize izinto ezingekho njengokungathi zikhona.+ 18 Nakuba ayengasenathemba, nokho ngokusekelwe ethembeni waba nokholo,+ ukuze abe nguyise wezizwe eziningi+ ngokuvumelana nalokho okwashiwo kuthiwa: “Iyoba ngako inzalo yakho.”+ 19 Futhi, nakuba engazange abe buthakathaka okholweni, wacabanga ngomzimba wakhe siqu, manje owawusufile kakade,+ njengoba ayesecishe abe neminyaka eyikhulu ubudala,+ nangokufa kwesibeletho sikaSara.+ 20 Kodwa ngenxa yesithembiso+ sikaNkulunkulu akazange antengantenge ngokuntula ukholo,+ kodwa waba namandla ngokholo lwakhe,+ enika uNkulunkulu inkazimulo 21 futhi eqiniseka ngokugcwele ukuthi lokho ayekuthembisile uyakwazi futhi nokukwenza.+ 22 Ngakho “kwabalelwa kuye njengokulunga.”+
23 Nokho, ukuthi “kwabalelwa+ kuye” akulotshwanga ngenxa yakhe kuphela,+ 24 kodwa nangenxa yethu thina esimiselwe ukuba kubalelwe kithi, ngoba sikholwa kuye owavusa uJesu iNkosi yethu kwabafileyo.+ 25 Wanikelwa ngenxa yeziphambeko zethu+ futhi wavuswa ukuze kuthiwe silungile.+