KwabaseRoma
4 Njengoba kunjalo, sizothi wazuzani u-Abrahama, ukhokho wethu? 2 Ngokwesibonelo, ukube u-Abrahama kwathiwa ulungile ngenxa yemisebenzi, wayeyoba nesizathu sokuziqhayisa, kodwa hhayi ngoNkulunkulu. 3 Uthini umbhalo? Uthi, “U-Abrahama waba nokholo kuJehova,* wabhekwa njengolungile.” + 4 Kumuntu osebenzayo, iholo lakhe alibhekwa njengomusa omkhulu kodwa njengento okufanele ayithole.* 5 Ngakolunye uhlangothi, lapho umuntu eba nokholo kuNkulunkulu, enganciki emisebenzini, uNkulunkulu umbheka njengolungile ngenxa yokholo lwakhe. UNkulunkulu ongabheka izoni njengezilungile. + 6 Njengoba nje noDavide ekhuluma ngenjabulo yomuntu uNkulunkulu ambheka njengolungile ngaphandle kwemisebenzi, ethi: 7 “Bayajabula labo okuthethelelwe izenzo zabo zokungabi namthetho nabazono zabo zimboziwe;* 8 uyajabula umuntu uJehova* angeke asibale isono sakhe.” +
9 Ingabe le njabulo ifikela kuphela abantu abasokile noma ifikela nabantu abangasokile? + Ngoba sithi: “Ukholo luka-Abrahama lwamenza wabhekwa njengolungile.” + 10 Pho lwabalwa ngaphansi kwaziphi izimo njengokulunga? Lapho esesokile noma engasokile? Ngesikhathi engakasoki. 11 Futhi wamukela isibonakaliso +—okuwukuthi, ukusoka—saba uphawu* lokulunga ngokholo ayenalo lapho engasokile, ukuze abe uyise wabo bonke abanokholo + bebe bengasokile, ukuze babhekwe njengabalungile; 12 futhi abe uyise wenzalo esokile, hhayi owalabo abanamathela ekusokeni kuphela, kodwa nowalabo abahamba ngokuhleleka ezinyathelweni zokholo ubaba wethu u-Abrahama + ayenalo ngesikhathi engasokile.
13 Ngoba u-Abrahama noma inzalo* yakhe abasitholanga ngomthetho isithembiso sokuthi uyoba indlalifa yezwe, + kodwa kwakungokulunga ngokholo. + 14 Ngoba uma labo abanamathela emthethweni beyizindlalifa, ukholo luphenduka into engenamsebenzi nesithembiso siba yize. 15 Eqinisweni uMthetho ubangela ulaka, + kodwa lapho kungekho mthetho khona, akukho nokweqa umthetho. +
16 U-Abrahama wamukela isithembiso ngenxa yokholo, ukuze kube ngokomusa omkhulu, + ukuze isithembiso sigcwaliseke kuyo yonke inzalo* yakhe, + hhayi kulabo abanamathela eMthethweni nje kuphela, kodwa nakulabo abanamathela okholweni luka-Abrahama, ongubaba wethu sonke. + 17 (Lokhu kunjengoba nje kulotshiwe: “Ngikumise ukuba ube uyise wezizwe eziningi.”) + Lokhu kwakuphambi kukaNkulunkulu, ayenokholo kuye, ophilisa abafile futhi abize izinto ezingekho njengokungathi zikhona.* 18 Nakuba ayengasenathemba, nokho ngokusekelwe ethembeni, wayenokholo lokuthi wayezoba uyise wezizwe eziningi ngokuvumelana nalokho okwashiwo kuthiwa: “Iyoba ngako inzalo* yakho.” + 19 Nakuba engazange abe buthakathaka okholweni, wacabanga ngomzimba wakhe siqu, owawusufile (njengoba ayeseneminyaka engaba ngu-100 ubudala), + nangokuba inyumba kukaSara. + 20 Kodwa ngenxa yesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu, akazange antengantenge ngokuntula ukholo; kodwa waba namandla ngokholo lwakhe, enika uNkulunkulu inkazimulo 21 futhi eqiniseka ngokugcwele ukuthi lokho uNkulunkulu ayekuthembisile uyakwazi nokukwenza. + 22 Ngakho “wabhekwa njengolungile.” +
23 Nokho, amazwi athi “wabhekwa njengolungile” awalotshwanga ngenxa yakhe kuphela, + 24 kodwa nangenxa yethu, thina esibhekwa njengabalungile, ngoba sikholelwa kuLowo owavusa uJesu iNkosi yethu kwabafile. + 25 Wanikelwa ngenxa yeziphambeko zethu + futhi wavuswa ukuze kuthiwe silungile. +