1
Basi, nauliza, Je! Mungu aliwasukumia mbali watu wake? Hasha! Kwa kuwa mimi nami ni Mwisraeli, mmoja wa wazao wa Ibrahimu, mtu wa kabila ya Benyamini.
I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
2
Mungu hakuwasukumia mbali watu wake aliowajua tokea awali. Au hamjui yale yaliyonenwa na maandiko juu ya Eliya? Jinsi anavyowashitaki Waisraeli mbele za Mungu,
God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel:
3
Bwana, wamewaua manabii wako, wamezibomoa madhabahu zako, nami nimesalia peke yangu, nao wananitafuta roho yangu.
“Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well”?
4
Lakini ile jawabu ya Mungu yamwambiaje? Nimejisazia watu elfu saba wasiopiga goti mbele ya Baali.
And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
5
Basi ni vivi hivi wakati huu wa sasa, yako mabaki waliochaguliwa kwa neema.
In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
6
Lakini ikiwa ni kwa neema, haiwi kwa matendo tena, au hapo neema isingekuwa neema.
And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.
7
Imekuwaje basi? Kitu kile ambacho Israeli alikuwa akikitafuta hakukipata; lakini wale waliochaguliwa walikipata, na wengine walitiwa uzito.
What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,
8
Kama ilivyoandikwa, Mungu aliwapa roho ya usingizi, macho hata wasione, na masikio hata wasisikie, hata siku hii ya leo.
as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”
9
Na Daudi asema, Meza yao na iwe tanzi na mtego, Na kitu cha kuwakwaza, na malipo kwao;
And David says: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
10
Macho yao yatiwe giza ili wasione, Ukawainamishe mgongo wao siku zote.
May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.”
11
Basi nasema, Je! Wamejikwaa hata waanguke kabisa? Hasha! Lakini kwa kosa lao wokovu umewafikilia Mataifa, ili wao wenyewe watiwe wivu.
I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.
12
Basi, ikiwa kosa lao limekuwa utajiri wa ulimwengu, na upungufu wao umekuwa utajiri wa Mataifa, je! Si zaidi sana utimilifu wao?
But if their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!
13
Lakini nasema na ninyi, mlio watu wa Mataifa. Basi, kwa kadiri nilivyo mtume wa watu wa Mataifa, naitukuza huduma iliyo yangu,
I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry
14
nipate kuwatia wivu walio damu moja na mimi na kuwaokoa baadhi yao.
in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them.
15
Maana ikiwa kutupwa kwao kumeleta upatanisho kwa ulimwengu, je! Kukubaliwa kwao kutakuwa nini kama si uhai baada ya kufa?
For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
16
Tena malimbuko yakiwa matakatifu, kadhalika na donge lote; na shina likiwa takatifu, matawi nayo kadhalika.
If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17
Lakini iwapo matawi mengine yamekatwa, na wewe mzeituni mwitu ulipandikizwa kati yao, ukawa mshirika wa shina la mzeituni na unono wake,
Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root,
18
usijisifu juu ya matawi yale; au ikiwa wajisifu, si wewe ulichukuaye shina, bali ni shina likuchukualo wewe.
do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19
Basi utasema, Matawi yale yalikatwa kusudi ili nipandikizwe mimi.
You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”
20
Vema. Yalikatwa kwa kutokuamini kwao, na wewe wasimama kwa imani yako. Usijivune, bali uogope.
That is correct: They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.
21
Kwa maana ikiwa Mungu hakuyaachia matawi ya asili, wala hatakuachia wewe.
For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will certainly not spare you either.
22
Tazama, basi, wema na ukali wa Mungu; kwa wale walioanguka, ukali, bali kwako wewe wema wa Mungu, ukikaa katika wema huo; kama sivyo, wewe nawe utakatiliwa mbali.
Take notice, therefore, of the kindness and severity of God: severity to those who fell, but kindness to you, if you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
23
Na hao pia, wasipokaa katika kutokuamini kwao, watapandikizwa; kwa kuwa Mungu aweza kuwapandikiza tena.
And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
24
Kwa maana ikiwa wewe ulikatwa ukatolewa katika mzeituni, ulio mzeituni mwitu kwa asili yake, kisha ukapandikizwa, kinyume cha asili, katika mzeituni ulio mwema, si zaidi sana wale walio wa asili kuweza kupandikizwa katika mzeituni wao wenyewe?
For if you were cut from a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into one that is cultivated, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
25
Kwa maana, ndugu zangu, sipendi msiijue siri hii, ili msijione kuwa wenye akili; ya kwamba kwa sehemu ugumu umewapata Israeli, mpaka utimilifu wa Mataifa uwasili.
I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
26
Hivyo Israeli wote wataokoka; kama ilivyoandikwa, Mwokozi atakuja kutoka Sayuni; Atamtenga Yakobo na maasia yake.
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob.
27
Na hili ndilo agano langu nao, Nitakapowaondolea dhambi zao.
And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
28
Basi kwa habari ya Injili wamekuwa adui kwa ajili yenu; bali kwa habari ya kule kuchaguliwa wamekuwa wapenzi kwa ajili ya baba zetu.
Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs.
29
Kwa sababu karama za Mungu hazina majuto, wala mwito wake.
For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.
30
Kwa maana kama ninyi zamani mlivyomwasi Mungu, lakini sasa mmepata rehema kwa kuasi kwao;
Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience,
31
kadhalika na hao wameasi sasa, ili kwa kupata rehema kwenu wao nao wapate rehema.
so they too have now disobeyed, in order that they too may now receive mercy through the mercy shown to you.
32
Maana Mungu amewafunga wote pamoja katika kuasi ili awarehemu wote.
For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone.
33
Jinsi zilivyo kuu utajiri na hekima na maarifa ya Mungu! Hukumu zake hazichunguziki, wala njia zake hazitafutikani!
O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
34
Maana ni nani aliyeijua nia ya Bwana? Au ni nani aliyekuwa mshauri wake?
“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?”
35
Au ni nani aliyempa yeye kitu kwanza, naye atalipwa tena?
“Who has first given to God, that God should repay him?”
36
Kwa kuwa vitu vyote vyatoka kwake, viko kwa uweza wake, tena vinarejea kwake. Utukufu una yeye milele. Amina.
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.