1
Nasema kweli katika Kristo, sisemi uongo, dhamiri yangu ikinishuhudia katika Roho Mtakatifu,
I speak the truth in Christ; I am not lying, as confirmed by my conscience in the Holy Spirit.
2
ya kwamba nina huzuni nyingi na maumivu yasiyokoma moyoni mwangu.
I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
3
Kwa maana ningeweza kuomba mimi mwenyewe niharimishwe na kutengwa na Kristo kwa ajili ya ndugu zangu, jamaa zangu kwa jinsi ya mwili;
For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own flesh and blood,
4
ambao ni Waisraeli, wenye kule kufanywa wana, na ule utukufu, na maagano, na kupewa torati, na ibada ya Mungu, na ahadi zake;
the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory and the covenants; theirs the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises.
5
ambao mababu ni wao, na katika hao alitoka Kristo kwa jinsi ya mwili. Ndiye aliye juu ya mambo yote, Mungu, mwenye kuhimidiwa milele. Amina.
Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them proceeds the human descent of Christ, who is God over all, forever worthy of praise! Amen.
6
Si kana kwamba neno la Mungu limetanguka. Maana hawawi wote Waisraeli walio wa uzao wa Israeli.
It is not as though God’s word has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.
7
Wala hawawi wote wana kwa kuwa wazao wa Ibrahimu, bali, Katika Isaka wazao wako wataitwa;
Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
8
yaani, si watoto wa mwili walio watoto wa Mungu, bali watoto wa ile ahadi wanahesabiwa kuwa wazao.
So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring.
9
Kwa maana neno la ahadi ni hili, Panapo wakati huu nitakuja, na Sara atakuwa na mwana.
For this is what the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”
10
Wala si hivyo tu, lakini Rebeka naye, akiisha kuchukua mimba kwa mume mmoja, naye ni Isaka, baba yetu,
Not only that, but Rebecca’s children were conceived by one man, our father Isaac.
11
(kwa maana kabla hawajazaliwa wale watoto, wala hawajatenda neno jema wala baya, ili lisimame kusudi la Mungu la kuchagua, si kwa sababu ya matendo, bali kwa sababu ya nia yake aitaye),
Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand,
12
aliambiwa hivi, Mkubwa atamtumikia mdogo.
not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”
13
Kama ilivyoandikwa, Nimempenda Yakobo, bali Esau nimemchukia.
So it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14
Tuseme nini basi? Kuna udhalimu kwa Mungu? Hasha!
What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Certainly not!
15
Maana amwambia Musa, Nitamrehemu yeye nimrehemuye, nitamhurumia yeye nimhurumiaye.
For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
16
Basi, kama ni hivyo, si katika uwezo wa yule atakaye, wala wa yule apigaye mbio; bali wa yule arehemuye, yaani, Mungu.
So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
17
Kwa maana maandiko yasema juu ya Farao, ya kwamba, Nilikusimamisha kwa kusudi hili, ili nionyeshe nguvu zangu kwako, jina langu likatangazwe katika nchi yote.
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
18
Basi, kama ni hivyo, atakaye kumrehemu humrehemu, na atakaye kumfanya mgumu humfanya mgumu.
Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.
19
Basi, utaniambia, Mbona angali akilaumu? Kwa maana ni nani ashindanaye na kusudi lake?
One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?”
20
La! Sivyo, Ee binadamu; wewe u nani umjibuye Mungu? Je! Kitu kilichoumbwa kimwambie yeye aliyekiumba, Kwani kuniumba hivi?
But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”
21
Au mfinyanzi je! Hana amri juu ya udongo, kwa fungu moja la udongo kuumba chombo kimoja kiwe cha heshima, na kimoja kiwe hakina heshima?
Does not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and another for common use?
22
Ni nini basi, ikiwa Mungu kwa kutaka kuonyesha ghadhabu yake, na kuudhihirisha uweza wake, kwa uvumilivu mwingi, alichukuliana na vile vyombo vya ghadhabu vilivyofanywa tayari kwa uharibifu;
What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction?
23
tena, ili audhihirishe wingi wa utukufu wake katika vile vyombo vya rehema, alivyovitengeneza tangu zamani vipate utukufu;
What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory—
24
ndio sisi aliotuita, si watu wa Wayahudi tu, ila na watu wa Mataifa pia?
including us, whom He has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles?
25
Ni kama vile alivyosema katika Hosea, Nitawaita watu wangu wale wasiokuwa watu wangu, Na mpenzi wangu yeye asiyekuwa mpenzi wangu.
As He says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘My People’ who are not My people, and I will call her ‘My Beloved’ who is not My beloved,”
26
Tena itakuwa mahali pale walipoambiwa, Ninyi si watu wangu, Hapo wataitwa wana wa Mungu aliye hai.
and, “It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”
27
Isaya naye atoa sauti yake juu ya Israeli, kusema, Hesabu ya wana wa Israeli,ijapokuwa ni kama mchanga wa bahari,ni mabaki yao tu watakaookolewa.
Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites is like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
28
Kwa maana Bwana atalitekeleza neno lake juu ya nchi, akilimaliza na kulikata.
For the Lord will carry out His sentence on the earth thoroughly and decisively.”
29
Tena kama Isaya alivyotangulia kunena, Kama Bwana wa majeshi asingalituachia uzao, Tungalikuwa kama Sodoma, tungalifananishwa na Gomora.
It is just as Isaiah foretold: “Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.”
30
Tuseme nini, basi? Ya kwamba watu wa Mataifa, wasioifuata haki, walipata haki; lakini ni ile haki iliyo ya imani;
What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
31
bali Israeli wakiifuata sheria ya haki hawakuifikilia ile sheria.
but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.
32
Kwa sababu gani? Kwa sababu hawakuifuata kwa njia ya imani, bali kana kwamba kwa njia ya matendo. Wakajikwaa juu ya jiwe lile likwazalo,
Why not? Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
33
kama ilivyoandikwa, Tazama, naweka katika Sayuni jiwe likwazalo, na mwamba uangushao; Na kila amwaminiye hatatahayarika.
as it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”