Romans 9
1 Ngikhuluma iqiniso ngikuKhristu, angiqambi manga, unembeza wami ufakazelana nami kuMoya oNgcwele,
2 ukuthi nginosizi olukhulu nobuhlungu obungapheliyo enhliziyweni yami,
3 ngokuba ngangifisa ukuba ngoqalekisiweyo, ngisuswe kuKhristu ngenxa yabazalwane bami abangabakithi ngokobuzwe,
4 abangaba-Israyeli, okungesabo isimo sobuntwana nenkazimulo; izivumelwano, ukumiswa komthetho, inkonzo, nezithembiso;
5 okungababo okhokho, nadabuka kubo uKhristu ngokwenyama, Yena onguNkulunkulu ophezu kwakho konke, obongekayo kuze kube phakade. Amen.
6 Nokho akusikho ukuthi izwi likaNkulunkulu lehlulekile, ngokuba akusibo bonke abavela ku-Israyeli abangabakwa-Israyeli.
7 Akuyibo bonke abawulibo luka-Abhrahama abangabolibo lwakhe loqobo, kodwa ngo-Isaka bayakubizwa ngolibo lwakho.
8 Lokhu kusho ukuthi akusibo abantwana ngokwenyama abangabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, kodwa labo abangabantwana besithembiso, yibo ababizwa ngabolibo.
9 Ngokuba lingesithembiso leli elithi: “Ngizobuya ngalesi sikhathi, uSara uzobe esenendodana.”
10 Akuyilokho kuphela, kodwa kwaba kanjalo nakuRibheka owathola abantwana koyedwa, u-Isaka, ukhokho wethu.
11 Ngokuba engakazalwa amawele, engakakwenzi okuhle noma okubi, ukuze icebo likaNkulunkulu eliya ngokukhetha lifezeke,
12 elingayi ngokwemisebenzi, kodwa ngalowo obizayo, kwashiwo kuye uRibheka ukuthi: “Omkhulu uyakukhonza omncane,”
13 njengalokhu kubhaliwe ukuthi: “UJakobe ngamthanda, kodwa u-Esawu ngamzonda.”
14 Pho siyakuthini na? Ukuthi kukhona ukungalungi kuNkulunkulu na? Qha nakanye.
15 Ngokuba kuMose uthi: “Ngizakumhawukela engimhawukelayo, ngimzwele engimzwelayo.”
16 Ngakho-ke akuyi ngokuthanda nangokuzikhandla komuntu, kodwa kuya ngesihawu sikaNkulunkulu.
17 Ngokuba umbhalo uthi kuFaro: “Ngakuphakamisela khona lokhu, ukuba ngibonakalise amandla ami kuwe nokuba igama lami lishunyayelwe emhlabeni wonke.”
18 Ngakho-ke unesihawu kulowo athanda ukumhawukela, umenza lukhuni lowo athanda ukumenza lukhuni.
19 Ngakho-ke nizakuthi kimi: “Kungani pho esasithola sinecala na? Ngokuba ngubani ongamelana naye na?”
20 Maye, muntu ndini! Ungubani-ke wena ukuba uqagulisane noNkulunkulu na? Okubunjiweyo kungasho yini kumbumbi ukuthi: “Wangenzelani ngaba njena na?”
21 Kambe umbumbi akanamandla yini ukuba esigaxeni esisodwa sebumba enze isitsha esihloniphekayo nesinye esingahloniphekiyo na?
22 Uma uNkulunkulu ebethanda ukubonakalisa ulaka lwakhe nokuveza amandla akhe, ababekezelela labo ababemiselwe ulaka lwakhe, ukuba babhujiswe,
23 ukuze abonakalise ingcebo yenkazimulo yakhe ezitsheni zomusa ayezilungisele inkazimulo ngaphambilini,
24 asibizayo nathi phakathi kwabo, hhayi kubaJuda kuphela, kodwa nakubo abezizwe.
25 Njengalokhu esho nakuHoziya ethi: “Ngiyakubiza abangesiso isizwe sami, ngokuthi yisizwe sami; nalowo ongathandiwe, ngokuthi uthandiwe;
26 Lokhu kuyokwenzeka endaweni lapho kwathiwa kubo: ‘Anisibo abantu bami,’ lapho bayakubizwa ngokuthi: ‘Abantwana bakaNkulunkulu ophilayo.’ ”
27 U-Izaya wamemeza ngo-Israyeli, wathi: “Nakuba isibalo sabantu bakwa-Israyeli singangesihlabathi solwandle, yinsali eyakusindiswa,
28 ngokuba iNkosi iyakufeza izwi layo emhlabeni; iyakuliphelelisa futhi ikhawuleze.”
29 Nanjengalokhu u-Izaya washo phambilini wathi: “Ukuba iNkosi Yamabandla ibingasishiyelanga ulibo, besiyakuba njengeSodoma, sibe njengeGomora.”
30 Pho sesiyakuthini na? Siyakuthi abezizwe abangakufunisisanga ukulunga bafumene ukulunga, ukulunga okutholakala ngokukholwa.
31 Kepha u-Israyeli, owayelandela umthetho wokulunga, akafinyelelanga kuwo.
32 Kungani na? Kungenxa yokuthi babengawulandeli ngokukholwa, kodwa kungemisebenzi; baqhuzuka etsheni lokuqhuzula,
33 njengalokhu kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Bukani, ngibeka eZiyoni itshe lokukhubekisa, nedwala lokuwisa; okholwa yilo akayukujabhiswa.”