¹I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,

¹Nasema ukweli mtupu; nimeungana na Kristo nami sisemi uongo. Dhamiri yangu ikiongozwa na Roho Mtakatifu inanithibitishia jambo hili pia.

²That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

²Nataka kusema hivi: nina huzuni kubwa na maumivu yasiyopimika moyoni mwangu

³For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

³kwa ajili ya watu wangu, walio damu moja nami! Kama ingekuwa kwa faida yao, ningekuwa radhi kulaaniwa na kutengwa na Kristo.

⁴Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

⁴Hao ndio watu wa Israeli ambao Mungu aliwateua wawe watoto wake, akawashirikisha utukufu wake; aliagana nao, akawapa Sheria yake, imani ya kweli na ahadi zake.

⁵Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

⁵Wao ni wajukuu wa mababu, naye Kristo, kadiri ya ubinadamu wake, ametoka katika ukoo wao. Mungu atawalaye juu ya yote, na atukuzwe milele! Amina.

⁶Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

⁶Sisemi kwamba ahadi ya Mungu imebatilika; maana si watu wote wa Israeli ni wateule wa Mungu.

⁷Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

⁷Wala, si wazawa wote wa Abrahamu ni watoto wake wa kweli. Ila, kama yasemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu: "Wazao wake watatokana na Isaka."

⁸That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

⁸Nido kusema, wale waliozaliwa kimaumbile ndio watoto wa Mungu, bali wale waliozaliwa kutokana na ahadi ya Mungu ndio watakaoitwa watoto wake.

⁹For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.

⁹Maana ahadi yenyewe ni hii: "Nitakujia wakati maalum, naye Sara atapata mtoto."

¹⁰And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;

¹⁰Tena si hayo tu ila pia Rebeka naye alipata mapacha kwa baba mmoja, yaani Isaka, babu yetu.

¹¹(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

¹¹Lakini, ili Mungu aonekane kwamba anao uhuru wa kuchagua, hata kabla wale ndugu hawajazaliwa na kabla hawajaweza kupambanua jema na baya,

¹²It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

¹²Rebeka aliambiwa kwamba yule mtoto wa kwanza atamtumikia yule wa nyuma. Hivyo uchaguzi wa Mungu unategemea jinsi anavyoita mwenyewe, na si matendo ya binadamu.

¹³As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

¹³Kama Maandiko Matakatifu yasemavyo: "Yakobo nilimpenda, lakini Esau nilimchukia."

¹⁴What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

¹⁴Basi, tuseme nini? Je, Mungu amekosa haki? Hata kidogo!

¹⁵For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

¹⁵Maana alimwambia Mose: "Nitamhurumia mtu yeyote ninayetaka kumhurumia; nitamwonea huruma mtu yeyote ninayetaka."

¹⁶So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

¹⁶Kwa hiyo, yote hutegemea huruma ya Mungu, na si bidii au mapenzi ya mtu.

¹⁷For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

¹⁷Maana Maandiko Matakatifu yasema hivi kwa Farao: "Nilikufanya mfalme ili kwa njia yako, uwezo wangu ujulikane, na jina langu litangazwe popote duniani."

¹⁸Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

¹⁸Ni wazi, basi, kwamba Mungu humhurumia yeyote anayetaka kumhurumia, na akipenda kumfanya mtu awe mkaidi, hufanya hivyo.

¹⁹Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

¹⁹Labda utaniuliza: "Ikiwa mambo yako hivyo, Mungu anawezaje kumlaumu mtu? Nani awezaye kuyapinga mapenzi yake?"

²⁰Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

²⁰Lakini, ewe binadamu, u nani hata uthubutu kumhoji Mungu? Je, chungu chaweza kumwuliza mfinyanzi wake: "Kwa nini umenitengeneza namna hii?"

²¹Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

²¹Mfinyanzi anaweza kuutumia udongo apendavyo na kufinyanga vyungu viwili kwa udongo uleule; kimoja kwa matumizi ya heshima, na kingine kwa matumizi ya kawaida.

²²What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

²²Hivyo ndivyo ilivyo kwa Mungu. Alitaka kuonyesha ghadhabu yake na kujulisha uwezo wake, Basi, alikuwa na saburi sana, akiwavumilia wale ambao walikuwa lengo la ghadhabu yake, ambao walistahili kuangamizwa.

²³And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

²³Alitaka pia kudhihirisha wingi wa utukufu wake ambao alitumiminia sisi tulio lengo la huruma yake; sisi ambao alikwisha kututayarisha kuupokea utukufu wake.

²⁴Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

²⁴Maana sisi ndio hao aliowaita, si tu kutoka miongoni mwa Wayahudi bali pia kutoka kwa watu wa mataifa mengine.

²⁵As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

²⁵Maana ndivyo asemavyo katika kitabu cha Hosea: "Wale waliokuwa Si watu wangu nitawaita: Watu wangu! Naye Sikupendi ataitwa: Mpenzi wangu!

²⁶And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

²⁶Na pale walipoambiwa: Ninyi si wangu hapo wataitwa: Watoto wa Mungu hai."

²⁷Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

²⁷Naye nabii Isaya, kuhusu Israeli anapaaza sauti: "Hata kama watoto wa Israeli ni wengi kama mchanga wa pwani, ni wachache tu watakaookolewa;

²⁸For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

²⁸maana, Bwana ataitekeleza upesi hukumu yake kamili juu ya ulimwengu wote."

²⁹And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

²⁹Ni kama Isaya alivyosema hapo awali: "Kama Bwana Mwenye Nguvu asingalituachia baadhi ya watoto wa Israeli, tungalikwisha kuwa kama Sodoma, tungalikwisha kuwa ma Gomora."

³⁰What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.

³⁰Basi, tuseme nini? Ni hivi: watu wa mataifa ambao hawakutafuta kukubaliwa kuwa waadilifu, wamekubaliwa kuwa waadilifu kwa njia ya imani,

³¹But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.

³¹hali watu wa Israeli waliokuwa wakitafuta Sheria iletayo kukubaliwa kuwa waadilifu, hawakuipata.

³²Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

³²Kwa nini? Kwa sababu walitegemea matendo yao badala ya kutegemea imani. Walijikwaa juu ya jiwe la kujikwaa

³³As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

³³kama yesemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu: "Tazama! Naweka huko Sioni jiwe likwazalo, mwamba utakaowafanya watu waanguke. Mtu atakayemwamini yeye aliye hilo jiwe, hataaibishwa!"