¹Basi, nauliza: je, Mungu amewakataa watu wake? Hata kidogo! Mini binafsi ni Mwisraeli mzawa wa Abrahamu, wa kabila la Benyamini.

¹I say, then, Did God cast away His people? let it not be! for I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin:

²Mungu hakuwakataa watu wake aliowateua tangu mwanzo. Mnakumbuka yasemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu juu ya Eliya wakati alipomnung'unikia Mungu kuhusu Israeli:

²God did not cast away His people whom He knew before; have ye not known — in Elijah — what the Writing saith? how he doth plead with God concerning Israel, saying,

³"Bwana, wamewaua manabii wako na kubomoa madhabahu yako. Ni mimi tu peke yangu niliyebaki, nao wanataka kuniua?"

³`Lord, Thy prophets they did kill, and Thy altars they dug down, and I was left alone, and they seek my life;`

⁴Je, Mungu alimjibu nini? Alimwambia: "Nimejiwekea elfu saba ambao hawakumwabudu Baali."

⁴but what saith the divine answer to him? `I left to Myself seven thousand men, who did not bow a knee to Baal.`

⁵Basi, ndivyo ilivyo pia wakati huu wa sasa: ipo idadi ya waliobaki ambao Mungu aliwateua kwa sababu ya neema yake.

⁵So then also in the present time a remnant according to the choice of grace there hath been;

⁶Uteuzi wake unatokana na neema yake, na si kwa sababu ya matendo yao. Maana, kama uteuzi wake ungetegemea matendo ya watu, neema yake haingekuwa neema tena.

⁶and if by grace, no more of works, otherwise the grace becometh no more grace; and if of works, it is no more grace, otherwise the work is no more work.

⁷Sasa, je? Watu wa Israeli hawakukipata kile walichokuwa wanakitafuta; lakini wote walioteuliwa walikipata. Wengine walipumbazwa,

⁷What then? What Israel doth seek after, this it did not obtain, and the chosen did obtain, and the rest were hardened,

⁸kama yasemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu: "Mungu ameifanya mioyo yao kuwa mizito, na mpaka leo hii hawawezi kuona kwa macho yao wala kusikia kwa masikio yao."

⁸according as it hath been written, `God gave to them a spirit of deep sleep, eyes not to see, and ears not to hear,` — unto this very day,

⁹Naye Daudi anasema: "Karamu zao na ziwe mtego wa kuwanasa, waanguke na kuadhibiwa.

⁹and David saith, `Let their table become for a snare, and for a trap, and for a stumbling-block, and for a recompense to them;

¹⁰Macho yao yatiwe giza wasiweze kuona. Migongo yao ipindike kwa taabu daima!"

¹⁰let their eyes be darkened — not to behold, and their back do Thou always bow down.`

¹¹Basi, nauliza: je, Wayahudi wamejikwaa hata wakaangamia kabisa? Hata kidogo! Kutokana na kosa lao ukombozi umewajia watu wa mataifa mengine, ili Wayahudi wapate kuwaonea wivu.

¹¹I say, then, Did they stumble that they might fall? let it not be! but by their fall the salvation [is] to the nations, to arouse them to jealousy;

¹²Kosa la Wayahudi limesababisha baraka nyingi kwa ulimwengu, na utovu wao kwa kiroho umeleta baraka nyingi kwa watu wa mataifa mengine. Basi, ni dhahiri zaidi kwamba utimilifu wao utasababisha baraka nyingi zaidi.

¹²and if the fall of them [is] the riches of a world, and the diminution of them the riches of nations, how much more the fulness of them?

¹³Basi, sasa nawaambieni ninyi watu wa mataifa mengine: Maadamu mimi nimekuwa mtume kwa watu wa mataifa mengine, ninajivunia huduma yangu,

¹³For to you I speak — to the nations — inasmuch as I am indeed an apostle of nations, my ministration I do glorify;

¹⁴nipate kuwafanya wananchi wenzangu wawaonee ninyi wivu, na hivyo nipate kuwaokoa baadhi yao.

¹⁴if by any means I shall arouse to jealousy mine own flesh, and shall save some of them,

¹⁵Maana ikiwa kukataliwa kwao kulisababisha ulimwengu upatanishwe na Mungu, itakuwaje wakati watakapokubaliwa na Mungu? Wafu watafufuka!

¹⁵for if the casting away of them [is] a reconciliation of the world, what the reception — if not life out of the dead?

¹⁶Ikiwa kipande cha kwanza cha mkate kimewekwa wakfu, mkate wote umewekwa wakfu; mizizi ya mti ikiwa mizuri, na matawi yake huwa mazuri pia.

¹⁶and if the first-fruit [is] holy, the lump also; and if the root [is] holy, the branches also.

¹⁷Naam, baadhi ya matawi ya mzeituni bustanini yalikatwa, na mahali pake tawi la mzeituni mwitu likapandikizwa. Ninyi watu wa mataifa mengine ndio hilo tawi la mzeituni mwitu; na sasa mnashiriki nguvu na utomvu wa mzeituni bustanini.

¹⁷And if certain of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wast graffed in among them, and a fellow-partaker of the root and of the fatness of the olive tree didst become —

¹⁸Basi, msiwadharau wale waliokatwa kama matawi! Na, hata kama kuna la kujivunia, kumbukeni kwamba si ninyi mnaoitegemeza mizizi, bali mizizi ndiyo inayowategemeza ninyi.

¹⁸do not boast against the branches; and if thou dost boast, thou dost not bear the root, but the root thee!

¹⁹Lakini utasema: "Matawi yalikatwa kusudi mimi nipandikizwe mahali pake."

¹⁹Thou wilt say, then, `The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in;` right!

²⁰Sawa! Yalikatwa kwa sababu ya kukosa imani, bali wewe unasimama kwa imani yako. Lakini usijivune; ila uwe na tahadhari.

²⁰by unbelief they were broken off, and thou hast stood by faith; be not high-minded, but be fearing;

²¹Kwa maana, ikiwa Mungu hakuwahurumia Wayahudi ambao ni kama matawi ya asili, je, unadhani atakuhurumia wewe?

²¹for if God the natural branches did not spare — lest perhaps He also shall not spare thee.

²²Kumbuka, basi, jinsi Mungu alivyo mwema na mkali. Yeye ni mkali kwa wale walioanguka, na ni mwema kwako wewe ikiwa utaendelea katika wema wake; la sivyo, nawe pia utakatwa.

²²Lo, then, goodness and severity of God — upon those indeed who fell, severity; and upon thee, goodness, if thou mayest remain in the goodness, otherwise, thou also shalt be cut off.

²³Nao Wayahudi, hali kadhalika; wakiacha utovu wao wa imani, watapandikizwa tena. Maana Mungu anao uwezo wa kuwapandikiza tena.

²³And those also, if they may not remain in unbelief, shall be graffed in, for God is able again to graff them in;

²⁴Ninyi watu wa mataifa mengine, kwa asili ni kama tawi la mzeituni mwitu, lakini mmeondolewa huko, mkapandikizwa katika mzeituni bustanini mahali ambapo kwa asili si penu. Lakini, Wayahudi kwa asili ni kama mzeituni bustanini, na itakuwa jambo rahisi zaidi kwao kupandikizwa tena katika mti huohuo wao.

²⁴for if thou, out of the olive tree, wild by nature, wast cut out, and, contrary to nature, wast graffed into a good olive tree, how much rather shall they, who [are] according to nature, be graffed into their own olive tree?

²⁵Ndugu zangu, napenda mjue ukweli huu uliofichika msije mkajiona wenye akili sana. Ukaidi wa Wayahudi ulikuwa ni wa muda tu, mpaka watu wa mataifa mengine watakapokuwa wamemfikia Mungu.

²⁵For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of this secret — that ye may not be wise in your own conceits — that hardness in part to Israel hath happened till the fulness of the nations may come in;

²⁶Hapo ndipo taifa lote la Israeli litakapookolewa, kama yesemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu: "Mkombozi atakuja kutoka Sioni, atauondoa uovu wa Yakobo.

²⁶and so all Israel shall be saved, according as it hath been written, `There shall come forth out of Sion he who is delivering, and he shall turn away impiety from Jacob,

²⁷Hili ndilo agano nitakalofanya nao wakati nitakapoziondoa dhambi zao."

²⁷and this to them [is] the covenant from Me, when I may take away their sins.`

²⁸Kwa sababu wanaikataa Habari Njema, Wayahudi wamekuwa adui wa Mungu, lakini kwa faida yenu nyinyi watu wa mataifa. Lakini, kwa kuwa waliteuliwa, bado ni rafiki wa Mungu kwa sababu ya baba zao.

²⁸As regards, indeed, the good tidings, [they are] enemies on your account; and as regards the choice — beloved on account of the fathers;

²⁹Maana Mungu akisha wapa watu zawadi zake na kuwateua, hajuti kwamba amefanya hivyo.

²⁹for unrepented of [are] the gifts and the calling of God;

³⁰Hapo awali ninyi mlikuwa mmemwasi Mungu, lakini sasa mmepata huruma yake kutokana na kuasi kwao.

³⁰for as ye also once did not believe in God, and now did find kindness by the unbelief of these:

³¹Hali kadhalika, kutokana na huruma mliyojaliwa ninyi, Wayahudi wanamwasi Mungu sasa ili nao pia wapokee sasa huruma ya Mungu.

³¹so also these now did not believe, that in your kindness they also may find kindness;

³²Maana Mungu amewafunga watu wote katika uasi wao ili wapate kuwahurumia wote.

³²for God did shut up together the whole to unbelief, that to the whole He might do kindness.

³³Utajiri, hekima na elimu ya Mungu ni kuu mno! Huruma zake hazichunguziki, na njia zake hazieleweki! Kama yasemavyo Maandiko Matakatifu:

³³O depth of riches, and wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable His judgments, and untraceable His ways!

³⁴"Nani aliyepata kuyajua mawazo ya Bwana? Nani awezaye kuwa mshauri wake?

³⁴for who did know the mind of the Lord? or who did become His counsellor?

³⁵Au, nani aliyempa yeye kitu kwanza hata aweze kulipwa tena kitu hicho?"

³⁵or who did first give to Him, and it shall be given back to him again?

³⁶Kwa maana vitu vyote vyatoka kwake, vyote vipo kwa uwezo wake na kwa ajili yake. Utukufu na uwe kwake hata milele! Amina.

³⁶because of Him, and through Him, and to Him [are] the all things; to Him [is] the glory — to the ages. Amen.