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

¹Truth I say in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing testimony with me in the Holy Spirit,

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

²that I have great grief and unceasing pain in my heart —

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

³for I was wishing, I myself, to be anathema from the Christ — for my brethren, my kindred, according to the flesh,

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.

⁴who are Israelites, whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises,

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

⁵whose [are] the fathers, and of whom [is] the Christ, according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed to the ages. Amen.

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

⁶And it is not possible that the word of God hath failed; for not all who [are] of Israel are these Israel;

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

⁷nor because they are seed of Abraham [are] all children, but — `in Isaac shall a seed be called to thee;`

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

⁸that is, the children of the flesh — these [are] not children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for seed;

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

⁹for the word of promise [is] this; `According to this time I will come, and there shall be to Sarah a son.`

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

¹⁰And not only [so], but also Rebecca, having conceived by one — Isaac our father —

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

¹¹(for they being not yet born, neither having done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to choice, might remain; not of works, but of Him who is calling,) it was said to her —

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

¹²`The greater shall serve the less;`

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

¹³according as it hath been written, `Jacob I did love, and Esau I did hate.`

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

¹⁴What, then, shall we say? unrighteousness [is] with God? let it not be!

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

¹⁵for to Moses He saith, `I will do kindness to whom I do kindness, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion;`

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

¹⁶so, then — not of him who is willing, nor of him who is running, but of God who is doing kindness:

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

¹⁷for the Writing saith to Pharaoh — `For this very thing I did raise thee up, that I might shew in thee My power, and that My name might be declared in all the land;`

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

¹⁸so, then, to whom He willeth, He doth kindness, and to whom He willeth, He doth harden.

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

¹⁹Thou wilt say, then, to me, `Why yet doth He find fault? for His counsel who hath resisted?`

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

²⁰nay, but, O man, who art thou that art answering again to God? shall the thing formed say to Him who did form [it], Why me didst thou make thus?

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

²¹hath not the potter authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make the one vessel to honour, and the one to dishonour?

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.

²²And if God, willing to shew the wrath and to make known His power, did endure, in much long suffering, vessels of wrath fitted for destruction,

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

²³and that He might make known the riches of His glory on vessels of kindness, that He before prepared for glory, whom also He did call — us —

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

²⁴not only out of Jews, but also out of nations,

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

²⁵as also in Hosea He saith, `I will call what [is] not My people — My people; and her not beloved — Beloved,

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

²⁶and it shall be — in the place where it was said to them, Ye [are] not My people; there they shall be called sons of the living God.`

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

²⁷And Isaiah doth cry concerning Israel, `If the number of the sons of Israel may be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved;

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

²⁸for a matter He is finishing, and is cutting short in righteousness, because a matter cut short will the Lord do upon the land.

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

²⁹and according as Isaiah saith before, `Except the Lord of Sabaoth did leave to us a seed, as Sodom we had become, and as Gomorrah we had been made like.`

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

³⁰What, then, shall we say? that nations who are not pursuing righteousness did attain to righteousness, and righteousness that [is] of faith,

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

³¹and Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, at a law of righteousness did not arrive;

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

³²wherefore? because — not by faith, but as by works of law; for they did stumble at the stone of stumbling,

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

³³according as it hath been written, `Lo, I place in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; and every one who is believing thereon shall not be ashamed.`