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 off his people? God forbid. 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 off his people which he foreknew. Or know ye not what the scripture saith of Elijah? how he pleadeth with God against Israel:

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

³Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.

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

⁴But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have left for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.

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

⁵Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

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.

⁶But if it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.

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

⁷What then? that which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, 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 is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this very day.

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

⁹And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, And a stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them:

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

¹⁰Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, And bow thou down their back always.

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? God forbid: but by their fall salvation [is come] unto the Gentiles, to provoke 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.

¹²Now if their fall, is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

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

¹³But I speak to you that are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I glorify my ministry;

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

¹⁴if by any means I may provoke to jealousy [them that are] my flesh, and may 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] the reconciling of the world, what [shall] the receiving [of them be], but life from 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 firstfruit is holy, so is the lump: and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

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.

¹⁷But if some of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive, wast grafted in among them, and didst become partaker with them of the root of the fatness of the olive tree;

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

¹⁸glory not over the branches: but if thou gloriest, it is not thou that bearest the root, but the root thee.

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

¹⁹Thou wilt say then, Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

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

²⁰Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

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

²¹for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he 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.

²²Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his 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 they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

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 wast cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and wast grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree; how much more shall these, which are the natural [branches], be grafted 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 would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be 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: even as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer; He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

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

²⁷And this is my covenant unto them, When I shall 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 touching the gospel, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sake.

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

²⁹For the gifts and the calling of God are not repented of.

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

³⁰For as ye in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,

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

³¹even so have these also now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they also may now obtain mercy.

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

³²For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.

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

³³O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!

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

³⁴For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

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

³⁵or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

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

³⁶For of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things. To him [be] the glory for ever. Amen.