¹I ask then, did God reject his people? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

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

²God didn’t reject his people, which he foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel:

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

³“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have broken down your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.” 1 Kings 19:10,14

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

⁴But how does God answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 1 Kings 19:18

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

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

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

⁶And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

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.

⁷What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened.

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

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, to this very day.” Deuteronomy 29:4; Isaiah 29:10

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

⁹David says, “Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, a stumbling block, and a retribution to them.

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

¹⁰Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Bow down their back always.” Psalm 69:22,23

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

¹¹I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.

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.

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

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.

¹³For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry;

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

¹⁴if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them.

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

¹⁵For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead?

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

¹⁶If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches.

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

¹⁷But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree;

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.

¹⁸don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you.

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

¹⁹You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.”

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

²⁰True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear;

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

²¹for if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.

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

²²See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

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.

²³They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

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

²⁴For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

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.

²⁵For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers, The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.” of this mystery, so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,

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.

²⁶and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

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

²⁷This is my covenant to them, when I will take away their sins.” Isaiah 59:20-21; 27:9; Jeremiah 31:33-34

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

²⁸Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake.

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.

²⁹For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

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

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

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

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

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

³²For God has shut up all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.

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

³³Oh 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!

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

³⁴“For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” Isaiah 40:13

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

³⁵“Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?” Job 41:11

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

³⁶For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.

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