KwabaseRoma 4:1-25
4 Njengoba kunjalo, sizothi wazuzani u-Abrahama, ukhokho wethu?
2 Ngokwesibonelo, ukube u-Abrahama kwathiwa ulungile ngenxa yemisebenzi, wayeyoba nesizathu sokuziqhayisa, kodwa hhayi ngoNkulunkulu.
3 Uthini umbhalo? Uthi, “U-Abrahama waba nokholo kuJehova,* wabhekwa njengolungile.” +
4 Kumuntu osebenzayo, iholo lakhe alibhekwa njengomusa omkhulu kodwa njengento okufanele ayithole.*
5 Ngakolunye uhlangothi, lapho umuntu eba nokholo kuNkulunkulu, enganciki emisebenzini, uNkulunkulu umbheka njengolungile ngenxa yokholo lwakhe. UNkulunkulu ongabheka izoni njengezilungile. +
6 Njengoba nje noDavide ekhuluma ngenjabulo yomuntu uNkulunkulu ambheka njengolungile ngaphandle kwemisebenzi, ethi:
7 “Bayajabula labo okuthethelelwe izenzo zabo zokungabi namthetho nabazono zabo zimboziwe;*
8 uyajabula umuntu uJehova* angeke asibale isono sakhe.” +
9 Ingabe le njabulo ifikela kuphela abantu abasokile noma ifikela nabantu abangasokile? + Ngoba sithi: “Ukholo luka-Abrahama lwamenza wabhekwa njengolungile.” +
10 Pho lwabalwa ngaphansi kwaziphi izimo njengokulunga? Lapho esesokile noma engasokile? Ngesikhathi engakasoki.
11 Futhi wamukela isibonakaliso +—okuwukuthi, ukusoka—saba uphawu* lokulunga ngokholo ayenalo lapho engasokile, ukuze abe uyise wabo bonke abanokholo + bebe bengasokile, ukuze babhekwe njengabalungile;
12 futhi abe uyise wenzalo esokile, hhayi owalabo abanamathela ekusokeni kuphela, kodwa nowalabo abahamba ngokuhleleka ezinyathelweni zokholo ubaba wethu u-Abrahama + ayenalo ngesikhathi engasokile.
13 Ngoba u-Abrahama noma inzalo* yakhe abasitholanga ngomthetho isithembiso sokuthi uyoba indlalifa yezwe, + kodwa kwakungokulunga ngokholo. +
14 Ngoba uma labo abanamathela emthethweni beyizindlalifa, ukholo luphenduka into engenamsebenzi nesithembiso siba yize.
15 Eqinisweni uMthetho ubangela ulaka, + kodwa lapho kungekho mthetho khona, akukho nokweqa umthetho. +
16 U-Abrahama wamukela isithembiso ngenxa yokholo, ukuze kube ngokomusa omkhulu, + ukuze isithembiso sigcwaliseke kuyo yonke inzalo* yakhe, + hhayi kulabo abanamathela eMthethweni nje kuphela, kodwa nakulabo abanamathela okholweni luka-Abrahama, ongubaba wethu sonke. +
17 (Lokhu kunjengoba nje kulotshiwe: “Ngikumise ukuba ube uyise wezizwe eziningi.”) + Lokhu kwakuphambi kukaNkulunkulu, ayenokholo kuye, ophilisa abafile futhi abize izinto ezingekho njengokungathi zikhona.*
18 Nakuba ayengasenathemba, nokho ngokusekelwe ethembeni, wayenokholo lokuthi wayezoba uyise wezizwe eziningi ngokuvumelana nalokho okwashiwo kuthiwa: “Iyoba ngako inzalo* yakho.” +
19 Nakuba engazange abe buthakathaka okholweni, wacabanga ngomzimba wakhe siqu, owawusufile (njengoba ayeseneminyaka engaba ngu-100 ubudala), + nangokuba inyumba kukaSara. +
20 Kodwa ngenxa yesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu, akazange antengantenge ngokuntula ukholo; kodwa waba namandla ngokholo lwakhe, enika uNkulunkulu inkazimulo
21 futhi eqiniseka ngokugcwele ukuthi lokho uNkulunkulu ayekuthembisile uyakwazi nokukwenza. +
22 Ngakho “wabhekwa njengolungile.” +
23 Nokho, amazwi athi “wabhekwa njengolungile” awalotshwanga ngenxa yakhe kuphela, +
24 kodwa nangenxa yethu, thina esibhekwa njengabalungile, ngoba sikholelwa kuLowo owavusa uJesu iNkosi yethu kwabafile. +
25 Wanikelwa ngenxa yeziphambeko zethu + futhi wavuswa ukuze kuthiwe silungile. +
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ Bheka iSithasiselo A5.
^ Noma, “njengesikweletu.”
^ Noma, “zithethelelwe.”
^ Bheka iSithasiselo A5.
^ Noma, “isiqinisekiso.”
^ NgesiGreki, “imbewu.”
^ NgesiGreki, “imbewu.”
^ Noma kungaba, “abangele ukuba okungekho kube khona.”
^ NgesiGreki, “imbewu.”
