Romans - Chapter 4

Verse 1: Ngakho-ke siyakuthi uzuzeni u-Abrahama, ukhokho wethu, ngokwenyama na?

Verse 2: Ngokuba uma u-Abrahama walungisiswa ngemisebenzi, unakho ukuzibonga; kodwa phambi kukaNkulunkulu qha.

Verse 3: Ngokuba umbhalo uthini na? Uthi: “Kepha u-Abrahama wakholwa nguNkulunkulu, kwambalelwa ukuthi kungukulunga.”

Verse 4: Kepha kosebenzayo umvuzo awubalelwa ngokomusa kodwa ngokwemfanelo;

Verse 5: kepha kongasebenziyo, kodwa ekholwa nguye olungisisa ongamesabi uNkulunkulu, ukukholwa kwakhe kubalelwa yena ukuthi kungukulunga,

Verse 6: njengalokhu noDavide esho ngokubusiswa komuntu uNkulunkulu ambalela ukulunga ngaphandle kwemisebenzi, ethi:

Verse 7: “Babusisiwe abathethelelwe izeqo zabo, nabazono zabo zisitshekelwe;

Verse 8: ubusisiwe umuntu iNkosi engayikumbalela isono. U-Abrahama wamukeliswa isithembiso ngokukholwa.”

Verse 9: Ngakho-ke lokhu kubusiswa kuqondene nabasokile noma nabangasokile na? Ngokuba sithi: Ukukholwa kwabalelwa u-Abrahama ukuthi kungukulunga.

Verse 10: Pho, kwabalelwa kanjani na? Esesokile yini noma engakasoki na? Akubanga esesokile, kodwa engakasoki.

Verse 11: Wasamukela isibonakaliso sokusoka, sibe luphawu lokulunga kokukholwa ayenakho engakasoki, ukuba abe nguyise wabo bonke abakholwayo bengasokile, ukuze ukulunga kubalelwe kubona,

Verse 12: futhi abe nguyise wabasokileyo, kungabi ngowabasokileyo kuphela, kepha nowabo abahamba emkhondweni wokukholwa ubaba u-Abrahama ayenakho engakasoki.

Verse 13: Ngokuba isithembiso sokuthi uyakuba yindlalifa yezwe asinikwanga u-Abrahama nenzalo yakhe ngawo umthetho kodwa ngokulunga kokukholwa.

Verse 14: Ngokuba uma izindlalifa ziyizo ngawo umthetho, ukukholwa kwenziwe ize, nesithembiso asiselutho;

Verse 15: ngokuba umthetho ubanga intukuthelo, kepha lapho kungekho khona umthetho, akukho nakweqa.

Verse 16: Ngalokho kuya ngokukholwa ukuba kube ngokomusa, ukuze isithembiso siqiniseke enzalweni yonke, kungabi kweyomthetho yodwa kodwa nakuleyo engeyokukholwa kuka-Abrahama ongubaba wethu sonke,

Verse 17: njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: “Ngikumisile ube nguyise wezizwe eziningi” phambi kwalowo Nkulunkulu akholwa nguye, yena ophilisa abafileyo nobiza okungekho ngokungathi kukhona,

Verse 18: owathi kungekho themba wakholwa ngethemba, ukuze abe nguyise wezizwe eziningi, njengalokho okwashiwo ukuthi: “Yoba njalo inzalo yakho;”

Verse 19: engabanga buthakathaka ekukholweni wabona umzimba wakhe obusufa, eneminyaka engaba ngeyikhulu, nesizalo sikaSara sifile;

Verse 20: akangabazanga ngesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu ngokungakholwa, kodwa waqina ekukholweni, enika uNkulunkulu udumo,

Verse 21: eqinisekile ukuthi lokho akwethembisile unamandla nokukwenza.

Verse 22: Ngalokho-ke kwabalelwa yena ukuthi kungukulunga.

Verse 23: Kepha akulotshwanga ngenxa yakhe yedwa ukuthi kwabalelwa yena,

Verse 24: kodwa nangenxa yethu esiyakubalelwa khona, thina esikholwa nguye owavusa uJesu iNkosi yethu kwabafileyo,

Verse 25: owanikelwa ngenxa yeziphambeko zethu, wavuswa ngenxa yokulungisiswa kwethu.