God's Choice of Israel
1 I am a follower of Christ, and the Holy Spirit is a witness to my conscience. So I tell the truth and I am not lying when I say 2 my heart is broken and I am in great sorrow. 3 I would gladly be placed under God's curse and be separated from Christ for the good of my own people. 4 They are the descendants of Israel, and they are also God's chosen people. God showed them his glory. He made agreements with them and gave them his Law. The temple is theirs and so are the promises that God made to them. 5 They have those famous ancestors, who were also the ancestors of the Christ. I pray that God, who rules over all, will be praised forever! Amen.
6 It cannot be said that God broke his promise. After all, not all of the people of Israel are the true people of God. 7-8 In fact, when God made the promise to Abraham, he meant only Abraham's descendants by his son Isaac. God was talking only about Isaac when he promised 9 Sarah, “At this time next year I will return, and you will already have a son.”
10 Don't forget what happened to the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. 11-12 Even before they were born or had done anything good or bad, the Lord told Rebekah that her older son would serve the younger one. The Lord said this to show he makes his own choices and it wasn't because of anything either of them had done. 13 That's why the Scriptures say that the Lord liked Jacob more than Esau.
14 Are we saying God is unfair? Certainly not! 15 The Lord told Moses that he has pity and mercy on anyone he wants to. 16 Everything then depends on God's mercy and not on what people want or do. 17 In the Scriptures the Lord says to the king of Egypt, “I let you become king, so that I could show you my power and be praised by all people on earth.” 18 Everything depends on what God decides to do, and he can either have pity on people or make them stubborn.
God's Anger and Mercy
19 Someone may ask, “How can God blame us, if he makes us behave in the way he wants us to?” 20 But, my friend, I ask, “Who do you think you are to question God? Does the clay have the right to ask the potter why he shaped it the way he did? 21 Doesn't a potter have the right to make a fancy bowl and a plain bowl out of the same lump of clay?”
22 God wanted to show his anger and reveal his power against everyone who deserved to be destroyed. But instead, he patiently put up with them. 23 He did this by showing how glorious he is when he has pity on the people he has chosen to share in his glory. 24 Whether Jews or Gentiles, we are those chosen ones, 25 just as the Lord says in the book of Hosea,
“Although they are not
my people,
I will make them my people.
I will treat with love
those nations
that have never been loved.
26 “Once they were told,
‘You are not my people.’
But in that very place
they will be called
children of the living God.”
27 And this is what the prophet Isaiah said about the people of Israel,
“The people of Israel
are as many
as the grains of sand
along the beach.
But only a few who are left
will be saved.
28 The Lord will be quick
and sure to do on earth
what he has warned
he will do.”
29 Isaiah also said,
“If the Lord All-Powerful
had not spared some
of our descendants,
we would have been destroyed
like the cities of Sodom
and Gomorrah.”
Israel and the Good News
30 What does all of this mean? It means that the Gentiles were not trying to be acceptable to God, but they found that he would accept them if they had faith. 31-32 It also means that the people of Israel were not acceptable to God. And why not? It was because they were trying to be acceptable by obeying the Law instead of by having faith in God. The people of Israel fell over the stone that makes people stumble, 33 just as God says in the Scriptures,
“Look! I am placing in Zion
a stone to make people
stumble and fall.
But those who have faith
in that one will never
be disappointed.”
Rəmwa na led̶a əllëɽəŋu luṯənu
1 Igandəlwaɽəṯia ŋen ŋəd̶eṯəm ŋen ŋanṯa egafo ig-Almasiya, egaber egagəbalo. Ara gəlëɽəñi igi gaɽwata d̶eṯəm ed̶aməd̶aṯa ig-Usila Gətəɽe, 2 ṯa egwana kaiñ na d̶u d̶əlëɽəñi d̶aiñəsa no eŋen iŋi jaica jaica, 3 ŋen ŋanṯa egwonaṯa ṯa ŋen aŋəfeṯe ṯa yebuŋəni, na itərinṯi ig-Almasiya ŋen ŋanṯa lorldaiñ, led̶a əllëɽəñi egaŋəno 4 ŋen ŋanṯa lënəŋulu laɽo led̶a l-Israyil. Lënəŋulu lerṯo ŋen ṯa laɽo ləd̶ia, na lerṯo ŋaɽrwa ŋə-Rəmwa, na d̶ərreid̶ia ŋen Rəmwara, na d̶əneinia d̶-Alganun, na ŋen ŋəd̶əbuŋṯia na ŋen ŋëɽənu. 5 Lënəŋulu lerṯo eṯenanda ləpənde na lënəŋulu laləŋo Almasiya egaŋəno. Rəmwa irri rəməñaṯo laŋge pred̶ arabuŋənṯi bəɽəbəte. Amin.
6 Orn gerṯe ŋen ŋa-Rəmwa iŋi ŋafo ŋobəla. Ŋen ŋanṯa gerṯe led̶a pred̶ ildi laləŋənu eled̶a l-Israyil laɽo l-Israyil d̶urri, 7 na lënəŋulu gerṯe fəŋulu pred̶ laɽo ləd̶ia l-Ibrayim ŋen ŋanṯa laləŋənu iŋu orn Rəmwa ralwaɽəṯu Ibrayim ṯa, “Ləd̶ia əllaɽəŋa lid̶i alləŋəni naɽe Isag.” 8 Na fəŋen iŋi ṯa gerṯe led̶a ildi laləŋənu egaŋəno naɽe Ibrayim ləɽo ñere ñə-Rəmwa orn led̶a ildi lid̶ənu ñere ŋenŋa iŋi Rəmwa rëɽu, lënəŋulu laɽo ləd̶ia d̶urri. 9 Na fəŋen iŋi Rəmwa rëɽu. Rəmwa raṯa ṯa, “Iliga ildi lëɽənu igid̶i yoɽəbəd̶ia, na Sara gid̶i aŋələŋe id̶ia.”
10 Gerṯe ŋen iŋi ikərəŋ orn ŋen ŋëni com ŋə-Refəgga igi gid̶ənu gwonḏeico an egəbaŋgen gonto igi gəbërnia Isag, gënəŋu igi gəɽo d̶aṯa gəpənde. 11 Ləd̶ia lamulu lələŋənia, ŋen lënəŋulu lero ləbəd̶ia ŋen ŋənəŋ ŋəŋəra walla ŋeicia, Rəmwa rid̶u ŋen ṯa d̶ëɽia ŋen ŋəlëɽəŋu ad̶əfeṯe məldin gerṯe eŋen iŋi led̶a ləbəd̶ia orn eŋen ŋəd̶undəd̶ia d̶əlëɽəŋu. 12 Na Rəmwa reiṯu Refəgga ṯa, “Id̶ia goɽra gid̶i aŋəd̶uɽəd̶ənṯi id̶ia gəta.” 13 Garno ŋen ŋəwërd̶ənu ṯa, “Egafo igəbwa Yagubga orn eganed̶o Isu.”
14 Ləgabaṯrau? Rəmwa rerṯo ŋen ŋəɽiano? Ndo, kwai kwai! 15 Ŋen ŋanṯa rënəŋu ralwaɽəṯu Musa ṯa, “Igid̶i yerṯe ŋəbaiya eled̶a pred̶ ildi igid̶i yerṯe ŋəbaiya iŋulu, na igid̶i yegeiyace led̶a pred̶ ŋəbaiya nano ildi egwonaṯa ṯa yeləgeiyace ŋəbaiya nano.” 16 Nṯia ŋen iŋi ŋeṯo ed̶a nano ŋaber ŋeṯo eŋen pred̶ gënəŋu gwonaṯa walla eŋen ŋəŋəmëɽria gënəŋu gəbəd̶ia orn i-Rəmwa irri rerṯo ŋəbaiyano. 17 Ad̶am gə-Rəmwa galwaɽəṯu Fərawon ṯa, “Igatud̶iaŋa niŋid̶i, ṯa yërrəŋaid̶i ŋabəɽa ŋəlëɽəñi eŋa na ṯa irəŋ gəlëɽəñi aŋërrəŋaid̶əni alo pred̶.” 18 Nṯia Rəmwa rerṯo ŋəbaiya eled̶a pred̶ rënəŋu rəlwonaṯa, na rëbəd̶ia led̶a pred̶ ləbɽwaŋəno enare ildi rënəŋu rəlwonaṯa ṯia.
Đeiciano d̶ə-Rəmwa na ŋəbaiyano ŋəlëɽəŋu
19 Nṯia ñaŋ ñagaiñeɽəd̶ia nəñaṯa ṯa, “Rəmwa randəsəkia məldin ṯa ñagafo mənna ed̶a? Ŋen ŋanṯa əsëgi gəɽwad̶aṯa gəd̶wad̶a ŋen ŋəlëɽəŋu?” 20 Orn ŋa agaɽo əsëgi, ya ed̶a ṯa agukuɽəbiṯia Rəmwa eŋen? Ŋaica ŋəd̶əlata ŋaɽwad̶aṯa ŋəlwaɽəṯia wuji igi gəlata ṯa, “Agaiñid̶ia ṯia ed̶a?” 21 Wuji igi gəlata gero gəberṯia ŋabəɽa eŋaica, ṯa gënəŋu gaɽwad̶aṯa gəbəd̶ia eŋaica ŋuṯənu waŋge gəŋəra ŋaiyo na waŋge gəŋəmëɽria? Wuji gəlata na ɽia 22 Na ŋen ŋaɽəṯau ndə Rəmwa rafo rwonaṯa ṯa rabaŋaicia led̶a d̶eiciano d̶əlëɽəŋu na ṯa rëbəd̶ia ŋabəɽa ŋəlëɽəŋu ŋələŋinia, orn rafo raɽiñaṯa ŋen elaŋge ildi rënəŋu reicəṯəlano, lënəŋulu lad̶uɽeinu d̶əñid̶i ṯa aləməndëd̶əni, 23 ṯa rënəŋu arid̶i d̶əŋəra kaiñ d̶əŋaɽrwa ŋəlëɽəŋu d̶ërrəŋeid̶ənu ŋen ŋanṯa laŋge ildi Rəmwa rerṯəlau ŋəbaiyano ildi rënəŋu rid̶əlo ləd̶uɽeinu pənde ṯa alënṯi ed̶əɽəbəd̶ia eŋen ŋəŋaɽrwa ŋəlëɽəŋu? 24 Lëndr ləgaɽr led̶a ildi rënəŋu rundəd̶əlo, gerṯe ig-Alyawuḏ ikərəŋ orn com eled̶a ildi gerṯe laɽo Alyawuḏ. 25 Garno Rəmwa rəlwaɽo egad̶am g-Usiya ṯa,
“Igid̶i eme led̶a ildi gerṯe ləlëɽəñi na igid̶i ilënəci, ‘Led̶a əllëɽəñi’.
a igid̶i emame igi gero gəbwaniya na igid̶i emënəci, ‘Gəbwaniya’.
26 Na alo isi ŋen ŋəlwaɽeinau ṯa,
‘Gerṯe ñagaɽo led̶a əllëɽəñi,
lënəŋulu lid̶i alërrənijəm led̶a ɽ-Rəmwa irri rəməṯia’.”
27 Na com Isaiya gaɽwata pəlelo eŋen ŋ-Israyil ṯa, “Ndə led̶a l-Israyil lwaiña larno ebia ged̶əbarlda, orn ləmaṯan iŋulu lid̶i alëbərni ikərəŋ, 28 ŋen ŋanṯa Eləŋ Rəmwa rid̶i arid̶i d̶akəmia d̶əlëɽəŋu ṯəɽom alo taltal.” 29 Garno gaṯa təŋ ṯa,
“Gəbanṯa Eləŋ gəlaŋge pred̶ gero gəŋgiṯia led̶a ləmaṯan ildi lələŋənu enanda,
ṯa ñagafo ñagid̶ənu ñagarno led̶a lalo yi-Səḏum na lalo yi-Gamura.”
Ŋen Bulus gəṯurṯia Rəmwa ŋen ŋanṯa led̶a l-Israyil
30 Nṯia ləgabaṯrau? Led̶a ildi gerṯe laɽo Alyawuḏ na lafo lero labapwaiña ŋen ṯa alɽeṯe ləd̶urwaṯo eŋen Rəmwa nëiñua, lënəŋulu laneinu d̶əd̶urwaṯa eŋen na d̶əd̶urwaṯa id̶i eŋen Rəmwa nëiñua d̶afo eŋen ŋəd̶wonaṯa. 31 Na led̶a l-Israyil ildi ləlaldiña ŋen id̶urṯu ŋ-Alganun isi yemama d̶əd̶urwaṯa eŋen Rəmwa nëiñua lënəŋulu lobəlaṯo eŋen iŋi. 32 Na ed̶a? Ŋen ŋanṯa lënəŋulu lero ləlaldiña eŋen ŋəd̶wonaṯa orn eŋen ŋəlaŋge lënəŋulu lid̶əlo. Lënəŋulu labëɽəŋeinia lwandrala ildi ləbəd̶ia led̶a labëɽəŋeinia 33 Garno ŋen ŋəwërd̶ənu ṯa.
“Seicr, igëɽu lwandra alo yi-Siyun ildi ləbəd̶ia led̶a labëɽəŋeinia,
lwandra ṯa alëɽəŋaici led̶a,
orn ed̶a gənəŋ igi gëndu ŋen ŋəlëɽəŋu gaber gid̶i aŋid̶əni girəwano.”