God and His People
1 I am speaking the truth; I belong to Christ and I do not lie. My conscience, ruled by the Holy Spirit, also assures me that I am not lying 2 when I say how great is my sorrow, how endless the pain in my heart 3 for my people, my own flesh and blood! For their sake I could wish that I myself were under God's curse and separated from Christ. 4 They are God's people; he made them his children and revealed his glory to them; he made his covenants with them and gave them the Law; they have the true worship; they have received God's promises; 5 they are descended from the famous Hebrew ancestors; and Christ, as a human being, belongs to their race. May God, who rules over all, be praised forever! Amen.
6 I am not saying that the promise of God has failed; for not all the people of Israel are the people of God. 7 Nor are all of Abraham's descendants the children of God. God said to Abraham, “It is through Isaac that you will have the descendants I promised you.” 8 This means that the children born in the usual way are not the children of God; instead, the children born as a result of God's promise are regarded as the true descendants. 9 For God's promise was made in these words: “At the right time I will come back, and Sarah will have a son.”
10 And this is not all. For Rebecca's two sons had the same father, our ancestor Isaac. 11-12 But in order that the choice of one son might be completely the result of God's own purpose, God said to her, “The older will serve the younger.” He said this before they were born, before they had done anything either good or bad; so God's choice was based on his call, and not on anything they had done. 13 As the scripture says, “I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.”
14 Shall we say, then, that God is unjust? Not at all. 15 For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on anyone I wish; I will take pity on anyone I wish.” 16 So then, everything depends, not on what we humans want or do, but only on God's mercy. 17 For the scripture says to the king of Egypt, “I made you king in order to use you to show my power and to spread my fame over the whole world.” 18 So then, God has mercy on anyone he wishes, and he makes stubborn anyone he wishes.
God's Anger and Mercy
19 But one of you will say to me, “If this is so, how can God find fault with anyone? Who can resist God's will?” 20 But who are you, my friend, to talk back to God? A clay pot does not ask the man who made it, “Why did you make me like this?” 21 After all, the man who makes the pots has the right to use the clay as he wishes, and to make two pots from the same lump of clay, one for special occasions and the other for ordinary use.
22 And the same is true of what God has done. He wanted to show his anger and to make his power known. But he was very patient in enduring those who were the objects of his anger, who were doomed to destruction. 23 And he also wanted to reveal his abundant glory, which was poured out on us who are the objects of his mercy, those of us whom he has prepared to receive his glory. 24 For we are the people he called, not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles. 25 This is what he says in the book of Hosea:
“The people who were not mine
I will call ‘My People.’
The nation that I did not love
I will call ‘My Beloved.’
26 And in the very place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called the children of the living God.”
27 And Isaiah exclaims about Israel: “Even if the people of Israel are as many as the grains of sand by the sea, yet only a few of them will be saved; 28 for the Lord will quickly settle his full account with the world.” 29 It is as Isaiah had said before, “If the Lord Almighty had not left us some descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.”
Israel and the Gospel
30 So we say that the Gentiles, who were not trying to put themselves right with God, were put right with him through faith; 31 while God's people, who were seeking a law that would put them right with God, did not find it. 32 And why not? Because they did not depend on faith but on what they did. And so they stumbled over the “stumbling stone” 33 that the scripture speaks of:
“Look, I place in Zion a stone
that will make people stumble,
a rock that will make them fall.
But whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.”
Allah-ŋǝ lizi-li luuŋwun licca-ŋwsi-na.
1 Nyii ŋgwɔ kwandisa rerrem ethi Kwɔrɔstɔ-na, nyii kwiti kwukǝkkǝ ŋǝluŋi mac; ṯɔgwor ṯiinyi ṯir shuhuuḏ kwiinyi Ṯigɽim-thi Ṯirllinǝlɔ ter, 2 nǝthiny-gwɔ ṯɔrɔɔnyina ṯɔppa, nǝ ǝṯi-nyii ṯɔgwor yatha dooɽe. 3 Kaka nǝthiny-gwɔ sɔɔrɔma beṯṯen, mindaŋ eŋgi-nyii ollone nǝ ǝŋgir-nyii alla Kwɔrɔstɔ-ŋw naana pǝk ŋiɽaŋal-ŋi ŋǝthi liyǝŋgǝri liinyi, lir lizi liinyi. 4 Lir Israa-iil, limǝsi Allah ruusi nyɔr nyuuŋwun nyir nyoŋwor. Nǝrǝthi ŋinithi, wa@ḏ, Sherii@ǝ, ṯɔgwɔccalɔ, nǝ ŋa ŋigittathɔŋw-ŋi ethisi inḏǝthǝ, 5 nǝroro ŋwɔɔla ŋwɔthi Papa-ŋa lǝthi kerreny-ŋwɔ, nǝ ŋizigwunǝŋ-ŋi nǝ Kwɔrɔstɔ ruuthǝ ki-jinis-nǝ kweeŋen. Nǝ Allah wimthi kwomne tatap, ethɔŋw ɔrtanni dok-dok. Amiin.
6 Laakin nǝreere oro kaka ŋiɽaŋal ŋǝthi Allah ŋimǝ bǝriyǝnni mac. Kaka niti nɔrɔ-gwɔ gŋwɔɔla tatap ŋwa mac ŋwuruuthu ki Israa-iil-na ethoro ŋwɔthi Israa-iil. 7 Nǝ nǝreere oro tatap mac nyɔr nyǝthi Ibraahiim kaka nɔrɔr-gwɔ ŋwɔɔla ŋwuuŋwun; laakin nǝ Allah ǝccǝ Ibraahiim-ŋwɔ, “Is-haag-ŋgi ǝri oro ŋwɔɔla ŋwɔɔŋa.” 8 Ŋǝniŋw nyɔr kinya nyǝthi aŋna nyiti nyir nyɔr nyǝthi Allah mac, laakin nǝroro nyigittathir-nyi nyuruusǝsi Allah ŋwɔɔla ŋwuuŋwun rerrem. 9 Nǝ ŋiɽaŋal ŋɔ ŋǝthi wa@ḏ ǝniŋw, “Mǝnyii aaɽa ki-lɔɔmɔr-la ṯǝ lir kaka kɔlɔ a Saara ǝthi tɔɔrɔ tir toŋwor.” 10 Nǝreere oro ŋɔ dak mac, laakin nǝ Rifga ethe nyɔɔrɔ kwɔr-ŋgi kwette kwir papa kwǝri kwǝni Is-haag, 11 nǝ niti nilŋinar kinnǝni mac, mindaŋ ethisi mǝ ǝrri ŋeere ŋisaaw alla ŋigii, laakin nǝr-tǝ oro ŋǝthi ṯɔgwor ṯǝthi Allah ethisi allana, nǝreere ǝni ŋothɽor ŋeere mac, laakin nǝtǝ ṯumunǝ oro ṯuuŋwun-lɔ dɔṯṯɔk. 12 Nǝrǝccǝ Rifga-ŋwɔ, “Kira tir nda ŋwɔkkici eŋgen kwokwɔɽony ŋothɽor.” 13 Kaka nɔlɔɔthɔnar-gwɔ ŋaarɔŋw, “Nyii kwamɽa Ya@guub-ŋwɔ, laakin @iisɔ-tǝ nǝnyii firasi.”
14 E-ta a kwǝr aari tha? Allah wir ḏaalima? Bǝri-mǝ! 15 Kaka nǝccǝ-ŋgwɔ Muusǝ-ŋw, “Kwǝnyii ǝthici ŋimɽiyǝ-na ŋgwa kwɔnaŋna-nyii ethisi ǝthici-nǝ, nǝ ǝnyii-gwɔ ṯɔgwor yatha naanɔ-gwɔ ŋgwa kwɔnaŋna-nyii ethi-gwɔ ṯɔgwor ṯiinyi yatha.” 16 Ŋwɔṯaŋw nǝreere ǝni ŋǝṯisi kwizigwunǝŋ naŋni mac alla ethisi ǝrri, laakin nǝroro ŋǝthi ŋimɽi ŋǝthi Allah ṯɔɽɔk. 17 Nǝ Kiṯaab-na Kirllinǝlɔ ter nǝ Allah ǝccǝ Fir@awn-ŋwɔ, “Nyii kwǝlliŋǝ-nǝ sǝbǝb-gi ŋgwɔ ethoro mǝlik, mindaŋ mǝ ŋɔma ŋiinyi ruwǝnnǝlɔ dɔŋgwɔŋa-na, mindaŋ mǝ yiriny yiinyi andanni wurǝyuŋi naana tatap.” 18 Ŋwɔṯaŋw ǝṯɔŋw ǝthici kweere nyithak ŋimɽiyǝ-nǝ ŋgwa kwǝṯɔŋw naŋni, nǝ ǝṯɔŋw ɔnḏici kweere nyithak ṯɔgwori kwǝṯɔŋw naŋni.
Ŋirŋasa ŋǝthi Allah nǝ ŋimɽi ŋuuŋun.
19 A kwinḏiny-pǝ ethi ǝccǝŋw, “Nǝ Allah wotho wǝṯi-nyji kette kaṯṯi? Ǝyǝ kwǝthi ŋɔma ethisi dirnaca-lɔ ŋǝthi ṯɔgwor ṯuuŋwun?” 20 A kwǝni-thi ǝyǝ ŋa ŋgwɔ kwir kwiziŋwunǝŋ ethi mǝmlithici Allah? Kwomne kwǝṯir ṯoo kwǝthi ŋɔma ethi ǝccǝ kworṯowa-ŋwɔ, “A kwotho kwuthuuthi-nyii ŋwɔ-a?” 21 Kworṯo kwǝthi ŋwii kwiti kwǝthi hɔrriyya kɔlɔɔ-la mac-a ethi ṯoo dɔŋw ṯǝ kila lɔtɔpɔt kwomne kwette kwǝthi ŋothɽor ŋisaaw beṯṯen, nǝ dɔŋw ṯǝ kila lette-lette ethi ṯoo kwomne kwir ter kwǝthi ŋothɽor ŋette nyithak-a? 22 E-ta mǝ Allah naŋni ethi ruwǝzi ŋirŋasa-lɔ ŋuuŋun, nǝ ethi aari a@lina ŋɔma ŋuuŋun, nǝ tok nɔŋw mithǝ ṯɔgwori ṯindinyanna-thi ṯurvǝ naana lǝlu-ttuk ṯǝthi ŋgwa kwuthuuthur, kwinḏi ethi kee ŋirŋasa-ŋi, 23 nǝ nɔŋw naŋni ethi ruwǝzi ŋinithǝ-lɔ ŋuuŋun ŋɔppa, ŋa ŋibalsar-nyji naana, nyiiŋǝ kila lir lǝthi ŋimɽi ŋuuŋun nyiiŋǝ kila limǝŋwsi kette-lɔ cɔgwo-cɔwop ethaavi ŋinithi ŋuuŋun. 24 Nǝ nyiiŋǝ kila lɔrnɔṯɔŋwsi, liti lɔrnɔṯɔŋwsi ki Yahuuḏ-nǝ ṯɔɽɔk mac, laakin ki Umam-na tok. 25 Kaka nandisa-ŋgwɔ Hawsha@-ŋgi naarɔ-ŋgwɔŋw,
“Kila liti lir lizi liinyi mac ǝnyji ruusi ‘lizi liinyi’,
nǝ kila liti lamɽa-nyji mac nyji ǝccǝŋw ‘nyii kwamɽa-ŋǝsi’.”
26 “Nǝ kǝzir-ṯǝ wa wette-wette nǝccǝr-siŋw,
‘Ŋaaŋa liti lir lizi liinyi mac’,
ǝrsi ǝccǝŋw ŋaaŋa linḏi ethoro nyɔr nyir nyoŋwor nyǝthi
Allah wumiithɔ.”
27 Nǝ Isha@ya aari kwɔɔla ŋiɽaŋal-ŋi ŋǝthi Israa-iil, nɔŋwaarɔŋw, “Mǝ kinnǝni ŋwɔɔɽɔ ŋwɔthi nyɔr nyǝthi Israa-iil oro kaka kifirṯa kǝthi bahar, ǝrtǝ kilaaw kila lǝɽinnǝ ṯɔɽɔk; 28 kaka ninḏi-gwɔ Kweeleny ethi ṯimmasi hɔkwɔma wuuŋwun kworo fittak ki-lizi lǝthi ṯurmun.” 29 Kaka nandisa Isha@ya ŋiɽiiya-ŋi naarɔ-ŋgwɔŋw,
“Ǝŋgi-nyji Kweeleny kwǝthi ŋɔma ere ǝɽicci nyuŋwsi
nyɔɔrɔ mac,
ǝŋgiroro kaka Saḏɔɔm-ŋwɔ, mindaŋ ǝŋgir aaɽanni
@amɔɔra-ŋwɔ.”
Israa-iil-ŋǝ Kwɔrɔstɔ-gi.
30 E-ta a kwǝr aari tha? Umam witi wɔnaŋninna ŋirllalɔ mac, wɔmaavi ŋirllalɔ ṯǝmminǝ-thi; 31 laakin Israa-iil kwɔnaŋninna ŋirllalɔ ki-ṯɔgwagiza-la ṯǝthi Sherii@a nɔŋweere ɔvthasi mac ethisi ṯimmasi kworo ŋǝthi Sherii@a ŋgwa. 32 Arpa? Kaka niti ninaŋninnǝr-gwɔlɔ ṯǝmminǝ-thi mac, laakin nǝr naŋninnalɔ ŋothɽor-ŋi, ŋwɔṯaŋw nǝr-mǝ ṯɔgdanni kall-gi. 33 Kaka nɔlɔɔthɔnar-gwɔ ŋaarɔŋw,
“Iisar-ṯi nyii ŋgwɔ kwɔgette kaali-lɔ Sihyɔɔn-na kǝthi-gi
ṯɔgdasi lizi,
liiɽiiya linḏisi ethisi ṯiŋaṯṯa;
nǝ Weere kwǝmminci ŋunduŋw a ṯɔrony ere yee-na
kwokwony mac.”