1 What good is it to be a Jew? What good is it to be circumcised? 2 It is good in a lot of ways! First of all, God's messages were spoken to the Jews. 3 It is true that some of them did not believe the message. But does this mean that God cannot be trusted, just because they did not have faith? 4 No, indeed! God tells the truth, even if everyone else is a liar. The Scriptures say about God,
“Your words
will be proven true,
and in court
you will win your case.”
5 If our evil deeds show how right God is, then what can we say? Is it wrong for God to become angry and punish us? What a foolish thing to ask. 6 But the answer is, “No.” Otherwise, how could God judge the world? 7 Since your lies bring great honor to God by showing how truthful he is, you may ask why God still says you are a sinner. 8 You might as well say, “Let's do something evil, so that something good will come of it!” Some people even claim that we are saying this. But God is fair and will judge them as well.
No One Is Good
9 What does all this mean? Does it mean that we Jews are better off than the Gentiles? No, it doesn't! Jews, as well as Gentiles, are ruled by sin, just as I have said. 10 The Scriptures tell us,
“No one is acceptable to God!
11 Not one of them understands
or even searches for God.
12 They have all turned away
and are worthless.
There isn't one person
who does right.
13 Their words are like
an open pit,
and their tongues are good
only for telling lies.
Each word is as deadly
as the fangs of a snake,
14 and they say nothing
but bitter curses.
15 These people quickly
become violent.
16 Wherever they go,
they leave ruin
and destruction.
17 They don't know how
to live in peace.
18 They don't even fear God.”
19 We know that everything in the Law was written for those who are under its power. The Law says these things to stop anyone from making excuses and to let God show that the whole world is guilty. 20 God doesn't accept people simply because they obey the Law. No, indeed! All the Law does is to point out our sin.
God's Way of Accepting People
21 Now we see how God does make us acceptable to him. The Law and the Prophets tell how we become acceptable, and it isn't by obeying the Law of Moses. 22 God treats everyone alike. He accepts people only because they have faith in Jesus Christ. 23 All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. 24 But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins. 25-26 God sent Christ to be our sacrifice. Christ offered his life's blood, so by faith in him we could come to God. And God did this to show that in the past he was right to be patient and forgive sinners. This also shows that God is right when he accepts people who have faith in Jesus.
27 What is left for us to brag about? Not a thing! Is it because we obeyed some law? No! It is because of faith. 28 We see that people are acceptable to God because they have faith, and not because they obey the Law. 29 Does God belong only to the Jews? Isn't he also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, he is! 30 There is only one God, and he accepts Gentiles as well as Jews, simply because of their faith. 31 Do we destroy the Law by our faith? Not at all! We make it even more powerful.
Eshi Ovajuda ve shi kwete komesho yovapaani
1 Omujuda oku na shike e dule vamwe? Ile epitotanda otali kwafa shike? 2 Heeno, Ovajuda ova pewa shihapu nopaenghedi adishe, tete ova pewa eendjovo daKalunga. 3 Ongahelipi hano? Vamwe ngeenge inava itavela, okuhaitavela kwavo otaku dimi po mbela oudiinini waKalunga? 4 Nandenande. Kalunga na kale omunashili, ndele keshe omunhu omunaipupulu, ngaashi pa shangwa:
“Opo u shiivike oove omuyuki meendjovo doye,
u findane ngeenge to hokololifwa.”
5 Ndelenee oulunde wetu ngeenge tau holola ouyuki waKalunga, ohatu ti ngahelipi opo? Kalunga omulunde mbela, eshi ta handukile ta fulu onya? Nandenande. Ohandi popi panghedi yopanhu. 6 Osheshi ngeenge ongaha, Kalunga ota dulu ngahelipi okutokola ounyuni ngeenge ye ke fi omuyuki? 7 Hano oshili yaKalunga ngeenge tai hololwa nawa koipupulu yange, ye a fimanekwe, oshike hano ame handi tokolwa vali ngaashi omulunde? 8 Omolwashike inatu ningeni ngaashi vamwe moku tu lundila tava ti, ohatu ti vati: “Tu ningeni owii, omo mu dje ouwa?” Etokolo lavo ola yuka.
9 Ongahelipi hano? Otu li po tuu tu va dule? Ahowe, nande okanini. Osheshi opo otwa tomha aveshe, nokutya, aveshe Ovajuda nOvagreka, ove li koshi youlunde, 10 ngaashi pa shangwa:
“Kape na omuyuki nande umwe,
11 kape na omunandunge, kape na ou ta kongo Kalunga;
12 ovo aveshe va pumha mo, aveshe va vayapala;
kape na ou ta longo ouwa, nande umwe.
13 Ominino davo odo eembila da yeuluka,
nomalaka avo tava kotokele,
oudiyo wonhoka u li koshi yomilungu davo;
14 omakanya avo e yadi efingaelo noululu.
15 Eemhadi davo ohadi endelele okutilashi ohonde.
16 Ehanauno noluhepo li li meendjila davo,
17 nondjila yombili vehe i shii.
18 Etilokalunga kali li moipafi yomesho avo.”
19 Ndele fye otu shi shii, ashishe osho omhango tai shi popi, otai shi lombwele ava ve li koshi yomhango, opo okanya keshe ka mutikwe, nounyuni aushe u kale, u netimba koshipala shaKalunga; 20 osheshi kape na omunhu ta ka ninga omuyuki koshipala shaye okoilonga yomhango; osheshi momhango ohamu di eshiivo loulunde.
Ouyuki womeitavelo
21 Ndelenee paife ouyuki waKalunga ou wa hepaululwa komhango nokovaxunganeki, owa holoka uhe nomhango, 22 nokutya, ouyuki waKalunga owomeitavelo laJesus Kristus otau uya mwaaveshe nokwaaveshe ava hava itavele, osheshi kaku na nande etongolo. 23 Osheshi aveshe ova nyona, novehe noshinge shaKalunga, 24 ndele otava yukipalifwa oshali okefilonghenda laye omolwekulilo eli lomuKristus Jesus. 25 Oye ou a tulwa po kuKalunga a ninge Omuhanganifi okeitavelo mohonde yaye, opo a holole ouyuki waye, osheshi monheni yaye Kalunga a efa omatimba a ningwa nale ine a handukila, 26 opo a holole ouyuki waye mefimbo eli lopaife, Ye mwene a kale omuyuki, Ye a yukipalife ou a itavela Jesus.
27 Elitango oli li peni? Ola kufwa po molwomhango yashike? Oyo ei yoilonga? Ahowe, omolwomhango yeitavelo. 28 Onghee hano ohatu ti: Omunhu ota yukipalifwa keitavelo pehe noilonga yomhango. 29 Ile Kalunga okOvajuda aveke mbela? Ke fi kovapaani yo? Heeno, oshili okovapaani yo, 30 osheshi Kalunga Oye umwe ta yukipalifa ovapiti vetanda, omeitavelo, naava inave li pita okeitavelo. 31 Omhango ohatu i dimi po keitavelo? Nandenande, ndelenee ohatu pameke omhango.
