God Has Not Rejected His People
1 Am I saying that God has turned his back on his people? Certainly not! I am one of the people of Israel, and I myself am a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not turn his back on his chosen people. Don't you remember reading in the Scriptures how Elijah complained to God about the people of Israel? 3 He said, “Lord, they killed your prophets and destroyed your altars. I am the only one left, and now they want to kill me.”
4 But the Lord told Elijah, “I still have 7,000 followers who have not worshiped Baal.” 5 It is the same way now. God treated the people of Israel with undeserved grace, and so a few of them are still his followers. 6 This happened because of God's undeserved kindness and not because of anything they have done. It could not have happened except for God's gift of undeserved grace.
7 This means that only a chosen few of the people of Israel found what all of them were searching for. And the rest of them were stubborn, 8 just as the Scriptures say,
“God made them so stupid
that their eyes are blind,
and their ears
are still deaf.”
9 Then David said,
“Turn their meals
into bait for a trap,
so that they will stumble
and be given
what they deserve.
10 Blindfold their eyes!
Don't let them see.
Bend their backs
beneath a burden
that will never be lifted.”
Gentiles Will Be Saved
11 Do I mean that the people of Israel fell, never to get up again? Certainly not! Their failure made it possible for the Gentiles to be saved, and this will make the people of Israel jealous. 12 But if the rest of the world's people were helped so much by their sin and loss, they will be helped even more by their full return.
13 I am now speaking to you Gentiles, and as long as I am an apostle to you, I will take pride in my work. 14 I hope in this way to make some of my own people jealous enough to be saved. 15 When Israel rejected God, the rest of the people in the world were able to turn to him. So when God makes friends with Israel, it will be like bringing the dead back to life. 16 If part of a batch of dough is made holy by being offered to God, then all of the dough is holy. If the roots of a tree are holy, the rest of the tree is holy too.
17 You Gentiles are like branches of a wild olive tree made to be part of a cultivated olive tree. You have taken the place of some branches that were cut away from it. And because of this, you enjoy the blessings that come from being part of that cultivated tree. 18 But don't think you are better than the branches that were cut away. Just remember you are not supporting the roots of this tree. Its roots are supporting you.
19 Maybe you think those branches were cut away, so you could be put in their place. 20 That's true enough. But they were cut away because they did not have faith, and you are where you are because you do have faith. So don't be proud, but be afraid. 21 If God cut away those natural branches, couldn't he do the same to you?
22 Now you see both how kind and how hard God can be. He was hard on those who fell, but he was kind to you. And he will keep on being kind to you, if you keep on trusting in his kindness. Otherwise, you will be cut away too.
23 If those other branches will start having faith, they will be made a part of that tree again. God has the power to put them back. 24 After all, it wasn't natural for branches to be cut from a wild olive tree and to be made part of a cultivated olive tree. So it is much more likely that God will join the natural branches back to the cultivated olive tree.
The People of Israel Will Be Brought Back
25 My friends, I don't want you Gentiles to be too proud of yourselves. So I will explain the mystery of what has happened to the people of Israel. Some of them have become stubborn, and they will stay like that until the complete number of you Gentiles has come in. 26 In this way all of Israel will be saved, as the Scriptures say,
“From Zion someone will come
to rescue us.
Then Jacob's descendants
will stop being evil.
27 This is what the Lord
has promised to do
when he forgives their sins.”
28 The people of Israel are treated as God's enemies, so the good news can come to you Gentiles. But they are still the chosen ones, and God loves them because of their famous ancestors. 29 God doesn't take back the gifts he has given or disown the people he has chosen.
30 At one time you Gentiles rejected God. But now Israel has rejected God, and you have been shown mercy. 31 And because of the mercy shown to you, they will also be shown mercy. 32 All people have disobeyed God, and that's why he treats them as prisoners. But he does this, so that he can have mercy on all of them.
33 Who can measure the wealth and wisdom and knowledge of God? Who can understand his decisions or explain what he does?
34 “Has anyone known
the thoughts of the Lord
or given him advice?
35 Has anyone loaned
something to the Lord
that must be repaid?”
36 Everything comes from the Lord. All things were made because of him and will return to him. Praise the Lord forever! Amen.
Esilohenda lyaKalunga kAaisraeli
1 Ihe otandi pula: Kalunga okwe ekelahi aantu ye? Aawe, hasho! Ngame mwene Omuisraeli, gwomoluvalo lwaAbraham nomunezimo lyaBenjamin. 2 Kalunga ine ekelahi aantu ye, mboka e ya hogolola okuza petameko. Omwa lesha ndishi ehokololo moka Elia ta tamaneke Aaisraeli koshipala shaKalunga ta ti: 3 “Omuwa, oyo ya dhipaga po aahunganeki yoye noya hanagula po iiyambelo yoye. Ongame awike nda hupu po, ihe otaa kongo ndje, ya dhipage ndje wo.” 4 Eyamukulo ndyoka Kalunga e mu yamukula otali ti ngiini? Otali ti: “Ondi na po natango aalumentu omayuvi gaheyali, mboka inaaya galikana oshikalunga Baal.” 5 Ano osho naanaa shi li ngashingeyi. Opu na omwaalu omushona gwowala gwaamboka Kalunga e ya hogolola molwesilohenda lye. 6 Ehogololo ndika olyopasilohenda lyaKalunga kali na sha niilonga yawo. Oshoka ando okwa li ehogololo lyaKalunga lya li lyi ikwatelela kushoka aantu ye shi longa, ando esilohenda lye kali shi we esilohenda lyashili.
7 Ihe ongiini ano? Aaisraeli inaa mona shoka ya li taye shi lalakanene, ihe osha monika kokangundu okashona hoka Kalunga e ka hogolola. Mbeyaka yalwe oya thitike omakutsi, yaa uve eithano lyaKalunga. 8 Ngaashi enyolo tali ti: “Kalunga okwa kukutike omitima nomadhiladhilo gawo, onkee sigo onena omeho gawo kage wete ko nomakutsi gawo kagu uvite ko.” 9 David kombinga ye ota ti:
“Iililo yawo nayi ya ningile omwigo gwoku ya kwata noku ya yula.
Naa punduke e taa geelwa.
10 Omeho gawo naga tsike,
yaa vule okumona ko.
Naa kale aluhe ya thindilwa pevi komaudhigu.”
11 Nena otandi pula: Aajuda oya pundukilile? Aawe, itashi vulika! Ihe sho ya yono, ehupitho olye ya kaapagani, opo Aajuda ye ya sile efupa. 12 Onkee ano okuyona kwAajuda okwe etele uuyuni omayambeko ogendji, noluhepo lwawo lwopambepo olwe etele aapagani omayambeko ogendji. Ano omayambeko otaga ka kala ge thike peni, uuna omwaalu gwAajuda ayehe tagu ke ya mo!
Ehupitho lyaapagani
13 Ngashingeyi otandi popi kombinga yeni aapagani. Sho ndi li po omutumwa mokati kaapagani, otandi isimanekele oshilonga shandje. 14 Pamwe otashi vulika, aantu yomoshigwana shandje taa ka sila aapagani efupa, opo ndi vule ihe okuhupitha nando oyamwe yomuyo. 15 Oshoka sho ya li ye ekelwahi, nena uuyuni owa hanganithwa naKalunga. Otashi ka kala ano ngiini, uuna taa ka taambwa? Otashi ka kala ongotaa yumudhwa kuusi.
16 Ngele okapambu kotango koshikwiila taka pewa Kalunga, nena oshikwiila ashihe oshe wo. Omidhi dhomuti ngele odha pewa Kalunga, nena iitayi oye wo. 17 Iitayi yimwe yolumono ndoka lwa helelwa, oya teywa ko, e taku tsikwa ihe oshitayi sholumono lwomiihwa. Ne aapagani omwa fa naanaa olumono ndoka lwomiihwa, ihe ngashingeyi otamu yamu mekota lyolumono lwa helelwa iikulya iitoye. 18 Onkee ano ino inenepeka, u dhine iitayi mbyoka ya teywa ko. Ngoye oshitayi showala, hangoye wa humbata ekota, ihe ekota olyo lye ku humbata.
19 Ihe pamwe oto ti: “Eeno osho, ihe iitayi mbyoka oya teywa ko, opo ndi tsikwe ko.” 20 Shika oshoshili. Oyo oya teywa ko, oshoka inaa itaala, manga ngoye owa tulwa peha lyawo, oshoka owi itaala. Ihe ino shi inenepekela, shila kala wa tila. 21 Oshoka Kalunga ngele ina hupitha Aajuda mboka iitayi yopanshitwe, nangoye wo ite ku hupitha. 22 Mpaka otatu mono uuwanawa nuugeyi waKalunga mpoka u thike. Oye ota geele mboka ya shuna monima. Kungoye oye omwaanawa, ngele oto u kwata nawa; ihe ngele hasho, nena nangoye wo oto ka tetwa mo. 23 Aajuda wo ngele taa etha okwaaitaala kwawo, nena otaa shunwa pehala mpoka ya li. Kalunga ota vulu oku ya shuna po natango. 24 Ne aapagani omwa fa oshitayi sholumono lwomiihwa shoka sha teywa ko e tashi tsikwa nuunkulungu kolumono lwa helelwa. Aajuda oya fa olumono ndoka, onkee kombinga yaKalunga oshipu okutsika ko natango iitayi mbyoka ya li ya tewa ko kolumono tuu ndoka.
Esilohenda lyaKalunga kaantu ayehe
25 Aamwameme, opo mwaa kale tamu landula oondunge dheni yene, onda hala oku mu tseyithila oshiholekwa shika kutya kombinga yimwe Aaisraeli oya adhika keikukutiko tali kala sigo omwaalu gwa gwana gwaapagani gwe ya kuKalunga. 26 Ano Aaisraeli ayehe otaa ka hupithwa, ngaashi enyolo tali ti:
“Omuhupithi ota zi muSion,
oye ota kombo mo okudhina Kalunga moluvalo lwaJakob.
27 Otandi dhike ehangano nayo,
sho tandi kutha po oondjo dhawo.”
28 Aajuda oya ningi aatondi yaKalunga omolweni aapagani, oshoka oya tindi elaka etoye. Ihe molwehogololo lyaKalunga oyo aaholike omolwoohekulu. 29 Oshoka Kalunga iha lundulula omadhiladhilo ge kutya ota hogolola lye nota yambeke lye. 30 Ne aapagani omwa li nale inaamu vulika kuKalunga, ihe ngashingeyi Kalunga okwe mu sile ohenda omolwokwaavulika kwAajuda. 31 Osho tuu wo ne sho mwa silwa ohenda, Aajuda oya tindi okuvulika kuKalunga, opo nayo wo ya vule okutaamba esilohenda lyaKalunga ngashingeyi. 32 Oshoka Kalunga okwe ethele ayehe mokwaavulika, opo e ya sile ohenda ayehe.
Kalunga na hambelelwe
33 Ano uuwindji wuuyamba waKalunga ou thike peni! Uunongo noondunge dhe odha hulila peni! Olye ta vulu okufatulula omatokolo ge? Olye ta vulu okuuva ko oondjila dhe? 34 Ngaashi enyolo tali ti:
“Olye a tseya omadhiladhilo gOmuwa?
Olye ta vulu oku mu tsa omayele?
35 Olye e mu pele sha tango,
ye e shi mu galulile?”
36 Oshoka ayihe oya shitwa kuye, omolwe ayihe yi li po notayi shuna kuye.
Kalunga na simanekwe aluheluhe! Amen.
