1I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, 3Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
7What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded 8(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. 9And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: 10Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. 11I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. 12Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
13For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 14If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. 15For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 16For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 24For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
25For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Mabaki Ya Israeli
111:1 Law 26:46; Za 94:14; 2Kor 11:22; Flp 3:5Basi nauliza: Je, Mungu amewakataa watu wake? La, hasha! Mimi mwenyewe ni Mwisraeli, tena uzao wa Abrahamu kutoka kabila la Benyamini. 211:2 Rum 8:29; 11:1; 1Fal 19:10, 14Mungu hajawakataa watu wake, ambao yeye aliwajua tangu mwanzo. Je, hamjui yale Maandiko yasemayo kuhusu Eliya, jinsi alivyomlalamikia Mungu kuhusu Israeli? 311:3 1Fal 19:10, 14Alisema, “Bwana, wamewaua manabii wako na kuzibomoa madhabahu zako, nimebaki mimi peke yangu, nao wanataka kuniua?” 411:4 1Fal 19:18Je, Mungu alimjibuje? “Nimejibakizia watu elfu saba ambao hawajapiga magoti kumwabudu Baali.” 511:5 Rum 9:27; 3:24Vivyo hivyo pia, sasa wapo mabaki waliochaguliwa kwa neema ya Mungu. 611:6 Rum 4:4; Gal 3:18Lakini ikiwa wamechaguliwa kwa neema, si tena kwa msingi wa matendo. Kama ingekuwa kwa matendo, neema isingekuwa neema tena.
711:7 Rum 9:31; 9:18Tuseme nini basi? Kile kitu ambacho Israeli alikitafuta kwa bidii hakukipata. Lakini waliochaguliwa walikipata. Waliobaki walifanywa wagumu, 811:8 Mt 13:13-15; Kum 29:4; Isa 29:10kama ilivyoandikwa:
“Mungu aliwapa bumbuazi la mioyo,
macho ili wasiweze kuona,
na masikio ili wasiweze kusikia,
hadi leo.”
911:9 Za 69:22, 23; 35:8Naye Daudi anasema:
“Karamu zao na ziwe tanzi na mtego wa kuwanasa,
kitu cha kuwakwaza waanguke, na adhabu kwao.
1011:10 Za 69:22, 23; Rum 11:8Macho yao yatiwe giza ili wasiweze kuona,
nayo migongo yao iinamishwe daima.”
Matawi Yaliyopandikizwa
1111:11 Mdo 13:46; Rum 10:19; 11:1Hivyo nauliza tena: Je, Waisraeli walijikwaa ili waanguke na kuangamia kabisa? La, hasha! Lakini kwa sababu ya makosa yao, wokovu umewafikia watu wa Mataifa, ili kuwafanya Waisraeli waone wivu. 1211:12 Rum 11:25Basi ikiwa kukosa kwao kumekuwa utajiri mkubwa kwa ulimwengu, tena kama kuangamia kwao kumeleta utajiri kwa watu wa Mataifa, kurudishwa kwao kutaleta utajiri mkuu zaidi.
1311:13 Mdo 9:15Sasa ninasema nanyi watu wa Mataifa. Maadamu mimi ni mtume kwa watu wa Mataifa, naitukuza huduma yangu 1411:14 1Kor 10:33; 1The 2:16; Mt 1:21; Lk 2:11ili kuwafanya watu wangu waone wivu na hivyo kuwaokoa baadhi yao. 1511:15 Rum 5:10; Lk 15:24, 32Kwa kuwa ikiwa kukataliwa kwao ni kupatanishwa kwa ulimwengu, kukubaliwa kwao si kutakuwa ni uhai baada ya kufa? 1611:16 Law 23:10, 17; Hes 15:18-21Kama sehemu ya donge la unga uliotolewa kuwa limbuko ni mtakatifu, basi unga wote ni mtakatifu, nalo shina kama ni takatifu, vivyo hivyo na matawi nayo.
1711:17 Yer 11:16; Yn 15:2; Mdo 2:39; Efe 2:11-13Lakini kama baadhi ya matawi yalikatwa, nawe chipukizi la mzeituni mwitu ukapandikizwa mahali pao ili kushiriki unono pamoja na matawi mengine kutoka shina la mzeituni, 1811:18 Yn 4:22; 1Kor 10:12basi usijivune juu ya hayo matawi. Kama ukijivuna, kumbuka jambo hili: si wewe unayelishikilia shina, bali ni shina linalokushikilia wewe. 19Basi utasema, “Matawi yale yalikatwa ili nipate kupandikizwa katika hilo shina.” 2011:20 1Kor 10:12; 2Kor 1:24; Rum 12:16; 1Tim 6:17; 1Pet 1:17Hii ni kweli. Matawi hayo yalikatwa kwa sababu ya kutokuamini kwake, lakini wewe umesimama tu kwa sababu ya imani. Kwa hiyo usijivune, bali simama kwa kuogopa. 21Kwa maana kama Mungu hakuyahurumia matawi ya asili, wala hatakuhurumia wewe.
2211:22 Rum 2:4; Ebr 3:6; Yn 15:2Angalia basi wema na ukali wa Mungu: Kwa wale walioanguka, ukali, bali kwako wewe wema wa Mungu, kama utadumu katika wema wake. La sivyo, nawe utakatiliwa mbali. 2311:23 2Kor 3:16Wao nao wasipodumu katika kutokuamini kwao, watapandikizwa tena kwenye shina, kwa maana Mungu anao uwezo wa kuwapandikiza tena kwenye hilo shina. 2411:24 Yer 11:16Ikiwa wewe ulikatwa kutoka kile ambacho kwa asili ni mzeituni mwitu na kupandikizwa kinyume cha asili kwenye mzeituni uliopandwa, si rahisi zaidi matawi haya ya asili kupandikizwa tena kwenye shina lake la mzeituni!
Israeli Wote Wataokolewa
2511:25 Rum 1:13; 1Kor 10:1; 12:1; 2Kor 1:8; 1The 4:13; Rum 12:16; Lk 21:24Ndugu zangu, ili msije mkajidai kuwa wenye hekima kuliko mlivyo, nataka mfahamu siri hii: Ugumu umewapata Israeli kwa sehemu hadi idadi ya watu wa Mataifa watakaoingia itimie. 2611:26 Isa 45:17; Yer 31:34Hivyo Israeli wote wataokolewa. Kama ilivyoandikwa:
“Mkombozi atakuja kutoka Sayuni;
ataondoa kutokumcha Mungu katika Yakobo.
2711:27 Isa 59:20, 21; 27; 9; Ebr 8:10, 12Hili ndilo agano langu nao
nitakapoziondoa dhambi zao.”
2811:28 Rum 5:10; Kum 7:8; 10:15; Rum 9:5Kwa habari ya Injili, wao ni adui wa Mungu kwa ajili yenu, lakini kuhusu kule kuteuliwa kwao ni wapendwa, kwa ajili ya mababa zao wa zamani, 2911:29 Rum 8:28; Ebr 7:21kwa maana akishawapa watu karama, Mungu haziondoi, wala wito wake. 3011:30 Efe 2:2; Kol 3:7Kama vile ninyi wakati fulani mlivyokuwa waasi kwa Mungu lakini sasa mmepata rehema kwa sababu ya kutokutii kwao, 31hivyo nao Waisraeli wamekuwa waasi ili kwamba wao nao sasa waweze kupata rehema kwa ajili ya rehema za Mungu kwenu. 3211:32 Rum 3:9; Gal 3:22; 1Tim 2:4Kwa maana Mungu amewafunga wanadamu wote kwenye kuasi ili apate kuwarehemu wote.
Wimbo Wa Shukrani
3311:33 Rum 2:4; Mhu 8:17; Efe 3:10; Kol 2:3; Za 92:5; 139:6; Isa 40:28Tazama jinsi kilivyo kina cha utajiri
wa hekima na maarifa ya Mungu!
Tazama jinsi ambavyo hukumu zake hazichunguziki,
na ambavyo njia zake zisivyotafutikana!
3411:34 Isa 40:13, 14; Ay 15:8; 36:22; Yer 23:18; 1Kor 2:16“Ni nani aliyeyafahamu mawazo ya Bwana?
Au ni nani ambaye amekuwa mshauri wake?”
3511:35 Ay 41:11; 35:7“Au ni nani aliyempa chochote
ili arudishiwe?”
3611:36 1Kor 8:6; 11:12; Kol 1:16; 1Pet 5:11; 1Tim 1:17; Ebr 2:10; Efe 3:21; Rum 16:27; Yud 25; Ufu 5:13Kwa maana vitu vyote vyatoka kwake, viko kwake na kwa ajili yake.
Utukufu ni wake milele! Amen.
