YebeRoma
4 Alo-ke, sizakuthi khuyini eyazuzwa ngu-Abrahama, ukhokhwethu? 2 Ngokwesibonelo, ngathana u-Abrahama kwathiwa ulungile ngebanga lemisebenzi, bekazokuba nesizathu sokuzikhakhazisa kodwana ingasi kuZimu. 3 Ngombana ithini imitlolo? “U-Abrahama wakholwa kuJehova,* waqalwa njengolungileko.”+ 4 Nje-ke emuntwini osebenzako, umrholwakhe awuqalwa njengomusa omkhulu kodwana njengento akolodwa yona. 5 Ngakwelinye ihlangothi, emuntwini ongathembeli emisebenzinakhe kodwana okholwa kuZimu othi isoni silungile, ukukholwa kwakhe kuqalwa njengokulunga.+ 6 Njengombana noDavida akhuluma ngokuthaba komuntu uZimu amqala njengolungileko ngaphandle kwemisebenzi: 7 “Bayathaba labo izenzo zabo zokweqa umthetho ezilitjalelweko nezono zabo ezigutjuzesiweko;* 8 uyathaba umuntu uJehova* angekhe ambalele isono sakhe.”+
9 Alo-ke kuthaba abantu abasokileko kwaphela namkha kuthaba nabantu abangakasoki?+ Ngombana sithi: “Ukukholwa kwaka-Abrahama kwamenza olungileko.”+ 10 Alo-ke kwathiwa ulungile ngaphasi kwabuphi ubujamo? Ngesikhathi asokile namkha angakasoki? Bekangakasoki. 11 Wafumana itshwayo+ okutjho, ukusoka njengesiqinisekiso sokulunga ngokukholwa ebekanakho ngesikhathi angakasoki bona abe nguyise wabo boke abakholwa+ bangakasoki ukuthi nabo kuthiwe balungile 12 nokuthi abe nguyise wabantwana abasokileko, ingasi kwabanamathela ekusokeni kwaphela kodwana nalabo abakhamba ngokuhleleka emtlhaleni wokukholwa ubabethu u-Abrahama+ ebekanakho ngesikhathi angakasoki.
13 Ngombana isithembiso sokuthi uzokuba yindlalifa yephasi+ azange size ku-Abrahama namkha ebantwaneni bakhe* ngomthetho kodwana ngokulunga okuza ngokukholwa.+ 14 Ngombana nangabe labo abanamathela emthethweni baziindlalifa, ukukholwa akusanamsebenzi nesithembiso sisuliwe. 15 Eqinisweni umThetho uveza ilaka+ kodwana lapho kunganamthetho khona, akukho nokweqa umthetho.+
16 U-Abrahama wafumana isithembiso sokuba yindlalifa ngebanga lokukholwa begodu kwaba kubonakaliswa komusa kaZimu omkhulu+ ngombana isithembiso besingebanga lokukholwa bona isithembiso sizaliseke kiso soke isizukulwana* sakhe,+ ingasi kilabo abanamathela emThethweni kwaphela kodwana nakilabo abanamathela ekukholweni kwaka-Abrahama, ubabethu soke.+ 17 (Lokhu kunjengombana kutloliwe: “Ngikukhethe bona ube nguyise weentjhaba ezinengi.”)+ Lokhu bekuphambi kwakaZimu, obekakholwa kuye, owenza abafileko baphile begodu abize izinto ezingekho njengokungathi zikhona.* 18 Nanyana bekunganabanga lethemba kodwana ngokusekelwe ethembeni, wakholwa ukuthi uzokuba nguyise weentjhaba ezinengi ngokuvumelana nalokho okwatjhiwo: “Zizokuba njalo-ke iinzukulwana zakho.”+ 19 Nanyana angazange abogaboge ekukholweni kwakhe, wacabanga ngomzimbakhe, ebesele unjengofileko (njengombana bekaneminyaka eli-100 ubudala)+ nokufa kwesibeletho* sakaSara.+ 20 Ngebanga lesithembiso sakaZimu, azange azaze ngokungabi nokukholwa kodwana waba namandla ekukholweni kwakhe, adumisa uZimu 21 begodu aqiniseka kwamambala ukuthi lokho uZimu akuthembisileko uyakghona nokukwenza.+ 22 Ngalokho-ke, “waqalwa njengolungileko.”+
23 Nanyana kunjalo, amezwi athi “ulungile” azange atlolwe ngebanga lakhe kwaphela+ 24 kodwana nangebanga lethu, kuzokuthiwa silungile ngombana sikholelwa kuye ovuse uJesu iKosethu kwabafileko.+ 25 Wanikelwa ngebanga lemitjhaphwethu+ begodu wavuswa bona kuthiwe silungile.+