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.
Alla la balafaa Banisirayila ye
1 Wo to m be ñininkaaroo ke la ko, “Fo Alla ye a la moolu bula le baŋ?” Wo te ke noo la muk! Nte faŋo mu Banisirayilankoo le ti, Iburayima koomalankoo, meŋ mu Benjamini lasiloo ti. 2 Alla nene maŋ a la moolu bula, a ye mennu tomboŋ waati jaŋ koomanto. Fo ali maŋ a loŋ, meŋ be safeeriŋ Annabilayi Eliya la kuwo to, ko a ye Banisirayilankoolu tuumi Alla yaa ñaameŋ? 3 A ko, “Maariyo, ì ye i la annabiyomoolu faa le, ì ye i la sadaabodulaalu* boyi. Nte dammaa doroŋ ne tuta jee, aduŋ saayiŋ ì lafita le ka nte fanaa faa.” 4 Bari Alla ye a jaabi muŋ ne la? A ko a ye le ko, “Ŋa moo wuli woorowula le tu baluuriŋ, mennu maŋ sujudi Baali* jalaŋo ye.” 5 Wo ñaa kiliŋo la, hani m̀ be temboo meŋ to teŋ, too doo tuta jee le, Alla ye mennu tomboŋ hiinoo kamma la. 6 Bari niŋ a be dendiŋ hiinoo le la, wo to a maŋ tara dendiŋ kebaaroolu la kotenke, niŋ wo nte hiinoo te ke la noo hiinoo ti kotenke.
7 Wo to, Banisirayilankoolu ka meŋ ñini, ì maŋ wo je. Tomboŋ moolu mennu be ì kono, wolu doroŋ ne ye a je, bari doolu sondomoolu bambanta le 8 ko a be safeeriŋ ñaameŋ:
“Alla ye yaamoo nooroo dii ì la,
ñaalu mennu buka jeroo ke noo,
aduŋ tuloolu mennu buka moyiroo ke,
hani fo bii luŋo la.”
9 Aduŋ Mansa Dawuda ye ñiŋ ne fo ko:
“Allamaa ì la bendulaa domori taabuloo ye kupi ì kaŋ
komeŋ jaloo niŋ kutindiŋo,
a ye ke ì ye kalewo niŋ yankankatoo ti.
10 Ì ñaalu ye dibi fo ì kana jeroo ke noo,
ì ye tu jimiriŋ dunoo koto fo fawu.”
Banisirayila la boyoo niŋ nasiyoŋ koteŋolu la kiisoo
11 Wo to m be ñininkaaroo ke la ko: Fo Banisirayilankoolu boyita le baŋ, fo ì te wuli noo la kotenke? A te ke noo la wo ñaama muk! Bari ì la boyoo kamma la, kiisoo naata nasiyoŋ doolu kaŋ fo Banisirayilankoolu si kiiliyaa. 12 Saayiŋ niŋ ì la jenkoo ye ñiŋ neemoo saabu duniyaa moolu ma, aniŋ ì la boyoo keta neemoo ti nasiyoŋolu ye, wo to ì la tuubi timmariŋo duŋ? A be neemoo le saabu la duniyaa ma, meŋ maŋ ñoŋo soto!
13 Saayiŋ, m baadiŋolu*, m be diyaamu kaŋ alitolu le ye, mennu maŋ ke Yahuudoolu ti. Nte mu kiilaa* le ti moolu ye, mennu maŋ ke Yahuudoolu ti, aduŋ n ka kibiri n na ñiŋ dookuwo kono le, 14 fo n si m baadiŋ Yahuudoolu kiiliyandi, meŋ si a tinna ì doolu si kiisa noo. 15 Biriŋ Alla ye a la moolu bula fo waati, wo naata a niŋ duniyaa moolu diyandi. Wo to, niŋ a be a la moolu jiyaa la kotenke, muŋ ne be ke la? Furewolu si wulindi ka baluu!
16 Niŋ fariña nooniriŋ foloo seneyaata, wo to fariña mondoo muumewo bee le ka seneyaa. Aduŋ niŋ yirisuloo seneyaata, wo to a buloolu fanaa ka seneyaa le. 17 Bari niŋ olifu* yiroo buloo doolu kuntuta, aduŋ ite meŋ keta nuŋ buloo ti wulakono yiroo bala, i naata sunkuru wolu noo to ka ñiŋ olifu yiroo nafaa soto, 18 kana kibiri wo la. Kana i faŋo la kuwo warandi wo yiribuloolu ti, mennu kuntuta. Bari niŋ i be kibiri la, i hakiloo si bula ko, ite maŋ yirisuloolu muta, bari yirisuloolu le ye ite muta. 19 Bari saayiŋ, i si a fo noo ko, “Wo yiribuloolu kuntuta le fo nte si sunkuru noo jee.” 20 Ñiŋ ne mu tooñaa ti, bari Yahuudoolu la lannabaliyaa le ye a tinna ì kuntuta, aduŋ ka bo niŋ i la lannoo doroŋ ne la, i si tu noo i noo to. Wo kamma la, kana i faŋ wara, bari i si sila! 21 Kaatu niŋ Alla maŋ wo olifu yiroo buloolu kaari daameŋ, a te ite fanaa tu la jee.
22 Alla la beteyaa niŋ a la saŋaroo juubee. A saŋarata moolu le kamma, mennu boyita, bari a be beteyaa la ite fee le, niŋ i tententa a la beteyaa kono. Niŋ wo nte, ite fanaa be kuntu la le. 23 Wo ñaa kiliŋo la, hani wo doolu mennu kuntuta, ì be sunkuru la le, niŋ ì maŋ tu ì la lannabaliyaa kono, kaatu Alla ye semboo soto le ka ì sunkuru kotenke. 24 Baawo niŋ ite kuntuta ka bo yiroo bala, meŋ mu wulakono olifu yiroo doroŋ ti, aduŋ i sunkuruta seneyiroo bala, wo to a maŋ ke kuu baa ti ka wo yiroo fansuŋ buloolu sunkuru a bala kotenke.
Banisirayila la kiisoo meŋ ka naa
25 Baadiŋolu, n lafita ali kalamutandi la kulloo le la fo ali la londoo kana tara dendiŋ ali fansuŋ miiroolu la. Wo le mu ñiŋ ti ko, Banisirayila kara doo sondomoo be tara la bambandiŋ ne fo waatoo meŋ na, wo moolu mennu maŋ ke Yahuudoolu ti hapoo ye timma ka Alla la kiisoo soto. 26 Wo koolaa le, Banisirayilankoolu bee si naa kiisa ko a be safeeriŋ ñaameŋ:
“Kiisandirilaa ka naa ka bo Siyoni*,
a be allantaŋyaa bayi la Yaakuba koomalankoolu kono le.”
27 “Wo le be ke la n na kambeŋ kutoo ti n niŋ itolu teema,
niŋ m be ì la junuboolu bee bondi la.”
28 Baawo Yahuudoolu balanta kibaari betoo la le, ì naata ke Alla jawoolu ti alitolu la kuwo kamma la. Bari baawo Alla ye itolu le tomboŋ, itolu keta Alla kanuntewolu le ti ì mumuñolu la kuwo kamma la. 29 Kaatu Alla buka nimisa a la tombondiroo la, sako a la soorifeŋolu.
30 Alitolu mennu maŋ ke Yahuudoolu ti, maŋ Alla la yaamaroolu muta nuŋ. Bari saayiŋ, ali ye Alla la balafaa soto Yahuudoolu la yaamari mutabaliyaa kamma la. 31 Wo ñaa kiliŋo la, Yahuudoolu be yaamari mutabaliyaa le kono saayiŋ, fo balafaa si soto ì fanaa ye, ko alitolu ye a soto nuŋ ñaameŋ. 32 Kaatu Alla ye moolu bee ke yaamari mutabaliyaa le koto fo a si balafaa yitandi moolu bee la.
33 “Tooñaa, Alla la fankoo warata le,
a la ñaameŋo niŋ londoo!
Moo buka a la kiitiyolu kisikisi noo,
a la siloolu buka loŋ noo.”
34 “Jumaa le ye Maariyo la miiroolu loŋ,
waraŋ ka ke a yaamarilaa ti?”
35 “Jumaa le nene ye feŋ dii Alla la,
a ñanta meŋ na juloo joo la.”
36 Kaatu feŋolu bee bota ate le bulu, ì bee sotota ate le la, aduŋ ì bee mu ate le taa ti. Tenturoo niŋ jayiroo be ate le ye fo abadaa. Amiin.
