1 Sithini na ke ngobawo uAbraham esiyinzala yakhe?
2 Ukuba ebenziwe ilungisa ngenxa yokufezekisa kwakhe umthetho, ebengaqhayisayo; kodwa ngoku akanandlela yakuqhayisa phambi koThixo.
3 Zithini kanene *iziBhalo? Zithi: “UAbraham wakholwa kuThixo, waza ngenxa yoko wabalelwa ekubeni lilungisa nguThixo.”
4 Kaloku umntu osebenzayo wamkela umvuzo oyimfanelo yakhe, ungesiso isipho.
5 Ke umntu ongathembelanga misebenzini yakhe, koko okholwa kuThixo ogwebela umoni, uba lilungisa phambi koThixo.
6 Unoyolo ke umntu othe waba lilungisa phambi koThixo, engakusebenzelanga oko. Lolu yolo ke uDavide aluncomayo xa athi:
7 “Hayi uyolo lwabaluxolelweyo ukreqo lwabo nguThixo,abazono zabo zingcwatyiweyo.
8 Unoyolo lowo ithe iNkosi ayazibalela kuye izono zakhe.”
9 Ngaba olu yolo lolwamaJuda kuphela? Hayi, lukwalolwazo neentlanga, kuba iziBhalo zithi: “UAbraham wakholwa kuThixo, waza ngenxa yoko wabalelwa ekubeni lilungisa nguThixo.”
10 Waba lilungisa nini? Kwakungaphambi kokwaluka kwakhe okanye emva kwako? Kwakungaphambi kokwaluka kwakhe.
11 Kaloku wathi engekaluki uAbraham, ekholwa kodwa, wabalelwa ekubeni lilungisa nguThixo; waza waluka emva koko. Olu lwaluko ke lwaba luphawu olusisiqinisekiso sobulungisa bakhe. Ngale ndlela ke uAbraham nguyise wabo bonke abathe bakholwa kuThixo, baza benziwa amalungisa nguye nangona bangalukanga.
12 Ukwanguyise wabalukileyo abanganelanga kwaluka nje, kodwa abathe ngokukholwa kuThixo bahamba ekhondweni lika-Abraham, owakholwa engekaluki.
13 UThixo wathembisa uAbraham nenzala yakhe ukuba ihlabathi baya kulima. Esi sithembiso asenziwanga ngakuba ethe wathobela umthetho kaMosis, kodwa wathenjiswa ngenxa yokuba wakholwa, waza wabalelwa ekubeni lilungisa nguThixo.
14 Kaloku ukuba ilifa lifunyanwa kuphela ngâbo bawuthobelayo umthetho, ukukholwa koba kwenziwe into engento, nesithembiso eso singaba sitshitshisiwe.
15 Ingqumbo kaThixo kaloku ibangwa kukwaphulwa komthetho wakhe; kodwa apho ungekhoyo umthetho akukho kwaphulwa kwamthetho.
16 Ngoko ke ilifa lifunyanwa ngokukholwa, oko kukuthi ngesisa. Ngale ndlela isithembiso simiselwe yonke inzala ka-Abraham. Le nzala ke asingabo nje abo bawugcinayo umthetho, kodwa ikwangâbo bakholwayo njengaye. Kaloku uAbraham ngubawo wethu sonke,
17 njengokuba zisitsho *iziBhalo ukuthi: “Ndikwenze uyise wezizwe ezininzi.” KuThixo ke uAbraham ngubawo wethu sonke; lo Thixo uAbraham athe wakholwa kuye; lo Thixo unika abafileyo ubomi; lo Thixo uthetha ngelizwi zitsho izinto ezingekabikho zibekho.
18 UAbraham wakholwa, wathemba, naxa ithemba lalingekho. Wakholwa okokuba woba “nguyise wezizwe ezininzi,” njengoko iziBhalo zitshoyo ukuthi: “Iya kuba ngako ke inzala yakho ukuba ninzi kwayo.”
19 Wayemayela nekhulu leminyaka ezelwe, kodwa akatyhafanga elukholweni akucinga ngokwaluphala kwakhe nangobudlolo bukaSara.
20 Hayi, akasithandabuzanga isithembiso sikaThixo ngokungakholwa; waya esomelela elukholweni, embonga uThixo,
21 eqinisekile ukuba uThixo unako ukukwenza oko akuthembisileyo.
22 Kungoko “wabalelwa ekubeni lilungisa nguThixo.”
23 La mazwi athi “wabalelwa ekubeni lilungisa” akabhekisi kuye yedwa.
24 Hayi, abhekisa nakuthi, thina sasiza kuba ngamalungisa, thina sikholwayo kuThixo owamvusayo uYesu iNkosi yethu kwabafileyo,
25 yena owanikelwa ekufeni ngenxa yezono zethu, waza wabuya wavuswa, ukuze thina sibe ngamalungisa.