U-Abhrahama Walungisiswa Ngokukholwa
1Ngakho-ke siyakuthi uzuzeni u-Abhrahama ukhokho wethu ngokwenyama na? 2Ngokuba uma u-Abhrahama walungisiswa ngemisebenzi, unokuzigabisa, kodwa hhayi phambi kukaNkulunkulu. 3Kanti umbhalo uthini na? Uthi: “Kepha u-Abhrahama wakholwa nguNkulunkulu, kwabalelwa kuye kwaba ngukulunga.”
4Kodwa kumuntu osebenzayo, umholo awutholayo awubalelwa kuye ngokomusa, kodwa njengemfanelo yakhe. 5Kepha kulowo ongasebenziyo, nokho ekholwa yilowo olungisisa ongamesabi uNkulunkulu, ukukholwa kwakhe kubalelwa kuye, kube ngukulunga. 6Njengalokhu noDavide ekhuluma ngokubusiswa komuntu, uNkulunkulu ambalela ukulunga ngaphandle kwemisebenzi, ethi:
7“Babusisiwe abazeqo zabo zithethelelwe,
nabazono zabo zisitshekelwe;
8ubusisiwe umuntu iNkosi engayikumbalela isono.”
9Ngakho-ke lokhu kubusiswa ngabe kuqondene nabasokileyo noma nabangasokile yini na? Ngokuba sithi: ukukholwa kwabalelwa ku-Abhrahama, kwaba ngukulunga. 10Kanti kwabalelwa kanjani na? Esesokile noma engakasoki na? Qha, akubanga esesokile, kodwa engakasoki. 11Wasemukela isibonakaliso sokusoka saba luphawu lokulunga kokukholwa ayenakho engakasoki ukuba abe nguyise wabo bonke abakholwayo bengasokile, ukuze ukulunga kubalelwe kubo, 12futhi abe nguyise wabasokileyo, kungabi ngowabasokileyo kuphela, kodwa nowalabo abahamba endleleni yokukholwa, ubaba u-Abhrahama ayenakho engakasoki.
Isithembiso SikaNkulunkulu Semukelwa Ngokukholwa
13Ngokuba isithembiso sokuthi uyakuba yindlalifa yezwe asenziwanga ku-Abhrahama nasolibeni lwakhe ngomthetho, kodwa ngokulunga kokukholwa. 14Uma izindlalifa ziyizo ngenxa yomthetho, ukukholwa kwenziwa ize, nesithembiso asiselutho, 15ngokuba umthetho udala intukuthelo, kodwa lapho ungekho khona umthetho akukho nakweqa.
16Ngalokho, kuya ngokukholwa ukuba kube ngokomusa, ukuze isithembiso siqiniseke enzalweni yonke, kungabi kweyomthetho kuphela, kodwa nakuleyo engeyokukholwa kuka-Abhrahama ongubaba wethu sonke, 17njengokuba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Ngikuqokile ukuba ube nguyise wezizwe eziningi” phambi kwalowo Nkulunkulu akholwa nguye, Yena ophilisa abafileyo, nobiza okungekho kube sengathi kukhona, 18owathi kungekho themba, waba nethemba, wakholwa ukuthi uzakuba nguyise wezizwe eziningi, njengokuba kwashiwo ukuthi: “Luyakuba njalo ulibo lwakho.”
19Akabanga buthakathaka ekukholweni nalapho esewubona umzimba wakhe obusufile, eneminyaka engaba yikhulu, nesibeletho sikaSara sesifile. 20Nokho akasingabazanga isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu ngokungakholwa, kodwa waqina ekukholweni, enika uNkulunkulu udumo, 21eqinisekile ukuthi lokho akwethembisile, unamandla okukwenza. 22Ngakho-ke kwabalelwa kuye, kwaba ngukulunga. 23Lokho akulotshwanga ngenxa yakhe yedwa ukuthi kwabalelwa kuye, 24kodwa nangenxa yethu esiyakubalelwa khona, thina esikholwa nguye owavusa uJesu iNkosi yethu kwabafileyo, 25owanikelwa ngenxa yeziphambeko zethu, wavuswa ngenxa yokulungisiswa kwethu.
