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4

UAbrahama walungisiswa ngokholo

1 Pho-ke sizakuthi uAbrahama ubaba wethu wazuzani ngokwenyama? 2 Ngoba uba uAbrahama walungisiswa ngemisebenzi, ulokuzincoma, kodwa hayi phambi kukaNkulunkulu. 3 Ngoba umbhalo uthini? Uthi: Njalo uAbrahama wakholwa kuNkulunkulu, kwasekubalelwa kuye ukuthi yikulunga. 4 Kodwa kulowo osebenzayo kabelwa iholo ngokomusa, kodwa ngokomlandu. 5 Kodwa kulowo ongasebenziyo, kodwa ekholwa kuye olungisisa oweyisa uNkulunkulu, ukholo lwakhe lubalelwa ukuthi yikulunga. 6 Njengoba laye uDavida ekhuluma ngokubusiswa komuntu, uNkulunkulu ambalela ukulunga ngaphandle kwemisebenzi esithi: 7 Babusisiwe abathethelelwe iziphambeko zabo lalabo abazono zabo zisitshekelwe. 8 Ubusisiwe umuntu iNkosi engasoze yambalela isono.

9 Ngakho lokhukubusiswa kuphezu kokusoka yini, kumbe laphezu kokungasoki? Ngoba sithi: Ukholo lwabalelwa kuAbrahama ukuthi yikulunga. 10 Pho lwabalelwa njani? Lapho esekusokeni yini, kumbe ekungasokini? Hatshi ekusokeni, kodwa ekungasokini. 11 Wasesemukela isibonakaliso sokusoka, uphawu lokulunga kokholo ayelakho ekungasokini; ukuze abe nguyise wabo bonke abakholwayo ekungasokini, ukuze ukulunga kubalelwe lakibo; 12 loyise wokusoka kulabo abangaveli ekusokeni kuphela, kodwa lakulabo abahamba ezinyathelweni zokholo lukababa wethu uAbrahama olwalungayisilo lokusoka.

13 Ngoba kasingomlayo isithembiso kuAbrahama kumbe kunzalo yakhe, ukuthi uzakuba yindlalifa yomhlaba, kodwa ngokulunga kokholo. 14 Ngoba uba labo abomlayo beyizindlalifa, ukholo lwenziwe ize, lesithembiso senziwa ize; 15 ngoba umlayo uveza ulaka; ngoba lapho okungekho khona umlayo, kakukho njalo ukweqa. 16 Ngakho kungeyokholo, ukuze kube ngokomusa, ukuze isithembiso siqiniseke enzalweni yonke, hayi engeyomlayo kuphela kodwa lakuyo engeyokholo lukaAbrahama, ongubaba wethu sonke, 17 (njengokubhaliweyo ukuthi: Ngikumisile ukuthi ube nguyise wezizwe ezinengi) phambi kwakhe akholwa kuye, uNkulunkulu, owenza abafileyo baphile, lobiza izinto ezingekho ngokungathi zikhona. 18 Owathi emelane lethemba wakholwa ngethemba, ukuthi uzakuba nguyise wezizwe ezinengi, njengalokho okwatshiwo ukuthi: Izakuba njalo inzalo yakho. 19 Njalo kabanga buthakathaka ekholweni, kanakanga umzimba wakhe uqobo owawusufile, ngoba wayesengaba leminyaka elikhulu, lokufa kwesizalo sikaSara; 20 kodwa kathandabuzanga ngesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu ngokungakholwa, kodwa waqiniswa ekholweni, enika uNkulunkulu udumo, 21 njalo eqinisekile ngokupheleleyo ukuthi lokho akuthembisileyo, njalo ulamandla okukwenza. 22 Ngalokho-ke kwabalelwa kuye ukuthi yikulunga. 23 Kodwa kakubhalwanga ngenxa yakhe yedwa, ukuthi kwabalelwa kuye; 24 kodwa langenxa yethu, esizabalelwa khona, abakholwa kuye owavusa uJesu iNkosi yethu kwabafileyo, 25 owanikelwa ngenxa yeziphambeko zethu, njalo wavuswa ngenxa yokulungisiswa kwethu.

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