1 H e pono taku korero i roto i a te karaiti, kahore aku teka, a e whakaae ana toku hinengaro ki ahau i roto i te Wairua Tapu,

I am speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying; my conscience by the Holy Spirit bearing witness with me

2 H e nui atu toku pouri, mau tonu te mamae o toku ngakau.

That I have bitter grief and incessant anguish in my heart.

3 H e pai hoki ki ahau me i kanga ahau, me i motuhia i a te Karaiti, he whakaaro ki oku teina, ara ki oku whanaunga o te wahi ki te kikokiko:

For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off and banished from Christ for the sake of my brethren and instead of them, my natural kinsmen and my fellow countrymen.

4 N o Iharaira nei ratou; no ratou nei te whakatamarikitanga, te kororia, nga kawenata, te homaitanga o te ture, te karakia ki te Atua, me nga kupu whakaari;

For they are Israelites, and to them belong God’s adoption and the glorious Presence (Shekinah). With them were the special covenants made, to them was the Law given. To them worship was revealed and promises announced.

5 N o ratou nei nga matua, no ratou ano a te Karaiti i te wahi ki te kikokiko, ko ia nei kei runga ake i nga mea katoa, ko te Atua e whakapaingia ana ake ake. Amine.

To them belong the patriarchs, and as far as His natural descent was concerned, from them is the Christ, Who is exalted and supreme over all, God, blessed forever! Amen (so let it be).

6 E hara ia i te mea kua taka te kupu a te Atua. Ko te hunga hoki o Iharaira, ehara i te mea no Iharaira katoa:

However, it is not as though God’s Word had failed. For it is not everybody who is a descendant of Jacob (Israel) who belongs to Israel.

7 A hakoa he uri no Aperahama, ehara ratou katoa i te tamariki: engari, Kei a Ihaka te whakaingoatanga mo ou uri.

And they are not all the children of Abraham because they are by blood his descendants. No, Your descendants will be called and counted through the line of Isaac.

8 A ra, ehara i te mea ko nga tamariki a te kikokiko nga tamariki a te Atua, engari ko nga tamariki a te kupu whakaari, ko ratou ka kiia he uri.

That is to say, it is not the children of the body who are made God’s children, but it is the offspring to whom the promise applies that shall be counted descendants.

9 H e kupu whakaari hoki tenei, Kia taka tenei wa ka haere mai ahau, a ka whanau he tama ma Hera.

For this is what the promise said, About this time will I return and Sarah shall have a son.

10 N a ehara i te mea ko tenei anake; i a Ripeka ano ia kua hapu i tetahi, ara i a Ihaka, i to matou matua;

And not only that, but this too: Rebecca conceived by our forefather Isaac,

11 I nga tama hoki kahore ano i whanau noa, kahore ano hoki i mahi i te pai, i te kino ranei, he mea kia u ai ta te Atua i whakatakoto ai mo te whiriwhiringa, ehara i nga mahi, engari na te kaikaranga;

And the children were yet unborn and had so far done nothing either good or evil. Even so, in order further to carry out God’s purpose of selection (election, choice), which depends not on works or what men can do, but on Him Who calls,

12 K a korerotia ki a ia, Ko te tuakana hei pononga ma te teina:

It was said to her that the elder should serve the younger.

13 K o te mea ia i tuhituhia, Kua aroha ahau ki a Hakopa, kua kino ki a Ehau.

As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated (held in relative disregard in comparison with My feeling for Jacob).

14 K a pehea ai i kona ta tatou korero? He tikanga he koia kei te Atua? Kahore rapea.

What shall we conclude then? Is there injustice upon God’s part? Certainly not!

15 I mea hoki ia ki a Mohi, E tohu ahau i taku e tohu ai, e atawhai ahau ki taku e atawhai ai.

For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion (pity) on whom I will have compassion.

16 N o reira, ehara i te mea na te hiahia o te tangata, na te oma ranei o te tangata, engari na te Atua, ko ia e tohu nei.

So then is not a question of human will and human effort, but of God’s mercy.

17 E mea nei hoki te karaipiture ki a Parao, Mo konei pu ano koe i whakaarahia ai e ahau, kia ai koe hei whakakite i toku kaha, kia korerotia hoki toku ingoa ki te whenua katoa.

For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, I have raised you up for this very purpose of displaying My power in you, so that My name may be proclaimed the whole world over.

18 N a kona, e tohungia ana e ia, ko tana e pai ai, ko tana hoki e pai ai e whakapakeketia ana e ia.

So then He has mercy on whomever He wills (chooses) and He hardens (makes stubborn and unyielding the heart of) whomever He wills.

19 N a, tera koe e mea mai ki ahau, he aha ia i riri tonu ai? ko wai hoki e whakakeke ana ki tana i pai ai?

You will say to me, Why then does He still find fault and blame us ? For who can resist and withstand His will?

20 H a, e te tangata nei, ko wai koe hei whakahoki kupu ki te Atua? Ma te mea hanga koia e mea ki tona kaihanga, He aha ahau i hanga ai e koe kia penei?

But who are you, a mere man, to criticize and contradict and answer back to God? Will what is formed say to him that formed it, Why have you made me thus?

21 H e teka ianei kei te kaihanga riri te tikanga mo te paru, kia hanga tetahi wahi o taua mea kotahi i pokepokea hei oko rangatira, tetahi wahi hei mea ware?

Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same mass (lump) one vessel for beauty and distinction and honorable use, and another for menial or ignoble and dishonorable use?

22 H e aha hoki, mehemea, i tona whakaaro kia whakakitea tona riri, a kia whakaputaina tona kaha, ka whakaririka te Atua i runga i te manawanui ki nga oko o te riri, e rite rawa nei mo te whakangaro?

What if God, although fully intending to show His wrath and to make known His power and authority, has tolerated with much patience the vessels (objects) of anger which are ripe for destruction?

23 K ia whakakitea ano hoki e ia nga rawa o tona kororia ki nga oko o te mahi tohu, kua rite noa ake nei i a ia mo te kororia,

And He thus purposes to make known and show the wealth of His glory in the vessels (objects) of His mercy which He has prepared beforehand for glory,

24 A ra ki a tatou, i karangatia e ia, ehara i te mea no nga Hurai anake, engari no nga tauiwi ano hoki?

Even including ourselves whom He has called, not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles (heathen)?

25 K o tana kupu ano tena i ta Hohea, Ka kiia e ahau tera ko toku iwi, ehara nei i te iwi noku; a he wahine e arohaina ana te wahine kihai i arohaina.

Just as He says in Hosea, Those who were not My people I will call My people, and her who was not beloved My beloved.

26 A tenei ake, i te wahi i korerotia ai ki a ratou, Ehara koutou i te iwi noku; ko reira ratou kiia ai he tama na te Atua ora.

And it shall be that in the very place where it was said to them, You are not My people, they shall be called sons of the living God.

27 K o ta Ihaia karanga hoki mo Iharaira, Ahakoa i rite te tokomaha o nga tama a Iharaira ki te onepu o te moana, ko te toenga kau e ora:

And Isaiah calls out (solemnly cries aloud) over Israel: Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, only the remnant (a small part of them) will be saved '> from perdition, condemnation, judgment]!

28 M a te Ariki hoki e whakatutuki tana kupu ki runga i te whenua, mana e whakaoti, mana e poro tata.

For the Lord will execute His sentence upon the earth, rigorously cutting it short in His justice.

29 A , e ki ra a Ihaia i mua ra, Me kahore te toe i te Atua o nga mano he whanau mo tatou, kua pera tatou me Horoma, kua rite ano hoki ki Komora.

It is as Isaiah predicted, If the Lord of hosts had not left us a seed, we would have fared like Sodom and have been made like Gomorrah.

30 N a, kia pehea ta tatou korero? Ko nga tauiwi, kihai nei i whai i te tika, kua tae ratou ki te tika, ara ki te tika, na te whakapono.

What shall we say then? That Gentiles who did not follow after righteousness have attained it by faith,

31 K o Iharaira ia, whai ana i tetahi ture o te tika, kihai ratou i tae ki taua ture.

Whereas Israel, though ever in pursuit of a law of righteousness (right standing with God), actually did not succeed in fulfilling the Law.

32 N a te aha? Na te mea kihai ratou i whai i runga i te whakapono, engari ano na runga i nga mahi. I tutuki hoki o ratou waewae ki te kamaka tutukitanga;

For what reason? Because not through faith, relying on the merit of their works. They have stumbled over the Stumbling Stone.

33 K o te mea hoki ia i tuhituhia, nana, ka whakatakotoria e ahau ki Hiona he kamaka tutukitanga, he kohatu whakahinga: na, ko te tangata e whakapono ana ki a ia, e kore e meinga kia whakama.

As it is written, Behold I am laying in Zion a Stone that will make men stumble, a Rock that will make them fall; but he who believes in Him shall not be put to shame nor be disappointed in his expectations.