Waebrania 12

Bwana atufunza kuwa na nidhamu

1 Sisi tunalo kundi hili kubwa la mashahidi mbele yetu. Kwa hiyo tuondoe kila kizuizi kinachotuzuia, na dhambi ile inayotungangania. Tupige mbio kwa uvumilivu katika mashindano yaliyowekwa mbele yetu. 2 Tumwelekee Yesu ambaye ndiye aliyeianzisha imani yetu na ambaye ataikamilisha. Kwa ajili ya furaha iliyokuwa inamngojea, yeye alivumilia kifo msalabani, bila kuijali aibu yake, na sasa anaketi upande wa kulia wa kiti cha enzi cha Mungu.

3 Fikirini juu ya mambo yaliyompata Yesu, jinsi alivyostahimili upinzani mkubwa kwa watu wenye dhambi. Basi, msife moyo, wala msikate tamaa. 4 Maana katika kupambana na dhambi, nyinyi hamjapigana mpaka kiasi cha kumwaga damu yenu. 5 Je, mmesahau yale maneno ya kutia moyo ambayo Mungu anawataja nyinyi kuwa wanawe? “Mwanangu, usidharau adhabu ya Bwana, wala usife moyo anapokukanya.

6 Maana Bwana humpa nidhamu kila anayempenda, humwadhibu kila anayekubali kuwa mwanawe.”

7 Vumilieni adhabu kwani ni mafundisho; Mungu huwatendea nyinyi kama wanawe. Maana ni mwana gani asiyeadhibiwa na baba yake? 8 Lakini msipoadhibiwa kama wana wengine, basi, nyinyi si wanawe, bali ni wana haramu. 9 Zaidi ya hayo, sisi tunawaheshimu wazazi wetu waliotuzaa hata wanapotuadhibu. Basi, tunapaswa kumtii zaidi Baba yetu wa kiroho ili tupate kuishi. 10 Wazazi wetu hapa duniani walituadhibu kwa muda, kama wao wenyewe walivyoona kuwa vema; lakini Mungu anatuadhibu kwa ajili ya faida yetu wenyewe, tupate kuushiriki utakatifu wake. 11 Kuadhibiwa si jambo la kufurahisha bali la kuhuzunisha. Lakini wale waliofunzwa kuwa na nidhamu mwishowe watavuna tuzo la amani kutoka katika maisha adili.

Mafundisho na maonyo

14 Jitahidini kuishi kwa amani na watu wote. Ishini maisha ya utakatifu, kwa sababu hakuna mtu atakayemwona Bwana bila ya maisha kama hayo. 15 Jitahidini sana mtu yeyote asije akapoteza neema ya Mungu. Muwe waangalifu ili mti mchungu usizuke kati yenu na kuwaua wengi kwa sumu yake. 16 Jihadharini ili miongoni mwenu pasiwe na mtu mwasherati au mtu asiyemcha Mungu kama Esau, aliyeuza haki yake ya mzaliwa wa kwanza kwa mlo mmoja. 17 Nyinyi mnafahamu kwamba hata alipotaka kuipata tena ile baraka iliyokuwa yake, alikataliwa, maana hakupata tena nafasi ya kutubu, ingawa aliitafuta kwa machozi.

18 Nyinyi hamkuwasili mlimani Sinai, ambao unaweza kushikika kama walivyofanya watu wa Israeli; hamkufika kwenye moto uwakao, penye giza, tufani, 19 mvumo wa tarumbeta na sauti ya maneno. Wale waliosikia sauti hiyo waliomba wasisikie tena neno lingine, 20 kwani hawakuweza kustahimili amri iliyotolewa: “Atakayegusa mlima huu, hata kama ni mnyama, atapigwa mawe.” 21 Hayo yote yalionekana ya kutisha mno, hata Mose akasema, “Naogopa na kutetemeka.”

22 Lakini nyinyi mmefika katika mlima wa Siyoni, kwenye mji wa Mungu aliye hai. Mmefika Yerusalemu, mji wa mbinguni, ambapo wamekusanyika malaika kwa maelfu. 23 Mmefika kwenye kusanyiko kubwa la wazaliwa wa kwanza wa Mungu, ambao majina yao yameandikwa mbinguni. Mnasimama mbele ya Mungu aliye hakimu wa wote, na mbele ya roho za watu waadilifu waliofanywa wakamilifu. 24 Mmefika kwa Yesu ambaye ni mpatanishi katika agano jipya, na ambaye damu yake iliyomwagika inasema mambo mema kuliko ile ya Abeli.

25 Basi, jihadharini msije mkakataa kumsikiliza huyo anayesema nanyi. Kama wale waliokataa kumsikiliza yule aliyewaonya hapa duniani hawakuokoka, sisi tutawezaje kuokoka kama tukikataa kumsikiliza yule anayetuonya kutoka mbinguni? 26 Wakati ule sauti ilitetemesha nchi, lakini sasa ameahidi: “Nitatetemesha nchi tena, lakini si nchi tu bali pia mbingu.” 27 Neno hili: “Tena” linatuonesha kwamba vitu vyote vilivyoumbwa vitatetemeshwa na kutoweka ili vibaki vile visivyotetemeshwa.

28 Sisi basi, na tushukuru, kwani tunapokea ufalme usiotikisika. Tuwe na shukrani na kumwabudu Mungu kwa namna itakayompendeza, kwa ibada na hofu; 29 maana Mungu wetu kweli ni moto mkali unaoteketeza.

Hebrews 12

1 Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,2 looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 For consider him that hath endured such gainsaying of sinners against himself, that ye wax not weary, fainting in your souls.4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin:5 and ye have forgotten the exhortation which reasoneth with you as with sons, My son, regard not lightly the chastening of the Lord, Nor faint when thou art reproved of him;

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, And scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

7 It is for chastening that ye endure; God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father chasteneth not?8 But if ye are without chastening, whereof all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.9 Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness.11 All chastening seemeth for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yieldeth peaceable fruit unto them that have been exercised thereby, even the fruit of righteousness.12 Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down, and the palsied knees;13 and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame be not turned out of the way, but rather be healed.14 Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord:15 looking carefully lest there be any man that falleth short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby the many be defiled;16 lest there be any fornication, or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat sold his own birthright.17 For ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for a change of mind in his father, though he sought it diligently with tears.18 For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,19 and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them;20 for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned;21 and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:22 but ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels,23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,24 and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better than that of Abel.25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not when they refused him that warned them on earth, much more shall not we escape who turn away from him that warneth from heaven:26 whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more will I make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heaven.27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain.28 Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with reverence and awe:29 for our God is a consuming fire.