Ròm 4
1 Kisa n'a di konsènan Abraram, granpapa nou? Kisa l' te jwenn?
What then, it may be asked, are we to say about Abraham, the ancestor of our nation?
2 Si se sa Abraram te fè a ki te fè Bondye fè l' gras, li ta mèt fè grandizè. Men, li pa ka fè sa devan Bondye.
If he was pronounced righteous as the result of obedience, then he has something to boast of. Yes, but not before God.
3 Men sa ki ekri nan Liv la: Abraram te mete konfyans li nan Bondye, se poutèt sa Bondye fè l' gras.
For what are the words of scripture? “Abraham had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.”
4 Moun ki fè yon travay resevwa lajan pou sa l' fè a. Lajan yo ba li a, se pa yon favè, ni se pa kado yo fè li. Se yon bagay yo dwe li.
Now wages are regarded as due to the person who works, not as a favour, but as a debt;
5 Okontrè, moun ki pa fè okenn travay pou yo dwe li kichòy, men ki mete konfyans li nan Bondye sèlman, Bondye k'ap fè tout moun ki meprize l' yo gras, ap fè moun sa yo gras tou paske yo mete konfyans yo nan li.
while, as for the person who does not rely on their obedience, but has faith in him who can pronounce the godless righteous, their faith is regarded by God as righteousness.
6 Se sa David te vle di, lè l' deklare: yon moun Bondye fè gras san Bondye pa gade sou sa l' fè, se moun konsa ki beni:
In precisely the same way David speaks of the blessing pronounced on the person who is regarded by God as righteous apart from actions –
7 Ala bon sa bon pou moun lè Bondye padonnen peche yo, lè Bondye pa gade sou fòt yo fè!
“Blessed are those whose wrongdoings have been forgiven and over whose sins a veil has been drawn!
8 Ala bon sa bon pou yon moun lè Bondye pa mande l' kont pou sa li fè ki mal!
Blessed the man whom the Lord will never regard as sinful!”
9 Eske benediksyon sa a se pou moun ki sikonsi yo ase? Eske se pa pou moun ki pa sikonsi yo tou? Nou fèk sot di se paske Abraram te mete konfyans li nan Bondye kifè Bondye te fè l' gras.
Is this blessing, then, pronounced on the circumcised only or on the uncircumcised as well? We say that – “Abraham’s faith was regarded by God as righteousness.”
10 Kilè sa te rive? Eske se te anvan Abraram te sikonsi an, osinon nan apre? Non. Se pa t' nan apre. Se te anvan li te sikonsi.
Under what circumstances, then, did this take place? After his circumcision or before it?
11 Se lontan apre sa Abraram te resevwa sikonsizyon an tankou yon letanp. Se te mak ki te pou moutre Bondye te fè l' gras, paske li te kwè anvan menm li te sikonsi. Se poutèt sa Abraram se papa tout moun ki mete konfyans yo nan Bondye, menm si yo pa sikonsi. Moun sa yo, Bondye ap fè yo gras.
Not after, but before. And it was as a sign of this that he received the rite of circumcision – to show the righteousness due to the faith of an uncircumcised man – in order that he might be the father of all who have faith in God even when uncircumcised, so that they also may be regarded by God as righteous;
12 Abraram se papa moun ki sikonsi yo tou. Pa paske yo sikonsi ase, men paske yo menm tou yo swiv egzanp konfyans Abraram, papa nou, te gen nan Bondye anvan menm li te sikonsi.
as well as father of the circumcised – to those who are not only circumcised, but who also follow our father Abraham in that faith which he had while still uncircumcised.
13 Bondye te pwomèt Abraram ak pitit pitit li yo pou l' te ba yo tout latè pou eritaj. Bondye pa t' fè pwomès sa a paske Abraram te fè sa lalwa mande, men paske Abraram te gen konfyans nan li. Se sak fè Bondye te fè l' gras.
For the promise that he should inherit the world did not come to Abraham or his descendants through Law, but through the righteousness due to faith.
14 Si sa Bondye te pwomèt la se te pou moun ki fè sa lalwa a mande, moun pa ta bezwen gen konfyans nan Bondye ankò; pwomès li a pèdi tout valè li.
If those who take their stand on Law are to inherit the world, then faith is robbed of its meaning and the promise comes to nothing!
15 Poukisa? Paske lalwa rale kòlè Bondye sou moun. Men, kote ki pa gen lalwa, moun pa ka dezobeyi lalwa.
Law entails punishment; but, where no Law exists, no breach of it is possible.
16 Konsa, Bondye fè pwomès la pou moun ki gen konfyans nan li. Se sak fè, pwomès la se yon favè Bondye pou tout pitit pitit Abraram yo, pa sèlman pou moun ki fè sa lalwa Moyiz la mande, men pou tout moun ki gen konfyans nan Bondye menm jan Abraram te gen konfyans nan li a. Abraram se papa nou tout,
That is why everything is made to depend on faith: so that everything may be God’s gift, and in order that the fulfilment of the promise may be made certain for all Abraham’s descendants – not only for those who take their stand on the Law, but also for those who take their stand on the faith of Abraham. (He is the father of us all;
17 jan sa ekri nan Liv la: Mwen fè ou tounen zansèt moun anpil nasyon. Wi, Abraram se papa nou tout devan Bondye, li te mete konfyans li nan Bondye ki fè moun mouri yo leve vivan ankò, nan Bondye ki kreye tout bagay ki pa t' la.
as scripture says – “I have made you the father of many nations.”) And this they do in the sight of that God in whom Abraham had faith, and who gives life to the dead, and speaks of what does not yet exist as if it did.
18 Abraram te gen konfyans nan Bondye, li t'ap tann pwomès la, malgre lè sa a li pa t' gen okenn rezon pou l' te tann ankò. Se sak fè li tounen zansèt moun anpil nasyon dapre sa Bondye te di l': Pitit pitit ou yo va anpil.
With no ground for hope, Abraham, sustained by hope, put faith in God; in order that, in fulfilment of the words – “So many will your descendants be,” he might become “the father of many nations.”
19 Lè sa a, Abraram te prèt pou gen santan sou tèt li. Men, konfyans li pa t' febli lè l' te gade kò l' ki te fin ale, epi pou l' te wè Sara, madanm li, ki pa t' ka fè pitit ankò.
Though he was nearly a hundred years old, yet his faith did not fail him, even when he thought of his own body, then utterly worn out, and remembered that Sarah was past bearing children.
20 Non, li pa t' pèdi konfyans nan Bondye, li pa t' janm mete nan tèt li pwomès Bondye a te ka pa rive. Okontrè, li te vin gen plis konfyans toujou; epi li t'ap chante lwanj Bondye.
He was not led by want of faith to doubt God’s promise.
21 Li te gen fèm konviksyon Bondye te gen pouvwa pou l' te fè sa l' te pwomèt la.
On the contrary, his faith gave him strength; and he praised God, in the firm conviction that what God has promised he is also able to carry out.
22 Se konsa, poutèt konfyans Abraram te gen nan Bondye a, Bondye fè l' gras.
And therefore his faith “was regarded as righteousness.”
23 Men, se pa pou Abraram sèlman yo te ekri pawòl sa yo: Li fè li gras.
Now these words – “it was regarded as righteousness” – were not written with reference to Abraham only;
24 Pawòl sa yo te ekri pou nou tou. L'ap fè nou gras tou, nou menm ki mete konfyans nou nan moun li fè soti vivan pami mò yo, Jezikri, Seyè nou an.
but also with reference to us. Our faith, too, will be regarded by God in the same light, if we have faith in him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead;
25 Se Jezi sa a ki te mouri pou peche nou yo epi ki leve soti vivan ankò pou fè Bondye fè nou gras.
for Jesus was given up to death to atone for our offences, and was raised to life that we might be pronounced righteous.
