Romans 4
1 Abraham is the [revered] ancestor of us [Jews]. So think about what we can conclude [from what happened to Abraham about how God can erase the record of our sins]. [RHQ]
让我们以亚伯拉罕为例。从人类的角度来看，他是我们国家的祖先。那么问题是：他经历了什么？
2 If it was because of Abraham’s doing [good] things that the record of his sins was erased {that [God] erased the record of his sins}, Abraham could then have been able to boast [about that to people], but he would not have [had any basis to] boast to God [about it].
如果亚伯拉罕因其行为而被称为正义，他可能会因此而夸口，但决不能在上帝面前。
3 [Remember that] in the Scriptures it is written {someone wrote} [PRS] that Abraham believed what God [promised] [RHQ], and as a result the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}.
经文是怎么说的？“亚伯拉罕相信上帝，所以就被视为正确行事的善良之人。”
4 If we receive wages for work that we do, those wages are not considered to be a gift. Instead, they [are considered] to be what we have earned. [Similarly, if God erases the record of our sins because we did things to earn God’s favor], we would not consider that [God’s erasing the record of our sin] was [a gift. Instead, we would consider it as what we had earned].
做工的人会获得酬劳，但不算是恩赐，而是他们应得的。
5 But suppose that we do not do things [to gain God’s acceptance]. Suppose that we instead trust [in God], who erases the record of sins of wicked people. Then the erasing of the record of our sins because of our trusting [in Christ] is considered to be a gift to us, [not something that we earned].
上帝让罪人转为正义，将他们视为正义之人，因为他们相信上帝，为上帝而工作。所以
6 Similarly, it is as David wrote [in the Psalms] about people being happy whose record of sins God has erased even though they have not done things [to earn it. David wrote]:
大卫说过，上帝视为正义之人有福，并非是他们做工的一种交换！
7 [God] is pleased with people whose sins have been {whose sins [he] has} forgiven, and whose sins he [has decided] to forget [DOU].
“那些过错获得赦免、罪恶得到宽恕之人，如此有福，
8 [God] causes to be happy the people whose sins he no longer keeps a record of.
主没有将其视为有罪，如此有福。”
9 As for our being happy [because God has erased the record of our sins], (it is not something that [only] we Jews [can experience]./is it [MTY] something that [only] we Jews [can experience]?) [RHQ] [No, it is] also something that non-Jews [can experience] [MTY]. [What is written in the Scriptures], that it was because Abraham trusted [in God] that the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}, [also shows that this is true].
那么这福气只属于犹太人吗？或者也属于其他人？我们刚刚说过，亚伯拉罕被视为善良正义，是因为他相信上帝。
10 ([Think about] when [God erased the record of Abraham’s sins]./When did [God erase the record of Abraham’s sins]?) [RHQ] (Consider whether [it happened] after someone circumcised [Abraham to mark him as one who belonged to God], or before someone circumcised him./[Did it happen] after [Abraham was] circumcised [to be marked as one who belonged to God], or before he was circumcised?) [RHQ] It happened before he was circumcised, not after he was circumcised.
那么，这又在何时发生呢？在亚伯拉是犹太人的时候，还是更早？
11 [Many years later, God commanded that] Abraham [be] circumcised. Abraham’s accepting that ritual simply showed [that he knew that God had accepted him]. [He knew that God] had [erased the record of his sins] because he trusted [in God] while he was still, [in effect, a non-Jew because] he had not been circumcised. [So we can understand that] Abraham became (a spiritual ancestor/like an ancestor) to [all] of us whose record of sins has been erased {whose sins [God] has erased the record of} because we believe [in God’s promise, even though some of us] are not circumcised.
其实是在他领受割礼之前，割礼确认了他对上帝的信任，这让他成为正义之人。这发生在他受割礼之前，所以他是所有相信上帝、被上帝视为正义之人的祖先，即使这些人没有受割礼成为犹太人也是如此。
12 Likewise, Abraham is the [spiritual] ancestor of all us Jews who are not merely circumcised but who, more importantly, [believe in God’s promise] as our ancestor Abraham did, even before he was circumcised.
他也是受割礼之人的父，不仅因为他们受割礼，还因为他们遵循我们祖先亚伯拉罕的例子，他在受割礼之前就信上帝。
13 God promised Abraham and his descendants that they would receive [the blessings that he promised to give to the people in] the world. But when he promised that, it was not because Abraham [obeyed] the laws [that God later gave to Moses]. Instead, it was because Abraham believed [that God would do what he promised that he would do]. As a result, God erased the record of his sins.
上帝承诺亚伯拉罕和他的后裔：这个世界将属于他。但这个承诺并非因他遵循律法，而是因为他相信上帝而变成良善正直之人。
14 If [we think that] it is those who [obey God’s] laws who will receive [what he has promised], it is useless [for us to trust in him. And what he] promised is worthless. [Remember that] it is [stated] in God’s law [PRS] [that] he will punish [people who do not perfectly obey them], and remember that wherever [MTY] laws exist, [people] disobey them [LIT].
如果这承诺的传承是根据律法而来，那么就无所谓相信上帝与否，承诺也就没有了意义。
因为律法会带来惩罚。但如果没有律法，就谈不上违背律法。
16 So it is because [we] trust [in God that we will receive the things that he has promised]. [It is not because we perfectly obey God’s laws. He wants] (to [erase the record of our sins/to declare us no longer guilty]) without our earning it. As a result, what God now promises, he guarantees to give to all people who are [Abraham’s spiritual] descendants. [He promises to do that not only for us Jewish believers], who [have] God’s laws [and trust in him as Abraham did], but also for those [non-Jews who do not have God’s laws but] who trust [in him] as Abraham did. Abraham is the [spiritual] ancestor of all of us [believers].
所以这承诺是基于对上帝的相信。上帝将其作为恩赐馈赠，是向所有亚伯拉罕的子孙做出的承诺，不只是那些遵循律法之人，还包括相信众人之父亚伯拉罕的所有人。
17 What is written {What [Moses] wrote} [in the Scriptures about what God promised Abraham shows that this is true]. [God said to him], “It is in order that you [(sg)] may be the ancestor of many ethnic groups that I have chosen you.” Romans 4:17b-22 God [guaranteed that he would give Abraham many descendants]. Abraham confidently believed that God [would do that],
如经文所记：“我已立你为万国之父。”在上帝面前，亚伯拉罕相信上帝，那让人起死回生、造物于世的上帝。
18 even though there was no physical reason for him to hope [that he would have descendants, because he and his wife were too old to bear children]. But God is the one who causes dead people to live again, and who talks about things that do not yet exist as already existing. [God said to Abraham], “You will have so many descendants that they will be [as impossible to count as the stars].” And Abraham believed that, and he believed that he would become the ancestor of many ethnic groups.
在没有希望的时候，亚伯拉罕仍心怀希望地相信上帝，这让他成为众人之父，正如上帝所承诺：“所以你将有众多的后裔！”
19 He did not doubt [that God would do what he promised], even though he knew that his body was already [as incapable of begetting children as if he were] dead [MET] because he was about 100 years old. And [even though he realized that] Sarah had never been able to become pregnant [IDM],
他近一百岁时，感到自己的身躯已行将朽木，撒拉也无法生育，但他对上帝的信丝毫未曾减弱，
20 he did not doubt at all that God [would do what he had] promised. Instead, he trusted [in God] more/very strongly, and he thanked God [for what God was going to do].
他坚信上帝的承诺，从未有丝毫怀疑。相反，他更坚定地相信上帝，将荣耀给予上帝。
21 He was also convinced {very sure} that the thing that God promised, God was able to do.
他完全确信上帝承诺之事，上帝必能成就。
22 And that is the reason that the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}.
这就是为什么上帝将亚伯拉罕视为正义之人。
23 The words [in the Scriptures], “The record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins},” are not only about Abraham.
“亚伯拉罕被视为正义之人”这句话，不只是为他而写，
24 They were also written {[They] also wrote that} for us whose record of sins would be erased {[God] would erase}. They were written {[They] wrote it} for us who believe [God], the one who caused our Lord Jesus to become alive again after he died.
也为我们而写，我们中会有人被上帝视为正义之人，因为我们相信上帝让主耶稣死而复活。
25 Jesus allowed [men] to execute [MTY] him so that [God could forgive] our evil deeds. And [God] caused Jesus to live again because [God wanted to show that because of the death of Jesus he was able to] erase the record of our sins.
耶稣因我们的罪而受到背叛并送死，又通过复活让我们成为良善正直之人。
