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]
那麼，我們對於按照血統作我們祖宗的亞巴郎，可以說什麼呢？
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].
如果亞巴郎是由於行為，成為義人，他就可以自誇了；但不是在天主前，
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}.
因為經上說：『亞巴郎信了天主，天主就此算為他的正義。』
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].
給工作的人工資，不算是恩惠，而是還債；
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].
但為那沒有工作，而信仰那使不虔敬的人復義之主的，這人的信德為他便算是正義，這才是恩惠。
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]:
正如達味也稱那沒有功行，而蒙天主恩賜算為正義的人，是有福的一樣：
7 [God] is pleased with people whose sins have been {whose sins [he] has} forgiven, and whose sins he [has decided] to forget [DOU].
『罪惡蒙赦免，過犯得遮掩的人，是有福的；
8 [God] causes to be happy the people whose sins he no longer keeps a record of.
上主不歸咎於他的人，是有福的。』
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].
那麼，這種福分是僅加於受割損的人呢？還是也加於未受割損的人呢？我們說過：「亞巴郎的信德為他算為正義。」
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.
那麼，由什麼時候算起呢？是在他受割損以後，而是在他未受割損的時候。
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.
他後來領受了割損的標記，只是作為他未受割損時，因信德獲得正義的印證。如此，亞巴郎作了一切未受割損而相信的人的父親，使他們也同樣因信德而算為正義；
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.
同時也作受割損者的父親，就是那些不僅受割損，而且也追隨我們的祖宗亞巴郎，在未受割損時所走的信德之路的人。
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.
因為許給亞巴郎和他的後裔的恩許，使他作世界的承繼者，並不是藉著法律，而是藉著因信德而獲得的正義，
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].
因為假使屬於法律的人才是承繼者，那麼信德便是空虛的，恩許就失了效力，
因為法律只能激起天主的義怒：那裡沒有法律，那裡就沒有違犯。
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].
為此，一切都是由於信德，為的是一切本著恩寵，使恩許為亞巴郎所有的一切後裔堅定不移，不僅為那屬於法律的後裔，而且也為那亞巴郎有信德的後裔，因為他是我們眾人的父親，
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],
正如經上所載：『我已立你為萬民之父；』亞巴郎是在他所信的天主面前，就是在叫死者復活，叫那不存在的成為存在的那位面，前作我們眾人的父親。
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.
他在絕望中仍懷著希望而相信了，因此便成了萬民之父，正如向他所預許的：『你的後裔也要這樣多。』
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],
他雖然快一百歲，明知自己的身體已經衰老，撒辣的胎也已絕孕；但他的信心卻沒有衰弱，
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].
對於天主的恩許總沒有因不信而猶疑，反而信心堅固，歸光榮於天主，
21 He was also convinced {very sure} that the thing that God promised, God was able to do.
且滿心相信天主所應許的，必予完成。
22 And that is the reason that the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}.
天主就以此算為他的正義。
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.
『算為他的正義』這句話，不是單為他個人寫的，
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.
而且也是為了我們這些將來得算為正義的人，即我們這些相信天主使我們的主耶穌，由死者中復活人寫的；
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.
這耶穌曾為了我們的過犯被交付，又為使我們成義而復活。
