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]
如此說來，我們的祖宗亞伯拉罕憑着肉體得了甚麼呢？
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].
倘若亞伯拉罕是因行為稱義，就有可誇的；只是在上帝面前並無可誇。
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}.
經上說甚麼呢？說：「亞伯拉罕信上帝，這就算為他的義。」
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].
做工的得工價，不算恩典，乃是該得的；
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].
惟有不做工的，只信稱罪人為義的上帝，他的信就算為義。
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]:
正如大衛稱那在行為以外蒙上帝算為義的人是有福的。
7 [God] is pleased with people whose sins have been {whose sins [he] has} forgiven, and whose sins he [has decided] to forget [DOU].
他說： 得赦免其過、遮蓋其罪的， 這人是有福的。
8 [God] causes to be happy the people whose sins he no longer keeps a record of.
主不算為有罪的， 這人是有福的。
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].
如此看來，這福是單加給那受割禮的人嗎？不也是加給那未受割禮的人嗎？因我們所說，亞伯拉罕的信，就算為他的義，
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.
是怎麼算的呢？是在他受割禮的時候呢？是在他未受割禮的時候呢？不是在受割禮的時候，乃是在未受割禮的時候。
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.
並且他受了割禮的記號，作他未受割禮的時候因信稱義的印證，叫他作一切未受割禮而信之人的父，使他們也算為義；
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.
又作受割禮之人的父，就是那些不但受割禮，並且按我們的祖宗亞伯拉罕未受割禮而信之蹤跡去行的人。
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.
因為上帝應許亞伯拉罕和他後裔，必得承受世界，不是因律法，乃是因信而得的義。
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].
若是屬乎律法的人才得為後嗣，信就歸於虛空，應許也就廢棄了。
因為律法是惹動忿怒的；哪裏沒有律法，那裏就沒有過犯。
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].
所以人得為後嗣是本乎信，因此就屬乎恩，叫應許定然歸給一切後裔；不但歸給那屬乎律法的，也歸給那效法亞伯拉罕之信的。
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],
亞伯拉罕所信的，是那叫死人復活、使無變為有的上帝，他在主面前作我們世人的父。如經上所記：「我已經立你作多國的父。」
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.
他在無可指望的時候，因信仍有指望，就得以作多國的父，正如先前所說：「你的後裔將要如此。」
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],
他將近百歲的時候，雖然想到自己的身體如同已死，撒拉的生育已經斷絕，他的信心還是不軟弱；
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].
並且仰望上帝的應許，總沒有因不信心裏起疑惑，反倒因信心裏得堅固，將榮耀歸給上帝，
21 He was also convinced {very sure} that the thing that God promised, God was able to do.
且滿心相信上帝所應許的必能做成。
22 And that is the reason that the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}.
所以，這就算為他的義。
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.
「算為他義」的這句話不是單為他寫的，
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.
也是為我們將來得算為義之人寫的，就是我們這信上帝使我們的主耶穌從死裏復活的人。
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.
耶穌被交給人，是為我們的過犯；復活，是為叫我們稱義。
