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]
Was wollen wir denn sagen von unserem Vater Abraham, daß er dem Fleische nach erlangt habe?
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].
Denn wenn Abraham durch Werke gerechtfertigt ward, so hatte er Ruhm, aber nicht bei Gott.
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}.
Denn was sagt die Schrift? Abraham glaubte Gott, und es ward ihm zur Gerechtigkeit gerechnet.
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].
Dem aber, der Werke tut, wird der Lohn nicht aus Gnade zugerechnet, sondern aus Schuldigkeit.
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].
Dem aber, der nicht Werke tut, aber an Den glaubt, Der den Gottlosen gerecht macht, wird sein Glaube zur Gerechtigkeit gerechnet.
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]:
Wie denn auch David den Menschen selig preist, dem Gott Gerechtigkeit zurechnet ohne Werke:
7 [God] is pleased with people whose sins have been {whose sins [he] has} forgiven, and whose sins he [has decided] to forget [DOU].
Selig sind die, denen die Missetaten vergeben und deren Sünden bedeckt sind.
8 [God] causes to be happy the people whose sins he no longer keeps a record of.
Selig ist der Mann, dem der Herr die Sünde nicht zurechnet.
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].
Geht nun dieses Seligpreisen auf die Beschneidung oder auch auf die Vorhaut? Denn wir sagen, daß dem Abraham der Glaube zur Gerechtigkeit gerechnet ward.
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.
Wie ward er ihm nun angerechnet? In der Beschneidung, oder in der Vorhaut? nicht in der Beschneidung, sondern in der Vorhaut.
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.
Und das Zeichen der Beschneidung empfing er als Siegel der Gerechtigkeit des Glaubens in der Vorhaut, auf daß er Vater würde aller derer, die da glauben in der Vorhaut, auf daß auch ihnen die Gerechtigkeit zugerechnet werde;
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.
Und auch Vater der Beschneidung denen, die nicht nur in der Beschneidung sind, sondern auch in die Fußstapfen ihres Vaters Abraham treten, da dieser noch in der Vorhaut Glauben bewies.
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.
Denn nicht durch das Gesetz ist dem Abraham oder seinem Samen die Verheißung geworden, daß er Erbe der Welt werden sollte, sondern durch die Gerechtigkeit des Glaubens.
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].
Denn wenn die, welche das Gesetz haben, Erben sind, so ist der Glaube zunichte gemacht und die Verheißung aufgehoben,
Weil das Gesetz Zorn bewirkt; wo aber kein Gesetz ist, da ist auch keine Übertretung,
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].
Darum ward sie gegeben wegen des Glaubens, auf daß die Verheißung aus Gnade allem Samen gesichert wäre, nicht allein dem, der unter dem Gesetz ist, sondern auch dem, der den Glauben Abrahams hat, der unser aller Vater ist,
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],
Wie denn geschrieben steht: Ich habe dich zum Vater vieler Völker gemacht; vor dem Gott, Dem er Glauben schenkte, Der die Toten lebendig macht, und das, was nicht ist, ins Dasein ruft.
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.
Der gegen Hoffnung auf Hoffnung glaubte, daß er Vater vieler Völker werden würde.
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],
Und weil er nicht nachließ im Glauben und nicht in Betracht nahm seinen bereits abgestorbenen Leib, weil er schon hundert Jahre alt war, und auf den abgestorbenen Mutterleib der Sarah,
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].
Zweifelte er nicht ungläubig an der Verheißung Gottes, sondern blieb stark im Glauben, und gab Gott die Ehre;
21 He was also convinced {very sure} that the thing that God promised, God was able to do.
Und war voll überzeugt, daß Er, was Er verheißen, auch zu erfüllen die Macht hat.
22 And that is the reason that the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}.
Darum ward es ihm auch zur Gerechtigkeit gerechnet;
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.
Aber es ward nicht allein um seinetwillen geschrieben, daß es ihm zugerechnet wurde, sondern auch um unsertwillen, denn es wird zugerechnet werden,
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.
So wir an Den glauben, Der unseren Herrn Jesus von den Toten auferweckt hat,
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.
Der um unserer Übertretungen willen hingegeben ward, und um unserer Rechtfertigung willen auferweckt worden ist.
