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]
Nomba twambe cani afwe Bayuda pamushali wetu Abulahamu? Nibyani mbyalacana mubuyumi bwakendi?
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].
Na walalulamikwa ne Lesa kupitila mubintu mbyalensa, nshinga nalacana pakulitukumunina. Nomba liya kulitukumuna pamenso a Lesa sobwe.
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}.
Nomba Mabala alambangaconi? Akute kwambeti “Abulahamu walashoma Lesa, kayi mpwalashoma, Lesa walamubona kwambeti walulama.”
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].
Muntu asebensa ncito, ukute kutambula malipilo. Nomba nteko kwambeti ni cipo sobwe, nsombi tukute kwambeti embyelela kutambula pacebo ca ncito yakendi.
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].
Muntu lashomo kwakubula kushimpila mu ncito shakendi ne kushoma muli Lesa, Lesa eukute kumuboneti nimuyawu, ulu elushomo Lesa ndwakute kulangaula kwambeti abe walulama pamenso akendi.
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]:
Nendi Dafeti walamba copeleco pacindi mpwalambeti ukute colwe uyo Lesa ngwalasuminisheti walulama kwakubula pacebo cabintu mbyalenshi. Walambeti,
7 [God] is pleased with people whose sins have been {whose sins [he] has} forgiven, and whose sins he [has decided] to forget [DOU].
“Bakute colwe bantu Lesa bwalalekelela bwipishi bwabo, Abo mbwalashimanganya bwipishi bwabo,
8 [God] causes to be happy the people whose sins he no longer keeps a record of.
Ukute colwe muntuyo Mwami ngweshakabule kubelengela bwipishi bwakendi.”
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].
Sena colwe ici nica bantu bapalulwa bonka nambi ne babula kupalulwa? Sobwe naboyo babula kupalulwa nikwabo. Pakwinga Mabala ngotulambapo alambangeti, “Abulahamu walashoma Lesa, lino mpwalashoma walacanika kwambeti walulama pamenso a Lesa.”
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.
Nomba ibi byalenshika lilyoni? Sena nipacindi mpwalapalulwa nambi katana? Nkabyalenshika mpwalapalulwa sobwe nsombi nkatana apalulwa.
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.
Kupalulwa kwalenshika panyuma pakendi, kwambeti cikabe cishibisho cebo calushomo lwakendi nambi nkalikuba wapalulwa, nsombi walacanika kwambeti walulama pamenso a Lesa mpwalashoma. Neco Abulahamu nimushali wabo bonse bashoma Lesa, kayi Lesa ukute kumubona kuba muntu walulama nambi nkapalulwa.
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.
Kayi ni mushali wa bonse bapalulwa, kutamba bonka bapalulwa mumubili monka, nsombi uyo ukute kukonka citondesho ca lushomo lwa mushali wetu Abulahamu nkatana apalulwa.
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.
Abulahamu ne bashikulu bakendi balatambula cishomesho cakwambeti cishi capanshi nicikabe cabo. Balatambula cishomesho ici, nteko kupitila mukukonkela Milawo sobwe, nsombi pacebo ca kululama kulafumunga mulushomo.
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].
Neco na cishomesho ca Lesa nicikapewe kuli balakonkelenga Milawo, ekwambeti lushomo luliyawa ncito kayi ne cishomesho ca Lesa nicabulyo.
Milawo ikute kuleta bukalu bwa Lesa, nsombi kwabula Milawo kuliyawa kayi ne kwipwaya.
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].
Neco cishomesho calapewa kupitila mulushomo, kwambeti cibe cipo ca Lesa ncalalaya kuli bonse bashikulu ba Abulahamu ntebo bonka balakonkelenga Milawo, nsombi ne kuli bashoma mbuli Abulahamu ncalensa, pakwinga Abulahamu ni mushali wetu twense.
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],
Pakwinga Mabala alambangeti, “Ndakubiki kwambeti ube mushali wa mishobo ingi ya bantu.” Cishomesho ici Abulahamu walacitambula kuli Lesa ngwalikuba washoma. Endiye Lesa ukute kubweshela buyumi kubantu bafwa, kayi kupitila mu maswi akendi ukute kupesheti bintu byabulapo bibepo.
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.
Lesa walambeti, “bashukulu bakobe nibakafule.” Neco nendi walapitilisha kushoma ne kukabeti nkabyalikuba bintu byeshibikwa, weco nendi walaba mushali wa mishobo ingi ya bantu.
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],
Byaka byakendi byalikuba byakwana pepi mwanda. Nomba lushomo lwakendi luliya kulefuka nambi mubili wakendi walabeti wafwa cebo cakucekula. Neye Sala walikuba wayuma palibunda.
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].
Nendi uliya kutaya lushomo kayi nkalacitonshanya cishomesho ca Lesa sobwe, nsombi walapitilisha kushoma ne kulumbaisha Lesa.
21 He was also convinced {very sure} that the thing that God promised, God was able to do.
Walashomeshesha kwambeti Lesa nakacikonshe kwinsa bintu mbyalamushomesha.
22 And that is the reason that the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}.
Weco, mbuli maswi a Lesa ncalambilingeti, “Lesa walamubona kuba walulama.”
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.
Mabala alambangeti, “Lesa walamubona kwambeti walulama,” Nkalambanga shakendi enka sobwe.
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.
Nsombi alambanga kayi pali njafwe tweshi tukacaniketi twalulama pakushoma Lesa, uyo walapundusha Yesu Mwami wetu kubafu.
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.
Yesu walabengwa kwambeti afwe pacebo ca bwipishi bwetu, kayi walapunduka kubafu kwambeti tube balulama pamenso a Lesa.
