Romani 4
1 CHE diremo adunque che il padre nostro Abrahamo abbia ottenuto secondo la carne?
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]
2 Perciocchè, se Abrahamo è stato giustificato per le opere, egli ha di che gloriarsi; ma egli non [ha nulla di che gloriarsi] appo Iddio.
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].
3 Imperocchè, che dice la scrittura? Or Abrahamo credette a Dio, e [ciò] gli fu imputato a giustizia.
[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}.
4 Ora, a colui che opera, il premio non è messo in conto per grazia, ma per debito.
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].
5 Ma, a colui che non opera, anzi crede in colui che giustifica l'empio, la sua fede gli è imputata a giustizia.
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].
6 Come ancora Davide dice la beatitudine [esser] dell'uomo, a cui Iddio imputa la giustizia, senza opere, [dicendo]:
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]:
7 Beati coloro, le cui iniquità son rimesse, e i cui peccati son coperti.
[God] is pleased with people whose sins have been {whose sins [he] has} forgiven, and whose sins he [has decided] to forget [DOU].
8 Beato l'uomo, a cui il Signore non avrà imputato peccato.
[God] causes to be happy the people whose sins he no longer keeps a record of.
9 Ora dunque, questa beatitudine [cade] ella [sol] nella circoncisione, ovvero anche nell'incirconcisine? poichè noi diciamo che la fede fu imputata ad Abrahamo a giustizia.
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].
10 In che modo dunque [gli] fu [ella] imputata? mentre egli era nella circoncisione, o [mentre era] nell'incirconcisione? non [mentre era] nella circoncisione, anzi nell'incirconcisione.
([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.
11 Poi ricevette il segno della circoncisione, suggello della giustizia della fede, [la quale egli avea avuta, mentre egli era] nell'incirconcisione, affin d'esser padre di tutti coloro che credono, [essendo] nell'incirconcisione, acciocchè ancora a loro sia imputata la giustizia;
[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.
12 e padre della circoncisione, a rispetto di coloro che non solo son della circoncisione, ma eziandio seguono le pedate della fede del padre nostro Abrahamo, la quale [egli ebbe mentre era] nell'incirconcisione.
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.
13 Perciocchè la promessa d'essere erede del mondo non [fu fatta] ad Abrahamo, od alla sua progenie per la legge, ma per la giustizia della fede.
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.
14 Poichè, se coloro [che son] della legge [sono] eredi, la fede [è] svanita, e la promessa annullata;
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].
15 perciocchè la legge opera ira; ma dove non è legge, eziandio non [vi è] trasgressione.
16 Perciò, è per fede affin d'esser per grazia; acciocchè la promessa sia ferma a tutta la progenie; non a quella solamente [ch'è] della legge, ma eziandio a quella [ch'è] della fede d'Abrahamo; il quale (secondo che è scritto:
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].
17 Io ti ho costituito padre di molte nazioni), è padre di tutti noi davanti a Dio, a cui egli credette, il qual fa vivere i morti, e chiama le cose che non sono, come se fossero.
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],
18 Il quale contro a speranza in isperanza credette; per divenir padre di molte nazioni, secondo che [gli] era stato detto: Così sarà la tua progenie.
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.
19 E, non essendo punto debole nella fede, non riguardò al suo corpo già ammortito, essendo egli d'età presso di cent'anni; nè all'ammortimento della matrice di Sara.
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],
20 E non istette in dubbio per incredulità intorno alla promessa di Dio; anzi fu fortificato per la fede, dando gloria a Dio.
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].
21 Ed essendo pienamente accertato che ciò ch'egli avea promesso, era anche potente da farlo.
He was also convinced {very sure} that the thing that God promised, God was able to do.
22 Laonde ancora [ciò] gli fu imputato a giustizia.
And that is the reason that the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}.
23 Ora, non per lui solo è scritto che gli fu imputato.
The words [in the Scriptures], “The record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins},” are not only about Abraham.
24 Ma ancora per noi, ai quali sarà imputato; i quali crediamo in colui che ha suscitato da' morti Gesù, nostro Signore.
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.
25 Il quale è stato dato per le nostre offese, ed è risuscitato per la nostra giustificazione.
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.
