KwabaseRoma 4

1 Pho-ke sizakuthi uAbrahama ubaba wethu wazuzani ngokwenyama?

What then will we say Abraham, our father according to flesh, to have found?

2 Ngoba uba uAbrahama walungisiswa ngemisebenzi, ulokuzincoma, kodwa kungekho phambi kukaNkulunkulu.

For if Abraham was made righteous from works, he has a boast, but not before God.

3 Ngoba umbhalo uthini? Uthi: Kodwa uAbrahama wakholwa kuNkulunkulu, kwasekubalelwa kuye ukuthi yikulunga.

For what does the scripture say? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.

4 Kodwa kulowo osebenzayo kabalelwa iholo ngokomusa, kodwa ngokomlandu.

Now to the man being employed, the wage is not reckoned according to grace, but according to obligation.

5 Kodwa kulowo ongasebenziyo, kodwa ekholwa kuye olungisisa oweyisa uNkulunkulu, ukholo lwakhe lubalelwa ukuthi yikulunga.

But to the man not being employed, but who believes in him who makes the impious man righteous, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.

6 Njengoba laye uDavida ekhuluma ngokubusiswa komuntu, uNkulunkulu ambalela ukulunga ngaphandle kwemisebenzi esithi:

Just as David also tells the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness independent of works,

7 Babusisiwe abaziphambeko zabo zithethelelwe labazono zabo zisitshekelwe.

saying, Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

8 Ubusisiwe umuntu iNkosi engasoze yambalela isono.

Blessed is a man to whom the Lord does, no, not impute sin.

9 Ngakho lokhukubusiswa kuphezu kokusoka yini, kumbe laphezu kokungasoki? Ngoba sithi: Ukholo lwabalelwa kuAbrahama ukuthi luyikulunga.

Is this blessedness therefore upon men of circumcision, or also upon men of uncircumcision? For we say, Faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

10 Pho lwabalelwa njani? Lapho esekusokeni yini, kumbe ekungasokini? Kungekho ekusokeni, kodwa ekungasokini.

How then was it reckoned? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

11 Wasesemukela isibonakaliso sokusoka, uphawu lokulunga kokholo ayelakho ekungasokini; ukuze abe nguyise wabo bonke abakholwayo lanxa bengasokanga, ukuze ukulunga kubalelwe lakibo;

And he received the sign of circumcision, as a seal of the righteousness of his faith during uncircumcision, for him to be father of all those who believe during uncircumcision (for righteousness to also be imputed to them),

12 loyise wokusoka kulabo abangayisibo bokusoka kuphela, kodwa futhi abahamba ezinyathelweni zokholo lukababa wethu uAbrahama ayelalo engakasokwa.

and father of those of circumcision, to those not only of circumcision, but also to those who march in the steps of faith-of that during the uncircumcision of our father Abraham.

13 Ngoba kasingomlayo isithembiso kuAbrahama kumbe kunzalo yakhe, ukuthi uzakuba yindlalifa yomhlaba, kodwa ngokulunga kokholo.

For the promise to Abraham or to his seed, for him to be heir of the world, was not through law, but through a righteousness of faith.

14 Ngoba uba labo abomlayo beyizindlalifa, ukholo lwenziwe ize, lesithembiso senziwa ize;

For if those from law are heirs, faith has been made void, and the promise has been made useless.

15 ngoba umlayo ubanga ulaka; ngoba lapho okungekho khona umlayo, kakukho lokweqa.

For the law works wrath. For where there is no law, neither is there transgression.

16 Ngakho kungokholo, ukuze kube ngokomusa; ukuze isithembiso siqiniseke kuyo yonke inzalo; kungeyisiyo engeyomlayo kuphela kodwa lakuyo engeyokholo lukaAbrahama, ongubaba wethu sonke,

Because of this it is from faith, so that it is according to grace, in order for the promise to be sure to all the seed, not only to the seed from the law, but also to the seed from the faith of Abraham, who is father of us all

17 (njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: Ngikumisile ukuthi ube nguyise wezizwe ezinengi) phambi kwakhe akholwa kuye, uNkulunkulu, ophilisa abafileyo, lobiza izinto ezingekho ngokungathi zikhona.

(as it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations), before him whom he believed, of God who makes the dead alive, and who calls things not existing, as existing.

18 Owathi emelane lethemba wakholwa ngethemba, ukuze abe nguyise wezizwe ezinengi, njengalokho okwatshiwoyo ukuthi: Izakuba njalo inzalo yakho.

Who, against hope, believed in hope, in order for him to become father of many nations according to that which was spoken, So thy seed will be.

19 Njalo kabanga buthakathaka ekholweni, kanakananga umzimba wakhe uqobo owawusufile, ngoba wayesengaba leminyaka elikhulu, lokufa kwesizalo sikaSara;

And not being weak in faith he did not regard his body, which was now deadened (being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb.

20 njalo kathandabuzanga ngesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu ngokungakholwa, kodwa waqiniswa ekholweni, enika uNkulunkulu udumo,

And he did not waver in unbelief at the promise of God, but became strong in faith, giving glory to God,

21 njalo eqinisekile ngokupheleleyo ukuthi lokho ayekuthembisile, ulamandla ngitsho okukwenza.

and being fully assured that what he promised, he was able also to perform.

22 Ngalokho-ke kwabalelwa kuye ukuthi yikulunga.

And therefore it was reckoned to him for righteousness.

23 Kakubhalwanga-ke ngenxa yakhe yedwa, ukuthi kwabalelwa kuye;

Now it was not written because of him alone that it was imputed to him,

24 kodwa langenxa yethu, esizabalelwa khona, thina esikholwa kuye owavusa uJesu iNkosi yethu kwabafileyo,

but also because of us to whom it is going to be imputed, to those who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

25 owanikelwa ngenxa yeziphambeko zethu, wavuswa ngenxa yokulungisiswa kwethu.

who was delivered up for our offenses, and was raised up for our justification.