KwabaseRoma 4

1 Pho-ke sizakuthi uAbrahama ubaba wethu wazuzani ngokwenyama?

So then, what shall we say that Abraham had achieved, who is our father according to the flesh?

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

For if Abraham was justified by works, he would have glory, but not with God.

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

For what does Scripture say? “Abram believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.”

4 Kodwa kulowo osebenzayo kabalelwa iholo ngokomusa, kodwa ngokomlandu.

But for he who works, wages are not accounted according to grace, but according to debt.

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

Yet truly, for he who does not work, but who believes in him who justifies the impious, his faith is reputed unto justice, according to the purpose of the grace of God.

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

Similarly, David also declares the blessedness of a man, to whom God brings justice without works:

7 Babusisiwe abaziphambeko zabo zithethelelwe labazono zabo zisitshekelwe.

“Blessed are they whose iniquities have been forgiven and whose sins have been covered.

8 Ubusisiwe umuntu iNkosi engasoze yambalela isono.

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord has not imputed sin.”

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

Does this blessedness, then, remain only in the circumcised, or is it even in the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was reputed to Abraham unto justice.

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

But then how was it reputed? 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;

For he received the sign of circumcision as a symbol of the justice of that faith which exists apart from circumcision, so that he might be the father of all those who believe while uncircumcised, so that it might also be reputed to them unto justice,

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

and he might be the father of circumcision, not only for those who are of circumcision, but even for those who follow the footsteps of that faith which is in 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, and to his posterity, that he would inherit the world, was not through the law, but through the justice of faith.

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

For if those who are of the law are the heirs, then faith becomes empty and the Promise is abolished.

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

For the law works unto wrath. And where there is no law, there is no law-breaking.

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 according to grace that the Promise is ensured for all posterity, not only for those who are of the law, but also for those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all before God,

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

in whom he believed, who revives the dead and who calls those things that do not exist into existence. For it is written: “I have established you as the father of many nations.”

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

And he believed, with a hope beyond hope, so that he might become the father of many nations, according to what was said to him: “So shall your posterity be.”

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

And he was not weakened in faith, nor did he consider his own body to be dead (though he was then almost one hundred years old), nor the womb of Sarah to be dead.

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

And then, in the Promise of God, he did not hesitate out of distrust, but instead he was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

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

knowing most fully that whatever God has promised, he is also able to accomplish.

22 Ngalokho-ke kwabalelwa kuye ukuthi yikulunga.

And for this reason, it was reputed to him unto justice.

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

Now this has been written, that it was reputed to him unto justice, not only for his sake,

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

but also for our sake. For the same shall be reputed to us, if we believe in him who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead,

25 owanikelwa ngenxa yeziphambeko zethu, wavuswa ngenxa yokulungisiswa kwethu.

who was handed over because of our offenses, and who rose again for our justification.