Loma 4

1 Pea ka ko ia, pea te tau pehē naʻe maʻu ʻae hā ʻe heʻetau tamai ko ʻEpalahame, ʻi he anga fakasino?

What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, found?

2 He kapau naʻe fakatonuhiaʻi ʻa ʻEpalahame ʻe he ngaahi ngāue, kuo ne maʻu ʻae poleʻanga kae ʻikai ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua.

For if Abraham had been justified by works, he would have had a reason to boast, but not before God.

3 He ʻoku pehē ʻe he tohi ko e hā? “Naʻe tui ʻa ʻEpalahame ki he ʻOtua, pea naʻe lau ia kiate ia ko e māʻoniʻoni.”

For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

4 Pea ko eni, ʻoku ʻikai lau ʻae totongi kiate ia ʻoku ngāue ko e foaki ʻofa, ka ko e meʻa totonu.

Now for him who works, what he is paid is not counted as a gift, but as what is owed.

5 Ka ko ia ʻoku ʻikai ke ngāue, kae tui pe kiate ia ʻoku ne fakatonuhiaʻi ʻae taʻelotu, ʻoku lau ʻene tui ko e māʻoniʻoni.

But for him who does not work but instead believes in the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.

6 ‌ʻO hangē ko e fakamatala foki ʻe Tevita ʻae monūʻia ʻae tangata, ʻaia ʻoku lau ki ai ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae māʻoniʻoni taʻehangāue,

David also pronounces blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness without works.

7 ‌ʻo[pehē], “ʻOku monūʻia ʻakinautolu kuo fakamolemolea ʻenau ngaahi taʻemāʻoniʻoni, pea kuo ʻufiʻufi ʻenau ngaahi angahala.

He said, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

8 ‌ʻOku monūʻia ʻae tangata ʻe ʻikai lau ki ai ʻe he ʻEiki ha angahala.”

Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count sin.”

9 Ko e monūʻia eni ki he kamu pē, pe ki he taʻekamu foki? He ʻoku mau pehē, “ko e tui ʻa ʻEpalahame naʻe lau kiate ia ko e māʻoniʻoni.”

Then is this blessing pronounced only on those of the circumcision, or also on those of the uncircumcision? For we say, “Faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.”

10 Pea naʻe lau fakafēfē ia? ʻI heʻene ʻi he kamu, pe ʻi he taʻekamu? Naʻe ʻikai ʻi he kamu, kae ʻi he taʻekamu.

So how was it counted? When Abraham was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? It was not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

11 Pea naʻe maʻu ʻe ia ʻae fakaʻilonga ʻoe kamu, ko e fakamoʻoni ʻoe māʻoniʻoni ʻi heʻene tui, ʻoku teʻeki ai kamu ia: koeʻuhi ke hoko ia ko e tamai ʻanautolu kotoa pē ʻoku tui, neongo pe te nau taʻekamu; pea koeʻuhi ke lau ʻae māʻoniʻoni kiate kinautolu foki:

Abraham received the sign of circumcision. This was a seal of the righteousness of the faith that he had already possessed when he was in uncircumcision. The result of this sign was that he became the father of all those who believe, even if they are in uncircumcision. This means that righteousness will be counted for them.

12 Pea ko e tamai ia ʻoe kamu kiate kinautolu naʻe ʻikai ʻoe kamu pē, ka ʻoku nau muimui foki ʻi he lakanga tui ʻo ʻetau tamai ko ʻEpalahame, ʻi he teʻeki ai ke kamu ia.

This also meant that Abraham became the father of the circumcision for those who are not only circumcised but also for those who follow in the steps of faith of our father Abraham before he was circumcised.

13 He ko e talaʻofa, ke hoko ia ko e tangata hoko ʻa māmani, naʻe ʻikai kia ʻEpalahame, pe ki hono hako, ʻi he fono, ka ʻi he māʻoniʻoni ʻoe tui.

For the promise to Abraham and to his descendants that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

14 He kapau ko e kakai hoko ʻakinautolu ʻoku ʻi he fono, tā ko e vaʻinga pe ʻae tui, pea ʻoku fakataʻeʻaonga mo e talaʻofa foki:

For if those who live by the law are to be the heirs, faith is made empty, and the promise is void.

15 Koeʻuhi ʻoku tupu ʻi he fono ʻae houhau: he ka ʻikai ha fono, ʻoku ʻikai foki ha fai hala.

For the law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there is no trespass.

16 Ko ia, ʻoku mei he tui ia, koeʻuhi ke ʻi he ʻaloʻofa pē; koeʻuhi ke tuʻumaʻu ʻae talaʻofa ki he hako kotoa pē; ʻikai kiate kinautolu pe ʻoku ʻoe fono, ka kiate kinautolu foki ʻoku ʻoe tui ʻa ʻEpalahame; ʻaia ko e tamai ʻatautolu kotoa pē,

For this reason it is by faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all of Abraham's descendants—not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all,

17 (ʻO hangē ko ia kuo tohi, “Kuo u tuʻutuʻuni koe ko e tamai ʻae ngaahi kakai lahi,”) ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua ʻaia naʻa ne tui ki ai, ʻaia ʻoku ne fakaake ʻae mate, pea ne lea ki he ngaahi meʻa ko ia kuo ʻikai, ʻo hangē kuo ʻi ai ia.

as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations.” Abraham was in the presence of him whom he trusted, that is, God, who gives life to the dead and calls the things that do not exist into existence.

18 Pea naʻa ne ʻamanaki, ka kuo ʻikai hano tuʻunga ʻo ʻene ʻamanaki, pea tui, ke ne hoko ko e tamai ʻae ngaahi kakai lahi, ʻo fakatatau mo ia naʻe leaʻaki, “ʻE pehē pe ho hako.”

In hope he believed against hope, that he would become the father of many nations, according to what he had been told, “So will your descendants be.”

19 Pea ʻi he ʻikai vaivai ia ʻi he tui, naʻe ʻikai te ne tokanga ki hono sino ʻoʻona kuo mate, he kuo teau nai ʻae taʻu ʻo ʻene motuʻa, pe ko e mate ʻae manāva ʻo Sela:

Without becoming weak in faith, he considered his own body as dead (because he was about a hundred years old)—and he considered the deadness of Sarah's womb.

20 Naʻe ʻikai lotolotoua ia ʻi he taʻetui ki he talaʻofa ʻae ʻOtua; ka naʻe mālohi ia ʻi he tui, ʻo ne fakaongoongolelei ʻae ʻOtua;

But because of God's promise, Abraham did not hesitate in unbelief. Instead, he was strengthened in faith and gave praise to God.

21 ‌ʻO ne mātuʻaki ʻilo loto, ko e meʻa kuo ne talaʻofa ai, ʻe mafai foki ʻe ia ke fakamoʻoni.

He was fully convinced that what God had promised, he was also able to accomplish.

22 Ko ia foki naʻe lau ai “ia kiate ia ko e māʻoniʻoni.”

Therefore this was also counted to him as righteousness.

23 Ko eni, naʻe ʻikai ke tohi “kuo lau ia kiate ia,” koeʻuhi ko ia pē;

Now it was not written only for his benefit, that it was counted for him.

24 Ka koeʻuhi ko kitautolu foki, ʻaia ʻe lau ia ki ai, ʻo kapau te tau tui kiate ia naʻa ne fokotuʻu hake hotau ʻEiki ko Sisu mei he mate;

It was written also for us, for whom it will be counted, we who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

25 ‌ʻAia naʻe tukuange koeʻuhi ko ʻetau ngaahi angahala, pea naʻe fokotuʻu hake ia koeʻuhi ko hotau fakatonuhia.

This is the one who was delivered up for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.