Ŵaloma 4
1 Ana tujileje uli yankati atati ŵetu ŵa chiundu che Iblahimu? Ŵachimanyilile chindu chi?
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 Iŵaga che Iblahimu jwaŵalanjikwe kuŵa jwambone paujo pa Akunnungu kwa ligongo lya ipanganyo yao, akwete chakulifunila, nambo ngaŵa paujo pa Akunnungu.
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 Pakuŵa Malembelo ga Akunnungu gakuti, “Che Iblahimu ŵaakulupilile Akunnungu, ni kwa ligongo lya chikulupi chao jwaŵalanjikwe kuŵa jwambone paujo pa Akunnungu.”
[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 Jwakupanganya masengo, mbote jakwe ngajikuŵalanjilwa nti ntulilo, nambo gali malipilo gakwe gakuŵajilwa.
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 Nambo mundu jwangakuikulupilila ipanganyo yakwe nsyene, nambo akwakulupilila Akunnungu ŵakwatenda ŵandu ŵaali ni sambi kuŵa ŵandu ŵangali ni sambi. Nipele Akunnungu akuchiŵalanjila chikulupi cha mundu jo ni kuntenda mundu jo kuŵa jwambone paujo pao.
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 Ni che Daudi ŵatite iyiyi paŵatite mmbaya kwa mundu jwakuŵalanjikwa jwambone ni Akunnungu paujo pakwe pangailolechesya ipanganyo yakwe.
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 “Mmbaya kwa ŵandu ŵalecheleswe ileŵo yao, ni sambi syao syepukute.
[God] is pleased with people whose sins have been {whose sins [he] has} forgiven, and whose sins he [has decided] to forget [DOU].
8 Mmbaya kwa mundu jwati Ambuje ngaakukumbuchila sambi syakwe.”
[God] causes to be happy the people whose sins he no longer keeps a record of.
9 Ana mmbaya ji jili kwa ŵaumbale pe, pane ni ŵangaumbala nombe nawo? Ni kwa ŵangaumbala nombe nawo. Pakuŵa tusasile kuti, “Che Iblahimu ŵakulupilile nombe Akunnungu ŵammalanjle kuŵa jwambone paujo pao.”
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 Ana che Iblahimu ŵaŵalanjikwe jwambone paujo pa Akunnungu katema chi? Akanaŵe kuumbala pane ali aumbele? Ŵaŵalanjikwe jwambone paujo pa Akunnungu akanaŵe kuumbala ni ngaŵa ali aumbele.
([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 Che Iblahimu ŵaumbele kanyuma, ni kuumbala ko kwaliji chimanyisyo chichalosisye kuti Akunnungu ŵammalanjile kuŵa jwambone paujo pao kwa ligongo lya chikulupi chiŵakwete akanaumbale. Kwapele che Iblahimu aŵele atati ŵa ŵandu wose ŵakwakulupilila Akunnungu namuno nganaumbala kuti Akunnungu ŵaŵalanjile kuŵa ŵambone paujo pao.
[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 Iyoyo peyo che Iblahimu ali atati ŵa ŵaumbale, nambo ngaŵa pakuŵa aumbele pe, nambo akukuya litala lilalila lya chikulupi cha atati ŵetu che Iblahimu chiŵakwete akanaŵe kuumbala.
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 Akunnungu ŵapele chilanga che Iblahimu ni uŵelesi ŵakwe kuti chachapa chilambo chose. Chachapa chilambo cho ngaŵa kuti che Iblahimu ŵagajitichisye Malajisyo nambo ligongo ŵaakulupilile Akunnungu ni Akunnungu ŵammalanjile kuŵa jwambone paujo pao.
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 Pakuŵa iŵaga ŵakugapilikanichisya Malajisyo ni ŵachapochele chilanga cha Akunnungu, kwayele chikulupi changalimate, iyoyo peyo chilanga cha Akunnungu changali chindu.
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 Pakuŵa Malajisyo ni gakwikanago lutumbilo lwa Akunnungu, nambo ngakagapagwe Malajisyo, ngakukapagwe kuleŵa.
16 Kwa ligongo lyo chilanga chikukuyana ni chikulupi, kuti chilanga cho chili ntuuka wa Akunnungu ni kuti chili chimanyisyo chachikulosya kuti isyene chilanga chili kwa uŵelesi wose u che Iblahimu, ngaŵa kwa aŵala pe ŵakugapilikanichisya Malajisyo nambo kwa aŵala ŵakwete chikulupi mpela che Iblahimu, jwali atati ŵetu uweji wose.
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 Mpela Malembelo ga Akunnungu yagakuti pakusala, “Nammisile mme atati jwa ŵandu ŵa ilambo yejinji.” Chilanga cho chili chisyene paujo pa Akunnungu juŵakulupililwe ni che Iblahimu. Akunnungu ŵakwasyusya ŵawe, ni kwa malajisyo gakwe indu yanganiipagwe ikupagwa.
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 Nachiŵamuno nganichipagwa chindu chichantesile che Iblahimu akulupilile chilanga. Che Iblahimu ŵaakulupilile Akunnungu ni kuchilolela chilanga ni ŵatendekwe “Atati jwa ŵandu ŵa ilambo yejinji.” Mpela Malembelo ga Akunnungu yagakuti pakusala, “Uŵelesi ŵenu chiuŵe wejinji nti ndondwa.”
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 Che Iblahimu ŵaŵandichile yaka mia moja, nambo chikulupi chao nganichiweseka, namuno ŵaimanyilile kuti ngakukombola kuŵeleka, pakuŵa chiilu chao chaliji nti mundu jwammwe, ni che Sala ŵankwakwe nganakombola kuŵeleka.
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 Che Iblahimu nganaleka kukulupilila pane kuchikolela lipamba chilanga chapegwilwe ni Akunnungu, nambo ŵapatile machili kwa chikulupi chakwe, kwa yele ŵaakusisye Akunnungu.
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 Ŵaimanyi kwa usyene kuti Akunnungu akukombola kuitendekanya aila yalanjile.
He was also convinced {very sure} that the thing that God promised, God was able to do.
22 Kwa ligongo lya chikulupi chao, Akunnungu ŵammalanjile che Iblahimu kuŵa jwambone paujo pao.
And that is the reason that the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}.
23 Ni maloŵe ga, “Akunnungu ŵammalanjile che Iblahimu kuŵa jwambone paujo pao,” nganigalembekwa kwa ligongo lyakwe nsyene pe,
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 nambo galembekwe ni kwa ligongo lya uweji utuŵalanjikwe kuŵa ŵambone paujo pao, uŵeji ŵatukwakulupilila Akunnungu ŵaŵasyusisye Che Yesu Ambuje ŵetu.
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 Che Yesu ŵatyosyekwe kuwa kwa ligongo lya sambi syetu ni ŵasyuchile kuti tuŵalanjikwe kuŵa ŵambone paujo pa Akunnungu.
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.
