Romans 4
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, has discovered?
让我们以亚伯拉罕为例。从人类的角度来看，他是我们国家的祖先。那么问题是：他经历了什么？
2 If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God.
如果亚伯拉罕因其行为而被称为正义，他可能会因此而夸口，但决不能在上帝面前。
3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
经文是怎么说的？“亚伯拉罕相信上帝，所以就被视为正确行事的善良之人。”
4 Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation.
做工的人会获得酬劳，但不算是恩赐，而是他们应得的。
5 However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
上帝让罪人转为正义，将他们视为正义之人，因为他们相信上帝，为上帝而工作。所以
6 And David speaks likewise of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
大卫说过，上帝视为正义之人有福，并非是他们做工的一种交换！
7 “Blessed are they whose lawless acts are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
“那些过错获得赦免、罪恶得到宽恕之人，如此有福，
8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”
主没有将其视为有罪，如此有福。”
9 Is this blessing only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.
那么这福气只属于犹太人吗？或者也属于其他人？我们刚刚说过，亚伯拉罕被视为善良正义，是因为他相信上帝。
10 In what context was it credited? Was it after his circumcision, or before? It was not after, but before.
那么，这又在何时发生呢？在亚伯拉是犹太人的时候，还是更早？
11 And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
其实是在他领受割礼之前，割礼确认了他对上帝的信任，这让他成为正义之人。这发生在他受割礼之前，所以他是所有相信上帝、被上帝视为正义之人的祖先，即使这些人没有受割礼成为犹太人也是如此。
12 And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
他也是受割礼之人的父，不仅因为他们受割礼，还因为他们遵循我们祖先亚伯拉罕的例子，他在受割礼之前就信上帝。
13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
上帝承诺亚伯拉罕和他的后裔：这个世界将属于他。但这个承诺并非因他遵循律法，而是因为他相信上帝而变成良善正直之人。
14 For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless,
如果这承诺的传承是根据律法而来，那么就无所谓相信上帝与否，承诺也就没有了意义。
15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.
因为律法会带来惩罚。但如果没有律法，就谈不上违背律法。
16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may rest on grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
所以这承诺是基于对上帝的相信。上帝将其作为恩赐馈赠，是向所有亚伯拉罕的子孙做出的承诺，不只是那些遵循律法之人，还包括相信众人之父亚伯拉罕的所有人。
17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist.
如经文所记：“我已立你为万国之父。”在上帝面前，亚伯拉罕相信上帝，那让人起死回生、造物于世的上帝。
18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
在没有希望的时候，亚伯拉罕仍心怀希望地相信上帝，这让他成为众人之父，正如上帝所承诺：“所以你将有众多的后裔！”
19 Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb.
他近一百岁时，感到自己的身躯已行将朽木，撒拉也无法生育，但他对上帝的信丝毫未曾减弱，
20 Yet he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
他坚信上帝的承诺，从未有丝毫怀疑。相反，他更坚定地相信上帝，将荣耀给予上帝。
21 being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised.
他完全确信上帝承诺之事，上帝必能成就。
22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”
这就是为什么上帝将亚伯拉罕视为正义之人。
23 Now the words “it was credited to him” were written not only for Abraham,
“亚伯拉罕被视为正义之人”这句话，不只是为他而写，
24 but also for us, to whom righteousness will be credited—for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
也为我们而写，我们中会有人被上帝视为正义之人，因为我们相信上帝让主耶稣死而复活。
25 He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.
耶稣因我们的罪而受到背叛并送死，又通过复活让我们成为良善正直之人。
