Romans 4
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, has discovered?
Pho-ke sizakuthi uAbrahama ubaba wethu wazuzani ngokwenyama?
2 If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God.
Ngoba uba uAbrahama walungisiswa ngemisebenzi, ulokuzincoma, kodwa kungekho phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Ngoba umbhalo uthini? Uthi: Kodwa uAbrahama wakholwa kuNkulunkulu, kwasekubalelwa kuye ukuthi yikulunga.
4 Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation.
Kodwa kulowo osebenzayo kabalelwa iholo ngokomusa, kodwa ngokomlandu.
5 However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
Kodwa kulowo ongasebenziyo, kodwa ekholwa kuye olungisisa oweyisa uNkulunkulu, ukholo lwakhe lubalelwa ukuthi yikulunga.
6 And David speaks likewise of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
Njengoba laye uDavida ekhuluma ngokubusiswa komuntu, uNkulunkulu ambalela ukulunga ngaphandle kwemisebenzi esithi:
7 “Blessed are they whose lawless acts are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Babusisiwe abaziphambeko zabo zithethelelwe labazono zabo zisitshekelwe.
8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”
Ubusisiwe umuntu iNkosi engasoze yambalela isono.
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.
Ngakho lokhukubusiswa kuphezu kokusoka yini, kumbe laphezu kokungasoki? Ngoba sithi: Ukholo lwabalelwa kuAbrahama ukuthi luyikulunga.
10 In what context was it credited? Was it after his circumcision, or before? It was not after, but before.
Pho lwabalelwa njani? Lapho esekusokeni yini, kumbe ekungasokini? Kungekho ekusokeni, kodwa ekungasokini.
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.
Wasesemukela isibonakaliso sokusoka, uphawu lokulunga kokholo ayelakho ekungasokini; ukuze abe nguyise wabo bonke abakholwayo lanxa bengasokanga, ukuze ukulunga kubalelwe lakibo;
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.
loyise wokusoka kulabo abangayisibo bokusoka kuphela, kodwa futhi abahamba ezinyathelweni zokholo lukababa wethu uAbrahama ayelalo engakasokwa.
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.
Ngoba kasingomlayo isithembiso kuAbrahama kumbe kunzalo yakhe, ukuthi uzakuba yindlalifa yomhlaba, kodwa ngokulunga kokholo.
14 For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless,
Ngoba uba labo abomlayo beyizindlalifa, ukholo lwenziwe ize, lesithembiso senziwa ize;
15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.
ngoba umlayo ubanga ulaka; ngoba lapho okungekho khona umlayo, kakukho lokweqa.
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.
Ngakho kungokholo, ukuze kube ngokomusa; ukuze isithembiso siqiniseke kuyo yonke inzalo; kungeyisiyo engeyomlayo kuphela kodwa lakuyo engeyokholo lukaAbrahama, ongubaba wethu sonke,
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.
(njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: Ngikumisile ukuthi ube nguyise wezizwe ezinengi) phambi kwakhe akholwa kuye, uNkulunkulu, ophilisa abafileyo, lobiza izinto ezingekho ngokungathi zikhona.
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.”
Owathi emelane lethemba wakholwa ngethemba, ukuze abe nguyise wezizwe ezinengi, njengalokho okwatshiwoyo ukuthi: Izakuba njalo inzalo yakho.
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.
Njalo kabanga buthakathaka ekholweni, kanakananga umzimba wakhe uqobo owawusufile, ngoba wayesengaba leminyaka elikhulu, lokufa kwesizalo sikaSara;
20 Yet he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
njalo kathandabuzanga ngesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu ngokungakholwa, kodwa waqiniswa ekholweni, enika uNkulunkulu udumo,
21 being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised.
njalo eqinisekile ngokupheleleyo ukuthi lokho ayekuthembisile, ulamandla ngitsho okukwenza.
22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Ngalokho-ke kwabalelwa kuye ukuthi yikulunga.
23 Now the words “it was credited to him” were written not only for Abraham,
Kakubhalwanga-ke ngenxa yakhe yedwa, ukuthi kwabalelwa kuye;
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.
kodwa langenxa yethu, esizabalelwa khona, thina esikholwa kuye owavusa uJesu iNkosi yethu kwabafileyo,
25 He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.
owanikelwa ngenxa yeziphambeko zethu, wavuswa ngenxa yokulungisiswa kwethu.
