Romans 4
1 Let's take Abraham as an example. From a human viewpoint he is the father of our nation. Let's ask, “What was his experience?”
Iburahĩmu, o ũcio ithe witũ ũhoro-inĩ wa gũciarwo na mwĩrĩ-rĩ, aamenyire atĩa ũhoro ũcio?
2 For if Abraham was set right by what he did, he would have had something to boast about—but not in God's eyes.
Angĩkorwo, ti-itherũ, Iburahĩmu aatuirwo mũthingu na ũndũ wa ciĩko iria ekaga-rĩ, nĩarĩ na ũndũ wa kwĩrahĩra, no ti mbere ya Ngai.
3 However, what does Scripture say? “Abraham trusted God, and so he was considered as being a good person who did right.”
Nĩgũkorwo Maandĩko marĩa matheru moigĩte atĩa? “Iburahĩmu nĩetĩkirie Ngai, naguo ũndũ ũcio ũgĩtũma atuuo mũthingu.”
4 Whoever works gets paid—it's not considered as a gift, but because they've earned their wages.
Atĩrĩrĩ, hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ aruta wĩra-rĩ, mũcaara wake ũrĩa aheagwo ndũkoragwo ũrĩ ta kĩheo, no nĩ ta thiirĩ ararĩhwo.
5 But God, who makes sinners right, considers them as right not because they've worked for it but because they trust in him. This is why
No rĩrĩ, mũndũ ũrĩa ũtehokaga maũndũ marĩa ekaga, tiga o gwĩtĩkia Ngai ũrĩa ũtuaga andũ arĩa aaganu athingu-rĩ, wĩtĩkio wa mũndũ ũcio nĩguo atuagĩrwo taarĩ ũthingu.
6 David speaks of the happiness of those whom God considers as right, and not because they worked for it:
Ũguo noguo Daudi oigaga rĩrĩa aaragia ũhoro wa kĩrathimo kĩa mũndũ ũrĩa Ngai atuĩte mũthingu hatarĩ ũhoro wa ciĩko, akoiga atĩrĩ:
7 “How happy are those whose wrongs are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
“Kũrathimwo-rĩ, nĩ arĩa marekeirwo mahĩtia mao, namo mehia mao makahumbĩrwo.
8 How happy are those the Lord does not consider sinful.”
Kũrathimwo-rĩ, nĩ mũndũ ũrĩa Mwathani atatuaga mwĩhia.”
9 Now is this blessing just for the Jews, or is it for others too? We've just stated that Abraham was accepted as good and right because he trusted God.
Hihi kĩrathimo gĩkĩ no kĩa andũ arĩa maruaga oiki, kana nĩ kĩa o na arĩa mataruaga? Nĩtũkoretwo tũkiuga atĩ wĩtĩkio wa Iburahĩmu nĩguo watũmire atuuo mũthingu.
10 But when did this happen? When Abraham was a Jew or before?
No aatuirwo mũthingu arĩ na ũhoro ũrĩkũ? Hihi nĩ thuutha wa kũrua, kana nĩ mbere ĩyo? Ti thuutha wa kũrua, no nĩ mbere ĩyo, hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ataaruĩte!
11 It was actually before he became a Jew by being circumcised, which was a confirmation of his trust in God to make him right. This happened before he was circumcised, so he is the father of everyone who trusts in God and are considered as right by God, even though they may not be circumcised Jews.
Nake agĩcooka akĩamũkĩra rũũri rwa kũrua, rũrĩ mũhũri wa ũthingu ũrĩa aarĩ naguo nĩ ũndũ wa gwĩtĩkia o na hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ataarĩ mũruu. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio agĩtuĩka ithe wa arĩa othe metĩkagia o na matarĩ aruu, nĩgeetha o nao matuuagwo athingu.
12 He is also the father of circumcised Jews not merely because they're circumcised, but because they follow the example of the trust in God our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
Na ningĩ nowe ithe wa andũ arĩa maruaga, arĩa matarĩ atĩ no kũrua maruĩte, no nĩmathiiaga na mũthiĩre wa wĩtĩkio ũrĩa ithe witũ Iburahĩmu aarĩ naguo mbere ya kũrua.
13 God's promise to Abraham and his descendants that the world would belong to him was not based on his keeping of the law, but because he was made right through his trust in God.
Iburahĩmu ndeerĩirwo kĩĩranĩro atĩ nĩagatuĩka mũgai wa thĩ hamwe na njiaro ciake nĩ ũndũ wa gwathĩkĩra watho, no nĩ ũndũ wa ũthingu ũrĩa uumanaga na wĩtĩkio.
14 For if the promised inheritance is based on keeping the law, then the issue of trusting God is not necessary, and the promise is pointless.
Nĩgũkorwo kũngĩtuĩka atĩ arĩa matũũragio nĩ watho nĩ agai-rĩ, wĩtĩkio ndũkĩrĩ kĩene, nakĩo kĩĩranĩro nĩ gĩa tũhũ,
15 For the law results in punishment—but if there's no law then it cannot be broken.
tondũ watho ũrehaga mangʼũrĩ. Naho harĩa hatarĩ watho hatirĩ ũhoro wa kwagarara watho.
16 So the promise is based on trusting God. It is provided as a free gift, guaranteed to all the children of Abraham—not merely to those who follow the law, but also to those who trust like Abraham, the father of us all.
Tondũ wa ũguo-rĩ, kĩĩranĩro kiumanaga na wĩtĩkio, nĩgeetha wonekage na ũndũ wa wega wa Ngai, na ũtuĩke wa kũheo kũna njiaro ciothe cia Iburahĩmu, na to arĩa maaheirwo ũhoro wa watho oiki, no nĩ kũrĩ arĩa othe metĩkĩtie ta ũrĩa Iburahĩmu eetĩkĩtie. Nĩgũkorwo Iburahĩmu nĩwe ithe wa arĩa othe metĩkĩtie.
17 As Scripture says, “I've made you the father of many nations.” For in the presence of God, Abraham trusted in the God who makes the dead alive and speaks into existence what didn't previously exist.
Ta ũrĩa kwandĩkĩtwo atĩrĩ: “Nĩngũtuĩte ithe wa ndũrĩrĩ nyingĩ.” We nĩwe ithe witũ maitho-inĩ ma Ngai, o ũcio Iburahĩmu eetĩkĩtie, o we Ngai ũrĩa ũriũkagia arĩa makuĩte, na waragia ũhoro wa maũndũ marĩa matarĩ ho ta marĩ ho.
18 Against all hope Abraham in hope trusted God, so he could become the father of many peoples, just as God had promised him: “This is how many descendants you'll have!”
Iburahĩmu nĩagĩire na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro o na harĩa hataarĩ kĩndũ gĩa kwĩrĩgĩrĩra na agĩĩtĩkia, na nĩ ũndũ ũcio agĩtuĩka ithe wa ndũrĩrĩ nyingĩ, o ta ũrĩa erĩtwo atĩrĩ, “Ũguo nĩguo rũciaro rwaku rũkaigana.”
19 His trust in God didn't weaken even though he thought his body was practically dead (he was around a hundred years old), and knew that Sarah was too old to have children.
Nake o na akĩmenyaga atĩ mwĩrĩ wake watariĩ ta ũrĩ mũkuũ nĩgũkorwo ũkũrũ wake warĩ ta mĩaka igana rĩmwe, na aamenya atĩ nda ya Sara nĩyathirĩte hinya wa gũciara-rĩ, ndaigana kũnyihanyiihĩrwo nĩ wĩtĩkio.
20 He held on to God's promise—he didn't doubt it. Instead his trust in God grew stronger, and he gave glory to God.
Nowe ndaigana kũgĩa na nganja ũhoro-inĩ wa wĩtĩkio ũkoniĩ kĩĩranĩro kĩu kĩa Ngai, no wĩtĩkio wake nĩ hinya wongereirwo, nake akĩgooca Ngai,
21 He was totally convinced that what God had promised he had the power to deliver.
tondũ nĩetĩkĩtie biũ atĩ Ngai arĩ na hinya wa kũhingia ũrĩa eranĩire.
22 That's why Abraham was considered right by God.
Ũndũ ũcio ũgĩtũma atuuo mũthingu.
23 The words “Abraham was considered right” weren't just written down for his benefit.
Na rĩrĩ, ciugo icio ciandĩkĩtwo atĩrĩ “Nĩatuirwo mũthingu” itiandĩkirwo nĩ ũndũ wake wiki,
24 They were for us too, those of us who will be considered as right, since we trust in God who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead.
no ciandĩkirwo nĩ ũndũ witũ, ithuĩ arĩa Ngai agaatua athingu, o ithuĩ arĩa twĩtĩkĩtie Ngai ũrĩa wariũkirie Jesũ Mwathani witũ kuuma kũrĩ arĩa akuũ.
25 Jesus was handed over to die because of our sins, and was raised to life to make us right.
We aaneanirwo oragwo nĩ ũndũ wa mehia maitũ, na agĩcooka akĩriũkio nĩgeetha tũtuuo athingu.
