Romans 4
1 What, then, will we say Abraham our father to have found, according to flesh?
Pho sizakuthi kuyini u-Abhrahama, ukhokho wethu, akufumanayo ngokwenyama kule indaba na?
2 For if Abraham was declared righteous by works, he has to boast—but not before God;
Nxa, ngempela, u-Abhrahama walungisiswa ngemisebenzi, wayelakho okokuzincoma ngakho, kodwa hatshi phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
3 for what does the writing say? “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness”;
Kanje umbhalo uthini na? Uthi, “U-Abhrahama wakholwa uNkulunkulu, njalo kwabalwa kuye njengokulunga.”
4 and to him who is working, the reward is not reckoned of grace, but of debt;
Nxa umuntu esebenza, umholo wakhe kawubalwa kuye njengesipho, kodwa njengomlandu.
5 and to him who is not working, and is believing on Him who is declaring righteous the impious, his faith is reckoned for righteousness—
Ikanti emuntwini ongasebenziyo kodwa ethemba uNkulunkulu owenza ababi balunge, ukukholwa kwakhe kubalwa njengokulunga.
6 even as David also speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:
UDavida utsho okufanayo lapho ekhuluma ngokubusiseka komuntu uNkulunkulu ambalela ukulunga ngaphandle kwemisebenzi, esithi:
7 “Blessed [are] they whose lawless acts were forgiven, And whose sins were covered;
“Babusisiwe labo oziphambeko zabo zithethelelwe, ozono zabo zisibekelwe.
8 Blessed [is] the man To whom the LORD may not reckon sin.”
Ubusisiwe lowo ongasoze abalelwe isono sakhe yiNkosi.”
9 [Is] this blessedness, then, on the circumcision, or also on the uncircumcision—for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness?
Ukubusiseka lokhu ngokwabasokileyo kuphela, kumbe njalo lakwabangasokanga na? Kade sisithi ukukholwa kuka-Abhrahama kwabalwa kuye njengokulunga.
10 How then was it reckoned? He being in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision;
Kwabalelwa kusiphi isimo na? Kwakungemva kokuba esesokile, loba ngaphambilini na?
11 and he received a sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith in the uncircumcision, for his being father of all those believing through uncircumcision, for the righteousness also being reckoned to them,
Wamukela isibonakaliso sokusoka, uphawu lokulunga abalalo ngokulunga engakasoki. Ngakho-ke, unguyise wabo bonke abakholwayo, kodwa bengasokanga, ukuze ukulunga kubalelwe kubo.
12 and father of circumcision to those not of circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of faith, that [is] in the uncircumcision of our father Abraham.
Njalo unguyise wabasokileyo futhi, abangasokanga nje kuphela, kodwa abahamba ezinyathelweni zokholo ubaba u-Abhrahama ayelalo engakasoki.
13 For not through law [is] the promise to Abraham, or to his seed, of his being heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith;
Akuzanga ngomthetho ukuthi u-Abhrahama lenzalo yakhe amukele isithembiso sokuthi uzakuba yindlalifa yomhlaba, kodwa kweza ngokulunga okuza ngokukholwa.
14 for if they who are of law [are] heirs, faith has been made void, and the promise has been made useless;
Ngoba nxa labo abaphila ngomthetho bezindlalifa, ukukholwa kakulasizo lesithembiso siyize,
15 for the Law works wrath; for where law is not, neither [is] transgression.
ngoba umthetho uletha ulaka. Njalo lapho okungelamthetho khona akukho ukona.
16 Because of this [it is] of faith, that [it may be] according to grace, for the promise being sure to all the seed, not to that which [is] of the Law only, but also to that which [is] of the faith of Abraham,
Ngakho, isithembiso siza ngokukholwa, ukuze sifike ngomusa njalo siqiniseke kuyo yonke inzalo ka-Abhrahama, hatshi kulabo abangabomthetho kuphela, kodwa njalo lakulabo abangabokholo luka-Abhrahama. Ungubaba wethu sonke.
17 who is father of us all (according as it has been written: “A father of many nations I have set you,”) before Him whom he believed—God, who is quickening the dead, and is calling the things that are not as being.
Njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi, “Sengikwenze waba nguyise wezizwe ezinengi.” Ungubaba emehlweni kaNkulunkulu akholwa kuye, yena onika abafileyo ukuphila njalo enze izinto ebezingekho zibe khona.
18 Who, against hope, believed in hope, for his becoming father of many nations according to that spoken: “So will your seed be”;
Kungekho themba, u-Abhrahama ngethemba wakholwa waba nguyise wezizwe ezinengi, njengoba kwakutshiwo kuye ukuthi, “Izakuba njalo inzalo yakho.”
19 and having not been weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already become dead (being about one hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb,
Engekethisanga ekukholweni kwakhe, wamelana lobuqotho bokuthi umzimba wakhe wawusufana lofileyo, njengoba wayeseleminyaka ephosa ibe likhulu ubudala kanye lokuthi isibeletho sikaSara laso sasesifile.
20 and at the promise of God did not stagger in unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, having given glory to God,
Waqiniswa ekukholweni kwakhe, wapha udumo kuNkulunkulu,
21 and having been fully persuaded that what He has promised He is also able to do:
ekholwe ngokupheleleyo ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayelamandla okwenza lokho ayekuthembisile.
22 for this reason also it was reckoned to him for righteousness.
Yikho-nje “kwabalelwa kuye njengokulunga.”
23 And it was not written on his account alone that it was reckoned to him,
Amazwi athi “kwabalelwa kuye” kawalotshelwanga yena yedwa,
24 but also on ours, to whom it is about to be reckoned—to us believing on Him who raised up Jesus our Lord out of the dead,
kodwa lathi futhi, uNkulunkulu azabalela ukulunga kwethu, thina esikholwa kuye, yena owavusa uJesu iNkosi yethu kwabafileyo.
25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised up because of our being declared righteous.
Wanikelwa ekufeni ngenxa yezono zethu njalo wavuselwa ekuphileni ukuze silungisiswe.
