Romans 4
1 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]
Aberahame fa re bua ka fa nameng, re ka re ke mosimolodi wa sechaba sa Sejuta. Maitemogelo a gagwe kaga potso e ya go bolokwa ka tumelo e ne e le eng? A Modimo o ne wa mo amogela ka ntlha ya ditiro tsa gagwe tse di molemo? Fa e le gore go ntse jalo, o ne a ka nna le sengwe se a ipelafatsang ka sone. Mme mo mogopolong wa Modimo, Aberahame o ne a sena sepe se a ka ipelafatsang ka sone.
2 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 [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}.
Gonne dikwalo di re bolelela gore Aberahame o ne a dumela Modimo, mme ke sone se Modimo o neng wa phimola dibe tsa gagwe wa mo supa gore “ga a na molato”.
4 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].
A mme ga a a ka a bona tshwanelo ya gagwe go ya kwa legodimong ka ntlha ya dilo tsotlhe tse di molemo tse a di dirileng? Nnyaa, gonne go bolokwa, ke mpho; fa e le gore motho o ne a ka e bona ka go e fufulela, mme e ne e ka seka ya nna mpho fela ntswa tota e le mpho fela! E newa ba ba sa e fufuleleng: Gonne Modimo o supa baleofi ba le molemo mo ponong ya one fa ba na le tumelo mo go Keresete go ba boloka mo bogaleng jwa Modimo.
5 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 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]:
Kgosi Dafide o buile ka sone selo se, fa a tlhalosa boitumelo jwa moleofi yo o neng a sa bo tshwanela pele ga a supiwa a “sena molato” ke Modimo.
7 [God] is pleased with people whose sins have been {whose sins [he] has} forgiven, and whose sins he [has decided] to forget [DOU].
O ne a re, “Go sego ba ba itshwaretsweng dibe ebile di tlositswe mo matlhong a bone.
8 [God] causes to be happy the people whose sins he no longer keeps a record of.
Ee, go boitumelo thata jang mo mothong yo dibe tsa gagwe a sa tlholeng a di balelwa ke Morena.”
9 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].
Jaanong he, potso ke gore: A lesego le le neelwa fela ba ba dumelang mo go Keresete ebile ba boloka melao ya Sejuta, kgotsa le neelwa le ba ba sa bolokeng melao ya Sejuta, mme ba ikanya Keresete fela. Mme he, ra reng kaga Aberahame? Ra re o amogetse masego a ka tumelo ya gagwe. A e ne e le ka tumelo fela? Kgotsa a e ne e le ka ntlha ya gore le ene o ne a boloka melao ya Sejuta?
10 ([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.
Mo go arabeng potso eo, arabang e: Modimo o neetse Aberahame masego a leng? O a mo neetse pele ga a nna Mojuta, pele ga a tsena mo modirong wa thupiso ya Sejuta.
11 [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.
Erile Modimo o sena go solofetsa go mo segofatsa ka ntlha ya tumelo ya gagwe, a rupisiwa. Sekao sa thupiso e ne e le sesupo sa gore Aberahame o ne a setse a na le tumelo le gore Modimo o ne o setse o mo amogetse o mo supile fa a le tshiamo mo ponong ya one pele ga modiro wa thupiso o diragala. Jalo Aberahame ke rara wa semowa wa ba ba dumelang mme ba bolokwa kwa ntle ga go tshegetsa melao ya Sejuta. Re a bona, jaanong gore ba ba sa tshegetseng melao e, ba siamisiwa ke Modimo ka tumelo.
12 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.
Gape Aberahame ke rara wa semowa wa Bajuta ba ba rupisitsweng, gonne Aberahame o ne a bona kutlwelo botlhoko ya Modimo ka ntlha ya tumelo fela, pele ga a rupisiwa.
13 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.
Jaanong go bonala sentle gore tsholofetso e Modimo o neng wa e naya Aberahame ya gore o tlaa mo naya lefatshe lotlhe mmogo le losika lwa gagwe, e ne e se ka ntlha ya gore Aberahame o ne a tshegetsa melao ya Modimo, mme e ne e le ka ntlha ya gore o ne a ikanya Modimo gore o tlaa diragatsa tsholofetso ya one.
14 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].
Mme fa e le gore o sa ntse o re masego a Modimo a ya kwa go ba ba “siameng thata” mme o raya gore ditsholofetso tsa Modimo mo go ba ba nang le tumelo ga di reye sepe, ebile tumelo ke boeleele.
Mme boammaaruri ke gore: Fa re leka go nna le lesego le poloko ya Modimo ka go boloka melao ya one re aga re felela mo bogaleng jwa one, gonne re palelwa ke go e tshegetsa malatsi otlhe. Tsela e nngwe fela e re ka ipabalelang ka yone gore re seka ra tlola melao, ke ya gore go seka ga bewa melao, e se re kgotsa ra e tlola.
16 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].
Jalo masego a Modimo re a newa ka tumelo, e le neo fela; re tlhomamisa go nna le one re sala morago ngwao ya Sejuta kgotsa re sa e sale morago fa re na le tumelo e e tshwanang le ya ga Aberahame, gonne Aberahame ke rraa rona rotlhe fa go tla mo dilong tse tsa tumelo.
17 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],
Ke sone se dikwalo di se rayang fa di re Modimo o dirile Aberahame rara wa dichaba tse dintsi. Modimo o tlaa amogela batho botlhe mo dichabeng tsotlhe ba ba o ikanyang jaaka Aberahame a ne a dira. Mme tsholofetso e, e tswa mo Modimong ka bo one, o o dirang gore baswi ba tshele gape, ebile o bua ka ditiragalo tsa malatsi a a tlang ka tlhomamiso e e gagametseng jaaka o ka re di setse di bile di diragetse!
18 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.
Jalo erile fa Modimo o raya Aberahame o re o tlaa mo naya ngwana wa mosimane yo o tlaa nnang ra-merafe e mentsi e bo e nna chaba e tona, Aberahame o ne a dumela Modimo le fa tsholofetso e e ntseng jalo e ne e ka seka ya diragala!
19 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],
Mme ka ntlha ya gore tumelo ya gagwe e ne e nonofile, o ne a seka a tshwenyega kaga lobaka lwa gore o ne a tsofetse thata go ka nna motsadi, ka nako eo o ne a le dingwaga di le lekgolo, le ene Sara mosadi wa gagwe o ne a le dingwaga di le masome a fera bongwe, a tsofetse thata go ka nna le ngwana.
20 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].
Mme Aberahame ga a ise a ke a belaele. O ne a dumela Modimo, gonne tumelo ya gagwe le tshepo di ne di nonofile, mme o ne a galaletsa Modimo, ka masego a, le pele ga a diragala.
21 He was also convinced {very sure} that the thing that God promised, God was able to do.
O ne a tlhomamisa thata gore Modimo o ne o kgona sentle go dira le fa e le eng se o se solofeditseng.
22 And that is the reason that the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}.
Mme ka ntlha ya tumelo ya ga Aberahame Modimo o ne wa mo itshwarela dibe wa mo supa “a sena molato.”
23 The words [in the Scriptures], “The record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins},” are not only about Abraham.
Jaanong polelo e ntle e, ya gore o ne a amogelwa a bo a letlelesega ka tumelo ya gagwe, e ne e sa solegele Aberahame molemo a le nosi.
24 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.
Le rona e ne e le ya rona, e re tlhomamisetsa gore Modimo o tlaa re amogela ka yone tsela e o amogetseng Aberahame ka yone, fa re dumela ditsholofetso tsa Modimo o o tsositseng Jesu Morena wa rona mo baswing.
25 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.
O swetse dibe tsa rona mme a tsoga gape go re siamisa mo Modimong a re tlatsa ka tshiamo ya Modimo.
