Romans 4
1 What then, it may be asked, are we to say about Abraham, the ancestor of our nation?
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 he was pronounced righteous as the result of obedience, then he has something to boast of. Yes, 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 are the words of Scripture? ‘Abraham had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God 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 wages are regarded as due to the man who works, not as a favour, but as a debt;
做工的人会获得酬劳，但不算是恩赐，而是他们应得的。
5 while, as for the man who does not rely upon his obedience, but has faith in him who can pronounce the godless righteous, his faith is regarded by God 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 In precisely the same way David speaks of the blessing pronounced upon the man who is regarded by God as righteous apart from actions —
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 those whose wrong-doings have been forgiven and over whose sins a veil has been drawn!
“那些过错获得赦免、罪恶得到宽恕之人，如此有福，
8 Blessed the man whom the Lord will never regard as sinful!’
主没有将其视为有罪，如此有福。”
9 Is this blessing, then, pronounced upon the circumcised only or upon the uncircumcised as well? We say that — ‘Abraham’s faith was regarded by God 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 Under what circumstances, then, did this take place? After his circumcision or before it?
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 Not after, but before. And it was as a sign of this that he received the rite of circumcision — to attest the righteousness due to the faith of an uncircumcised man — in order that he might be the father of all who have faith in God even when uncircumcised, that they also may be regarded by God as righteous;
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 as well as father of the circumcised — to those who are not only circumcised, but who also follow our father Abraham in that faith which he had while still uncircumcised.
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 that he should inherit the world did not come to Abraham or his descendants through Law, but through the righteousness due to 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 If those who take their stand on Law are to inherit the world, then faith is robbed of its meaning and the promise comes to nothing!
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 Law entails punishment; but, where no Law exists, no breach of it is possible.
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 That is why all is made to depend upon faith, that all may be God’s gift, and in order that the fulfilment of the promise may be made certain for all Abraham’s descendants — not only for those who take their stand on the Law, but also for those who take their stand on 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 Scripture says — ‘I have made thee the Father of many nations.’) And this they do in the sight of that God in whom Abraham had faith, and who gives life to the dead, and speaks of what does not yet exist as if it did.
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 With no ground for hope, Abraham, sustained by hope, put faith in God; in order that, in fulfilment of the words — ‘So many shall thy descendants be,’ he might become ‘the Father of many nations.’
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 Though he was nearly a hundred years old, yet his faith did not fail him, even when he thought of his own body, then utterly worn out, and remembered that Sarah was past bearing children.
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 He was not led by want of faith to doubt God’s promise.
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 On the contrary, his faith gave him strength; and he praised God, in the firm conviction that what God has promised he is also able to carry out.
他完全确信上帝承诺之事，上帝必能成就。
22 And therefore his faith ‘was regarded as righteousness.’
这就是为什么上帝将亚伯拉罕视为正义之人。
23 Now these words — ‘it was regarded as righteousness’ — were not written with reference to Abraham only;
“亚伯拉罕被视为正义之人”这句话，不只是为他而写，
24 but also with reference to us. Our faith, too, will be regarded by God in the same light, if we have faith 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 for Jesus ‘was given up to death to atone for our offences,’ and was raised to life that we might be pronounced righteous.
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。
