Romatɔwo 3
1 Ekema viɖe kae le Yudatɔnyenye me alo asixɔxɔ kae le aʋatsotso ŋu?
What is the pre-eminence of the Jew, then? or what profit is there of circumcision?
2 Viɖe geɖe le Yudatɔnyenye me. Gbã la, Mawu tsɔ eƒe nyawo de asi na wo.
Much, in every respect: chiefly, indeed, because they were intrusted with the Oracles of God.
3 Ekema ne xɔse mele wo dometɔ aɖewo si o ɖe? Ɖe xɔse si mele wo si o la ate fli ɖe Mawu ƒe anukwaretɔnyenye mea?
For, what if some did not believe--will not their unbelief destroy the faithfulness of God?
4 Gbeɖe! Mawu nye anukwaretɔ, eye ame sia ame nye aʋatsokala, abe ale si woŋlɔe ɖi ene be: “Be woatso afia na wò le wò nyawo me, eye nàɖu dzi ne èdrɔ̃ ʋɔnu.”
By no means. But let God be true, and every man a liar; as it is written, "That thou mayest be justified in thy sayings, and mayest overcome when thou judgest."
5 Gake ne míaƒe madzɔmadzɔnyenye ɖe Mawu ƒe dzɔdzɔenyenye fia nyuie ɖe, nya ka míagblɔ? Ɖe míagblɔ be Mawu mewɔ nu dzɔdzɔe to eƒe dɔmedzoehehe va mía dzi me oa? (Mele nu ƒom abe amegbetɔ ene.)
But if our unrighteousness display the justice of God, what shall we say? Is not God unjust, who inflicts vengeance? (I speak after the manner of men.)
6 Mele alea o! Ne ele nenema la, aleke Mawu adrɔ̃ ʋɔnu xexea mee?
By no means: otherwise, how shall God judge the world?
7 Ame aɖe agblɔ be, “Ne nye aʋatsokaka ado Mawu ƒe nyateƒetɔnyenye ɖe ŋgɔ, eye wòado Mawu ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe ɖe dzi ɖe, nu ka ta wogabu fɔm be menye nu vɔ̃ wɔla ɖo?”
Still, if the truth of God has, through my lie, more abounded to his glory, why am I also yet condemned as a sinner--
8 Nu ka ta womagblɔ be, abe ale si ame aɖewo ka aʋatso ɖe mía si ene be míegblɔ be, “Mina míawɔ nu vɔ̃ be nu nyui nado tso eme” o ɖo? Enyo be woabu fɔ wo!
and not because we have done evil that good may come, as we are slandered, and as some affirm that we teach--whose condemnation is just?
9 Aleke míawu nya la nue? Ɖe míagblɔ be míenyo wu ame bubuwoa? Ao, mele eme nenema o, elabena míegblɔ xoxo be Yudatɔwo kple ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o la siaa nye nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo.
What then? Do we excel? Not at all. For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles to be all under sin.
10 Abe ale si Ŋɔŋlɔ Kɔkɔe la gblɔe ene la, “Ame dzɔdzɔe aɖeke meli o, ɖeka pɛ hã meli o;
As it is written, "Surely there is none righteous; no, not one.
11 Ame aɖeke mese egɔme o; ame aɖeke medi Mawu o.
There is none that understands; there is none that seeks after God.
12 Ame sia ame tra mɔ; wo katã wogblẽ; ame aɖeke meli si wɔa nu nyui o; ame ɖeka pɛ hã meli o.
They are all gone out of the way: they are together become unprofitable. There is none that does good; there is not so much as one.
13 Woƒe ve me le abe yɔdo nuvowo ene; woƒe aɖewo srɔ̃ alakpadada. Aʋatsokaka yɔ aɖe dzi na wo. Ƒli ƒe aɖi le woƒe nuyiwo ŋu.
Their throat is an open sepulcher: with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14 Woƒe nu me yɔ fũu kple fiƒode kple vevesese helĩhelĩ.
their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
15 Woɖea abla ɖe ʋukɔkɔɖi ŋu;
Their feet are swift to shed blood.
16 gbegblẽ kple nuxaxa le woƒe mɔwo dzi,
Destruction and misery lurk in their paths;
17 eye womenya ŋutifafa ƒe mɔ o.”
but the path of peace they have not known.
18 Mawuvɔvɔ̃ aɖeke mele woƒe ŋkuwo me o.
There is no fear of God before their eyes."
19 Azɔ la, míenya be nya sia nya si se la gblɔ la, egblɔe na ame siwo le se la te, be amewo nazi ɖoɖoe, eye Mawu nadrɔ̃ ʋɔnu xexea me katã.
Now we know that whatever things the law says, it says to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and that all the world may be liable to punishment before God.
20 Eya ta Mawu matso afia na ame aɖeke be ele dzɔdzɔe to se la dzi wɔwɔ me o; ke boŋ to se la me la, míedea dzesi nu vɔ̃.
Wherefore, by works of law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; because through law is the knowledge of sin.
21 Ke azɔ la, woɖe dzɔdzɔenyenye tso Mawu gbɔ fia mí se la manɔmee. Se la kple Nyagblɔɖilawo ɖi ɖase tso eŋuti.
But now, a justification which is of God, without law, is exhibited, attested by the law and the prophets:
22 Dzɔdzɔenyenye sia si tso Mawu gbɔ la vana to Yesu Kristo dzixɔse me na ame siwo katã xɔe se la. Vovototo aɖeke mele eme o,
even a justification which is of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, for all, and upon all, who believe; for there is no difference.
23 elabena wo katã wowɔ nu vɔ̃, eye Mawu ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe bu ɖe wo,
For all, having sinned and come short of the glory of God,
24 eye wotso afia na wo faa to eƒe amenuveve si va to ɖeɖedɔ si Kristo Yesu va wɔ la me.
are justified freely by his favor, through the redemption which is by Christ Jesus:
25 Mawu tsɔe na abe vɔsa ene ɖe mía nu, to eƒe ʋu la dzi xɔse me. Ewɔ esia be yeaɖe yeƒe nu dzɔdzɔe wɔwɔ afia, elabena le eƒe lɔlɔ̃ ta la, mena tohehe amewo ɖe nu vɔ̃ siwo wowɔ la ta o.
whom God has set forth a propitiatory, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his own justice, in passing by the sins which were before committed, through the forbearance of God:
26 Ewɔ esia tsɔ ɖe eƒe lɔlɔ̃ fia le egbeŋkekewo me, be wòanye dzɔdzɔetɔ kple ame si tsoa afia na ame siwo xɔ Yesu dzi se la.
for a demonstration, also, of his justice in the present time, in order that he may be just, when justifying him, who is of the faith of Jesus.
27 Esia ta adegbeƒoƒo aɖe lia? Adegbeƒoƒo aɖeke meli o. Nu ka ta míaƒo adegbe ɖo? To se la dzi wɔwɔ mea? Gbeɖe, ke boŋ to xɔse me.
Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. By what law? of works? No: but by the law of faith.
28 Elabena míexɔe se be ame akpɔ afiatsotso to xɔse me, ke menye to se la dzi wɔwɔ me o.
We conclude, then, that by faith man is justified, without works of law.
29 Ɖe Mawu nye Yudatɔwo ɖeɖe ko ƒe Mawua? Ɖe Mawu menye ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o hã ƒe Mawu oa? Ɛ̃, enye ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o hã ƒe Mawu.
Is he the God of the Jews only, and not of the Gentiles, also? Yes, of the Gentiles, also.
30 Elabena Mawu ɖeka koe li, ame si atso afia na aʋatsotsotɔwo kple aʋamatsomatsotɔwo to xɔse ɖeka ma me.
Seeing there is one God, he will justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through the faith.
31 Ɖe míate fli ɖe se la me to xɔse sia mea? Gbeɖe! Ke boŋ se la le eteƒe.
Do we, then, make law useless through the faith? By no means: but we establish law.
