Romatɔwo 3
1 Ekema viɖe kae le Yudatɔnyenye me alo asixɔxɔ kae le aʋatsotso ŋu?
What special privilege, then, has the Jew? Or what is the use of circumcision?
2 Viɖe geɖe le Yudatɔnyenye me. Gbã la, Mawu tsɔ eƒe nyawo de asi na wo.
Much in every way. First of all, because to them were entrusted 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?
Supposing some of them have proved faithless?
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! Be sure that God is ever true, though all mankind prove false. As it is written, That thou mayest be found just in thine argument, And gain thy cause when thou contendest.
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 thus brings out God’s righteousness, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous - I speak after the manner of men - when he inflicts his anger on us?
6 Mele alea o! Ne ele nenema la, aleke Mawu adrɔ̃ ʋɔnu xexea mee?
Be it far from us; for in that case how could 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?”
But if by a falsehood of mine the truthfulness of God has been made to redound to his glory, why am I still tried 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 why not say (as I myself am slanderously reported to say), "Let us do evil that good may come out of it"? Such arguments are rightly condemned.
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? Are we Jews in a better position? Not at all, for I have already charged all, both Jews and Gentiles, with being 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. There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 Ame aɖeke mese egɔme o; ame aɖeke medi Mawu o.
There is none that understands, none that seeks for God!
12 Ame sia ame tra mɔ; wo katã wogblẽ; ame aɖeke meli si wɔa nu nyui o; ame ɖeka pɛ hã meli o.
All have swerved from the right path; Every one of them has become corrupt. There is none that practises good, no, not 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 grave; With their tongues they have used deceit. The venom 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 ruin are in their paths;
17 eye womenya ŋutifafa ƒe mɔ o.”
And the path of peace they have not known.
18 Mawuvɔvɔ̃ aɖeke mele woƒe ŋkuwo me o.
Reverence for God is not 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 the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law; so that every mouth may be shut, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of 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.
For no man will be justified in God’s sight by works of the Law; for through the Law comes the consciousness 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, quite apart from any law, a righteousness coming from God has been fully brought to light, continually witnessed to 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,
I mean a righteousness coming from God through faith in Jesus Christ, for all who believe. For there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile,
23 elabena wo katã wowɔ nu vɔ̃, eye Mawu ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe bu ɖe wo,
since all have sinned and lack the glory which comes from God;
24 eye wotso afia na wo faa to eƒe amenuveve si va to ɖeɖedɔ si Kristo Yesu va wɔ la me.
but they are now being justified by his free grace through the deliverance that is in 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.
For God openly set him forth for himself as an offering of atonement through faith, by means of his blood, in order to show forth his righteousness - since in his forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed - to show forth his righteousness,
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.
I say, at this present time; that he himself might be just, and yet the justifier of him who has faith in 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.
Then what becomes of boasting? It is shut out. What sort of law forbids it? A law of works? No, but a law of faith.
28 Elabena míexɔe se be ame akpɔ afiatsotso to xɔse me, ke menye to se la dzi wɔwɔ me o.
For I conclude that a man is justified by faith, altogether apart from the deeds of the 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 God then the God of the Jews alone, and not of the Gentiles also? He is God of the Gentiles also,
30 Elabena Mawu ɖeka koe li, ame si atso afia na aʋatsotsotɔwo kple aʋamatsomatsotɔwo to xɔse ɖeka ma me.
since there is one God who will justify the circumcised through faith, and by their faith will he justify the uncircumcised.
31 Ɖe míate fli ɖe se la me to xɔse sia mea? Gbeɖe! Ke boŋ se la le eteƒe.
Do we then render law invalid through faith? Certainly not; on the contrary we make it stand.
