Romatɔwo 4
1 Azɔ nu ka gblɔ ge míala tso mía tɔgbui Abraham, ame si ƒe ŋutinya míese le nya sia me la ŋuti?
What then shall we say—as touching Abraham our forefather?
2 Ne ele eme vavã be wotso afia na Abraham to eƒe dɔwɔwɔwo me la, ekema nane li si ŋuti wòaƒo adegbe le, gake menye le Mawu ŋkume o.
For, if Abraham by works was declared righteous, he hath whereof to boast; —nevertheless, not towards God, —
3 Nu ka Ŋɔŋlɔ Kɔkɔe la gblɔ? “Abraham xɔ Mawu dzi se, eye wobui nɛ dzɔdzɔenyenyee.”
For what doth the Scripture say? And Abraham believed in God, and it was reckoned unto him as righteousness.
4 Azɔ ne ame aɖe wɔ dɔ la, ekema eƒe fetu menye nunana o, ke boŋ enye eƒe dɔdeasi.
Now, unto him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned by way of favour but by way of obligation,
5 Ke ne ame aɖe mewɔ dɔ o, gake wòxɔ Mawu, ame si tsoa afia na ame vɔ̃ɖi dzi se la, ekema woabu eƒe xɔse nɛ dzɔdzɔenyenyee.
Whereas, unto him that worketh not but believeth on him that declareth righteous the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.
6 David gblɔ nya sia ke esi wòƒo nu tso ame si Mawu bu ame dzɔdzɔe ƒe yayra ŋu dɔ wɔwɔ manɔmee be,
Just as David also affirmeth the happiness of the man unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works: —
7 “Woayra ame siwo wotsɔ woƒe dzidadawo ke wo, kple ame siwo wotsyɔ nu woƒe nu vɔ̃wo dzi la.
Happy, they whose lawlessnesses have been forgiven and whose sins have been covered,
8 Woayra ŋutsu si ƒe nu vɔ̃ Aƒetɔ la mabu nɛ o la.”
Happy, the man whose sin the Lord will in nowise reckon.
9 Ɖe yayra sia nye aʋatsotsotɔwo ɖeɖe ko tɔ alo enye ame siwo menye aʋamatsomatsotɔwo hã tɔa? Míegblɔna be Mawu bu Abraham ƒe xɔse nɛ dzɔdzɔenyenyee.
This happiness, then, [is it] for the circumcision, or for the uncircumcision? for we say—His faith was reckoned unto Abraham as righteousness:
10 Nu ka ta wobu Abraham ƒe xɔse nɛ dzɔdzɔenyenyee ɖo? Ɖe wobui nɛ dzɔdzɔenyenyee le eƒe aʋatsotso megbe alo do ŋgɔ na eƒe aʋatsotsoa? Menye le eƒe aʋatsotso megbe o, ke boŋ do ŋgɔ na eƒe aʋatsotso!
How, then, was it reckoned? When he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision;
11 Exɔ aʋatsotso si nye eƒe dzɔdzɔenyenye ƒe nutrenu ƒe dzesi si wòxɔ la esime wometso aʋa nɛ o. Esia ta Abraham nye ame siwo katã xɔ se, gake wometso aʋa na wo o la fofo, be woabui na wo dzɔdzɔenyenyee.
And, a sign, he received [namely] of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while yet uncircumcised; to the end he might be father of all that believe during uncircumcision, to the end [the same] righteousness might be reckoned unto them, —
12 Abraham ganye ame siwo katã wotso aʋa na la fofo, ame siwo mexɔ aʋatsotso ɖeɖe ko o, ke boŋ wonɔ agbe le xɔse me abe ale si mía fofo Abraham hã nɔ agbee hafi wotso aʋa nɛ ene.
And father of circumcision—unto them who are not of circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of the faith, while yet uncircumcised, of our father Abraham.
13 Menye to se la mee Abraham kple eƒe dzidzimeviwo xɔ ŋugbedodo la le be anye xexea me ƒe domenyila o, ke boŋ to dzɔdzɔenyenye si tso xɔse mee.
For, not through means of law, doth the promise belong unto Abraham or unto his seed, —that he should be heir of the world; but, through a righteousness by faith.
14 Elabena ne ame siwo le agbe le se la nu nye domenyilawo la, ekema xɔse menye viɖenu o, eye ŋugbedodo la nye yakanu,
For, if they who are of law are heirs, made void is faith and of no effect is the promise.
15 elabena se la hea dɔmedzoe vanɛ. Eye afi si se mele o la, nu vɔ̃ menɔa anyi o.
For, the law, worketh out anger, but, where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
16 Eya ta ŋugbedodo la vana to xɔse me be wòanye amenuveve, eye wòanye Abraham ƒe dzidzimeviwo katã, menye ame siwo le se la te ɖeɖe ko o, ke boŋ ame siwo si xɔse le abe Abraham ene. Eyae nye mí katã fofo.
For this cause, it is by faith, in order that it may be by way of favour, so that the promise is firm unto all the seed, —not unto that by the law only, but unto that also [which is such] by the faith of Abraham; who is father of us all, —
17 Abe ale si Ŋɔŋlɔ Kɔkɔe la gblɔ ene be: “Meɖo wò dukɔ geɖewo fofo.” Eyae nye mía fofo le Mawu ŋkume, ame si dzi wòxɔ se, Mawu, ame si naa agbe ame kukuwo, eye wòyɔa nu siwo meli o la abe ɖe woli ene.
Even as it is written—Father of many nations, have I appointed thee: before him whom he believed—God, who causeth the dead to live, and calleth the things that are not as things that are: —
18 Togbɔ be mɔkpɔkpɔ aɖeke megali o hã la, Abraham kpɔ mɔ le xɔse me, eye wòzu dukɔ geɖewo fofo, abe ale si wogblɔ nɛ ene be, “Nenema anye wò dzidzimeviwo.”
Who, past hope, upon hope believed, so that he became father of many nations, —according to what had been said—So shall be thy seed; —
19 Megbɔdzɔ le xɔse me o, eya ta mebu be yeƒe ŋutilã ku, esi wòxɔ abe ƒe alafa ɖeka ene, eye Sara hã ƒe vidzidɔ ku na vidzidzi o.
And, without becoming weak in his faith, he attentively considered his own body, already deadened—he being a hundred years old, the deadening also of Sarah’s womb;
20 Ke meke ɖi le Mawu ƒe ŋugbedodo la ŋuti le dzimaxɔse me o, ke boŋ edo ŋusẽ eƒe xɔse, eye wòtsɔ ŋutikɔkɔe na Mawu,
In respect, however, of the promise of God, he was not led to hesitate by unbelief, but received power by his faith, giving glory unto God,
21 eye wòka ɖe edzi blibo be Mawu ate ŋu awɔ nu sia nu si ŋugbe wòdo la.
And being fully persuaded (that), —what he hath promised, able is he also to perform:
22 Nu sia ta “wobui nɛ dzɔdzɔenyenyee” ɖo.
Wherefore [also], it was reckoned unto him as righteousness.
23 Gake menye eya ɖeɖe ta woŋlɔ ɖi be “wobui nɛ dzɔdzɔenyenyee” o,
Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was reckoned unto him,
24 ke míawo hã tae, mí ame siwo Mawu abui na dzɔdzɔenyenyee, mí ame siwo xɔa ame si fɔ Yesu, míaƒe Aƒetɔ la ɖe tsitre tso ame kukuwo dome dzi sena.
But for our sakes also—unto whom it is to be reckoned, —even unto them that believe upon him who raised Jesus our Lord from among the dead:
25 Eku ɖe míaƒe nu vɔ̃wo ta, eye wofɔe ɖe tsitre ɖe afiatsotso na mí ta.
Who was delivered up on account of our offences and was raised on account of the declaring us righteous.
