< 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 will we say to have discovered Abraham the (ancestor *N(K)O*) of us according to [the] flesh?
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.
If for Abraham by works was justified, he has ground of boasting but not toward (*k*) God.
3 Nu ka Ŋɔŋlɔ Kɔkɔe la gblɔ? “Abraham xɔ Mawu dzi se, eye wobui nɛ dzɔdzɔenyenyee.”
What for the Scripture says? Believed then Abraham in God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.
4 Azɔ ne ame aɖe wɔ dɔ la, ekema eƒe fetu menye nunana o, ke boŋ enye eƒe dɔdeasi.
To the [one] now working the reward not is reckoned according to grace but according to (*k*) debt;
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.
To the [one] however not working, believing however on the [One] justifying the ungodly, is reckoned the faith of him for 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 also David declares the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “Woayra ame siwo wotsɔ woƒe dzidadawo ke wo, kple ame siwo wotsyɔ nu woƒe nu vɔ̃wo dzi la.
Blessed [are] they of whom are forgiven the lawless deeds and of whom are covered the sins;
8 Woayra ŋutsu si ƒe nu vɔ̃ Aƒetɔ la mabu nɛ o la.”
blessed [is] [the] man (of whom *N(k)O*) certainly not may reckon [the] Lord sin.
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.
[Is] the blessing then this on the circumcision or also on the uncircumcision? We are saying for (that: *k*) was credited to Abraham the faith 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 credited? In circumcision being 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 [the] sign he received of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith that [he had] [while] in the uncircumcision; for the to be him father of all those believing in uncircumcision, for to be credited also to them the righteousness,
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 to those not of circumcision only but also to those walking in the steps during (the *k*) uncircumcision (of the *k*) faith of the father of us 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.
Not for through [the] Law [was] the promise to Abraham or to the descendants of him that heir he being (of the *k*) world but through [the] righteousness of 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,
If for those of [the] Law [are] heirs, has been made void faith and has been nullified the promise;
15 elabena se la hea dɔmedzoe vanɛ. Eye afi si se mele o la, nu vɔ̃ menɔa anyi o.
For law wrath brings; where (now *N(k)O*) no there is law, neither [is] 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.
Therefore it [is] of faith, that [it may be] according to grace, for to be sure the promise to all the seed, not to that of the law only but also to that of [the] faith of Abraham, who is [the] father of all of us —
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 has been written that A father of many nations I have made you, before whom he believed God, who is giving life to the dead and calling the [things] not [into] being as existing;
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 against hope in hope believed for to become him [the] father of many nations according to that spoken; So will be the offspring of you;
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 not having become weak in the faith (not *K*) he considered his own body already expired, a hundred years old about being, and the lifelessness of the womb of Sarah,
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,
About however the promise of God not he did waver through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, having given glory to God
21 eye wòka ɖe edzi blibo be Mawu ate ŋu awɔ nu sia nu si ŋugbe wòdo la.
and having been fully assured that what He has promised able He is also to do;
22 Nu sia ta “wobui nɛ dzɔdzɔenyenyee” ɖo.
Therefore also it was credited to him unto righteousness.
23 Gake menye eya ɖeɖe ta woŋlɔ ɖi be “wobui nɛ dzɔdzɔenyenyee” o,
Not it was written now on account of him alone that it was credited to 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 also on account of us to whom it is about to be credited, to those believing on the [One] having raised Jesus the Lord of us out from [the] dead,
25 Eku ɖe míaƒe nu vɔ̃wo ta, eye wofɔe ɖe tsitre ɖe afiatsotso na mí ta.
who was delivered over for the trespasses of us and was raised for the justification of us.