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 that Abraham, our forefather, has found 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.
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God.
3 Nu ka Ŋɔŋlɔ Kɔkɔe la gblɔ? “Abraham xɔ Mawu dzi se, eye wobui nɛ dzɔdzɔenyenyee.”
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
4 Azɔ ne ame aɖe wɔ dɔ la, ekema eƒe fetu menye nunana o, ke boŋ enye eƒe dɔdeasi.
Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as something owed.
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.
But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted 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,
Even as David also pronounces blessing on the man to whom God counts 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 whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
8 Woayra ŋutsu si ƒe nu vɔ̃ Aƒetɔ la mabu nɛ o la.”
Blessed is the man whom the Lord will by no means charge with 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 this blessing then pronounced only on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for 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 counted? 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.
He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they might be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might also be accounted to 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.
He is the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had in uncircumcision.
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 the promise to Abraham and to his offspring that he would be heir of the world wasn’t through the law, 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,
For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of no effect.
15 elabena se la hea dɔmedzoe vanɛ. Eye afi si se mele o la, nu vɔ̃ menɔa anyi o.
For the law produces wrath; for where there is no law, neither is there disobedience.
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 of faith, that it may be according to grace, to the end that the promise may be sure to all the offspring, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the 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.
As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations.” This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were.
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.”
Against hope, Abraham in hope believed, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So will your offspring be.”
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.
Without being weakened in faith, he didn’t consider his own body, already having been worn out, (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness 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,
Yet, looking to the promise of God, he didn’t waver through unbelief, but grew strong through faith, giving glory to God,
21 eye wòka ɖe edzi blibo be Mawu ate ŋu awɔ nu sia nu si ŋugbe wòdo la.
and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was also able to perform.
22 Nu sia ta “wobui nɛ dzɔdzɔenyenyee” ɖo.
Therefore it also was “credited to him for righteousness.”
23 Gake menye eya ɖeɖe ta woŋlɔ ɖi be “wobui nɛ dzɔdzɔenyenyee” o,
Now it was not written that it was accounted to him for his sake alone,
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 sake also, to whom it will be accounted, who believe in him who raised Yeshua our Lord from the dead,
25 Eku ɖe míaƒe nu vɔ̃wo ta, eye wofɔe ɖe tsitre ɖe afiatsotso na mí ta.
who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.
