Romains 4
1 Quel avantage dirons-nous donc qu’Abraham, notre père, a eu selon la chair?
Let's take Abraham as an example. From a human viewpoint he is the father of our nation. Let's ask, “What was his experience?”
2 Car si Abraham a été justifié par les œuvres, il a de quoi se glorifier, mais non devant Dieu.
For if Abraham was set right by what he did, he would have had something to boast about—but not in God's eyes.
3 En effet, que dit l’Ecriture? Abraham crut à Dieu, et ce lui fut imputé à justice.
However, what does Scripture say? “Abraham trusted God, and so he was considered as being a good person who did right.”
4 Or à celui qui travaille, le salaire n’est point imputé comme une grâce, mais comme une dette.
Whoever works gets paid—it's not considered as a gift, but because they've earned their wages.
5 Au contraire, à celui qui ne fait pas les œuvres, mais qui croit en celui qui justifie l’impie, sa foi est imputée à justice, selon le décret de la grâce de Dieu.
But God, who makes sinners right, considers them as right not because they've worked for it but because they trust in him. This is why
6 C’est ainsi que David appelle heureux l’homme à qui Dieu impute la justice sans les œuvres:
David speaks of the happiness of those whom God considers as right, and not because they worked for it:
7 Bienheureux ceux dont les iniquités ont été remises, et dont les péchés ont été couverts.
“How happy are those whose wrongs are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Bienheureux l’homme à qui le Seigneur n’a pas imputé de péché.
How happy are those the Lord does not consider sinful.”
9 Or cette béatitude est-elle seulement pour les circoncis? N’est-elle pas aussi pour les incirconcis? Car nous venons de dire que la foi d’Abraham lui a été imputée à justice.
Now is this blessing just for the Jews, or is it for others too? We've just stated that Abraham was accepted as good and right because he trusted God.
10 Quand donc lui a-t-elle été imputée? Est-ce après la circoncision, ou avant la circoncision? Ce n’est point après la circoncision, mais avant la circoncision.
But when did this happen? When Abraham was a Jew or before?
11 Et il ne reçut la marque de la circoncision que comme sceau de la justice qu’il avait déjà acquise par la foi, étant encore incirconcis, et pour être le père de tous les croyants incirconcis, afin que la foi leur fût aussi imputée à justice,
It was actually before he became a Jew by being circumcised, which was a confirmation of his trust in God to make him right. This happened before he was circumcised, so he is the father of everyone who trusts in God and are considered as right by God, even though they may not be circumcised Jews.
12 Et pour être père de la circoncision, non-seulement des circoncis, mais aussi de ceux qui suivent les traces de la foi qui était en notre père Abraham, encore incirconcis.
He is also the father of circumcised Jews not merely because they're circumcised, but because they follow the example of the trust in God our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 Car ce n’est pas en vertu de la loi qu’a été faite à Abraham ou à sa postérité la promesse d’avoir le monde pour héritage, mais c’est en vertu de la justice de la foi.
God's promise to Abraham and his descendants that the world would belong to him was not based on his keeping of the law, but because he was made right through his trust in God.
14 Et si ceux qui ont reçu la loi sont héritiers, la foi devient vaine, et la promesse est abolie;
For if the promised inheritance is based on keeping the law, then the issue of trusting God is not necessary, and the promise is pointless.
15 Attendu que la loi opère la colère; car où il n’y a point de loi, il n’y a point de prévarication.
For the law results in punishment—but if there's no law then it cannot be broken.
16 Ainsi c’est à la foi qu’est attachée la promesse, afin qu’elle soit gratuite et assurée à toute la postérité d’Abraham, non seulement à celle qui a reçu la loi, mais encore à celle qui suit la foi d’Abraham, qui est le père de nous tous,
So the promise is based on trusting God. It is provided as a free gift, guaranteed to all the children of Abraham—not merely to those who follow the law, but also to those who trust like Abraham, the father of us all.
17 (Selon qu’il est écrit: Je t’ai établi père d’une multitude de nations), devant Dieu à qui il a cru, qui vivifie les morts, et appelle les choses qui ne sont pas, comme celles qui sont;
As Scripture says, “I've made you the father of many nations.” For in the presence of God, Abraham trusted in the God who makes the dead alive and speaks into existence what didn't previously exist.
18 Qui, ayant espéré contre l’espérance même, a cru qu’il deviendrait le père d’un grand nombre de nations, selon ce qui lui fut dit: Ainsi sera ta postérité.
Against all hope Abraham in hope trusted God, so he could become the father of many peoples, just as God had promised him: “This is how many descendants you'll have!”
19 Et sa foi ne faiblit point, et il ne considéra ni son corps éteint, puisqu’il avait déjà environ cent ans, ni l’impuissance de Sara.
His trust in God didn't weaken even though he thought his body was practically dead (he was around a hundred years old), and knew that Sarah was too old to have children.
20 Il n’hésita point, en défiance de la promesse de Dieu; mais il se fortifia par la foi, rendant gloire à Dieu,
He held on to God's promise—he didn't doubt it. Instead his trust in God grew stronger, and he gave glory to God.
21 Pleinement assuré que tout ce qu’il a promis, il est puissant pour le faire.
He was totally convinced that what God had promised he had the power to deliver.
22 Voilà pourquoi ce lui fut même imputé à justice.
That's why Abraham was considered right by God.
23 Or, ce n’est pas pour lui seul qu’il est écrit que ce lui fut imputé à justice;
The words “Abraham was considered right” weren't just written down for his benefit.
24 Mais pour nous aussi, à qui il sera imputé de même, si nous croyons en celui qui a ressuscité d’entre les morts Jésus-Christ Notre Seigneur,
They were for us too, those of us who will be considered as right, since we trust in God who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead.
25 Qui a été livré pour nos péchés, et qui est ressuscité pour notre justification.
Jesus was handed over to die because of our sins, and was raised to life to make us right.
