< Aroma 4 >
1 Iburahĩmu, o ũcio ithe witũ ũhoro-inĩ wa gũciarwo na mwĩrĩ-rĩ, aamenyire atĩa ũhoro ũcio?
What then shall we say that Abraham, our earthly forefather, has gained?
2 Angĩkorwo, ti-itherũ, Iburahĩmu aatuirwo mũthingu na ũndũ wa ciĩko iria ekaga-rĩ, nĩarĩ na ũndũ wa kwĩrahĩra, no ti mbere ya Ngai.
For if he was held to be righteous on the ground of his actions, he has something to boast of; but not in the presence of God.
3 Nĩgũkorwo Maandĩko marĩa matheru moigĩte atĩa? “Iburahĩmu nĩetĩkirie Ngai, naguo ũndũ ũcio ũgĩtũma atuuo mũthingu.”
For what says the Scripture? "And Abraham believed God, and this was placed to his credit as righteousness."
4 Atĩrĩrĩ, hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ aruta wĩra-rĩ, mũcaara wake ũrĩa aheagwo ndũkoragwo ũrĩ ta kĩheo, no nĩ ta thiirĩ ararĩhwo.
But in the case of a man who works, pay is not reckoned a favour but a debt;
5 No rĩrĩ, mũndũ ũrĩa ũtehokaga maũndũ marĩa ekaga, tiga o gwĩtĩkia Ngai ũrĩa ũtuaga andũ arĩa aaganu athingu-rĩ, wĩtĩkio wa mũndũ ũcio nĩguo atuagĩrwo taarĩ ũthingu.
whereas in the case of a man who pleads no actions of his own, but simply believes in Him who declares the ungodly free from guilt, his faith is placed to his credit as righteousness.
6 Ũguo noguo Daudi oigaga rĩrĩa aaragia ũhoro wa kĩrathimo kĩa mũndũ ũrĩa Ngai atuĩte mũthingu hatarĩ ũhoro wa ciĩko, akoiga atĩrĩ:
In this way David also tells of the blessedness of the man to whose credit God places righteousness, apart from his actions.
7 “Kũrathimwo-rĩ, nĩ arĩa marekeirwo mahĩtia mao, namo mehia mao makahumbĩrwo.
"Blessed," he says, "are those whose iniquities have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered over.
8 Kũrathimwo-rĩ, nĩ mũndũ ũrĩa Mwathani atatuaga mwĩhia.”
Blessed is the man of whose sin the Lord will not take account."
9 Hihi kĩrathimo gĩkĩ no kĩa andũ arĩa maruaga oiki, kana nĩ kĩa o na arĩa mataruaga? Nĩtũkoretwo tũkiuga atĩ wĩtĩkio wa Iburahĩmu nĩguo watũmire atuuo mũthingu.
This declaration of blessedness, then, does it come simply to the circumcised, or to the uncircumcised as well? For Abraham's faith--so we affirm--was placed to his credit as righteousness.
10 No aatuirwo mũthingu arĩ na ũhoro ũrĩkũ? Hihi nĩ thuutha wa kũrua, kana nĩ mbere ĩyo? Ti thuutha wa kũrua, no nĩ mbere ĩyo, hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ataaruĩte!
What then were the circumstances under which this took place? Was it after he had been circumcised, or before?
11 Nake agĩcooka akĩamũkĩra rũũri rwa kũrua, rũrĩ mũhũri wa ũthingu ũrĩa aarĩ naguo nĩ ũndũ wa gwĩtĩkia o na hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ataarĩ mũruu. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio agĩtuĩka ithe wa arĩa othe metĩkagia o na matarĩ aruu, nĩgeetha o nao matuuagwo athingu.
Before, not after. And he received circumcision as a sign, a mark attesting the reality of the faith-righteousness which was his while still uncircumcised, that he might be the forefather of all those who believe even though they are uncircumcised--in order that this righteousness might be placed to their credit;
12 Na ningĩ nowe ithe wa andũ arĩa maruaga, arĩa matarĩ atĩ no kũrua maruĩte, no nĩmathiiaga na mũthiĩre wa wĩtĩkio ũrĩa ithe witũ Iburahĩmu aarĩ naguo mbere ya kũrua.
and the forefather of the circumcised, namely of those who not merely are circumcised, but also walk in the steps of the faith which our forefather Abraham had while he was as yet uncircumcised.
13 Iburahĩmu ndeerĩirwo kĩĩranĩro atĩ nĩagatuĩka mũgai wa thĩ hamwe na njiaro ciake nĩ ũndũ wa gwathĩkĩra watho, no nĩ ũndũ wa ũthingu ũrĩa uumanaga na wĩtĩkio.
Again, the promise that he should inherit the world did not come to Abraham or his posterity conditioned by Law, but by faith-righteousness.
14 Nĩgũkorwo kũngĩtuĩka atĩ arĩa matũũragio nĩ watho nĩ agai-rĩ, wĩtĩkio ndũkĩrĩ kĩene, nakĩo kĩĩranĩro nĩ gĩa tũhũ,
For if it is the righteous through Law who are heirs, then faith is useless and the promise counts for nothing.
15 tondũ watho ũrehaga mangʼũrĩ. Naho harĩa hatarĩ watho hatirĩ ũhoro wa kwagarara watho.
For the Law inflicts punishment; but where no Law exists, there can be no violation of Law.
16 Tondũ wa ũguo-rĩ, kĩĩranĩro kiumanaga na wĩtĩkio, nĩgeetha wonekage na ũndũ wa wega wa Ngai, na ũtuĩke wa kũheo kũna njiaro ciothe cia Iburahĩmu, na to arĩa maaheirwo ũhoro wa watho oiki, no nĩ kũrĩ arĩa othe metĩkĩtie ta ũrĩa Iburahĩmu eetĩkĩtie. Nĩgũkorwo Iburahĩmu nĩwe ithe wa arĩa othe metĩkĩtie.
All depends on faith, and for this reason--that acceptance with God might be an act of pure grace,
17 Ta ũrĩa kwandĩkĩtwo atĩrĩ: “Nĩngũtuĩte ithe wa ndũrĩrĩ nyingĩ.” We nĩwe ithe witũ maitho-inĩ ma Ngai, o ũcio Iburahĩmu eetĩkĩtie, o we Ngai ũrĩa ũriũkagia arĩa makuĩte, na waragia ũhoro wa maũndũ marĩa matarĩ ho ta marĩ ho.
so that the promise should be made sure to all Abraham's true descendants; not merely to those who are righteous through the Law, but to those who are righteous through a faith like that of Abraham. Thus in the sight of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and makes reference to things that do not exist, as though they did, Abraham is the forefather of all of us. As it is written, "I have appointed you to be the forefather of many nations."
18 Iburahĩmu nĩagĩire na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro o na harĩa hataarĩ kĩndũ gĩa kwĩrĩgĩrĩra na agĩĩtĩkia, na nĩ ũndũ ũcio agĩtuĩka ithe wa ndũrĩrĩ nyingĩ, o ta ũrĩa erĩtwo atĩrĩ, “Ũguo nĩguo rũciaro rwaku rũkaigana.”
Under utterly hopeless circumstances he hopefully believed, so that he might become the forefather of many nations, in agreement with the words "Equally numerous shall your posterity be."
19 Nake o na akĩmenyaga atĩ mwĩrĩ wake watariĩ ta ũrĩ mũkuũ nĩgũkorwo ũkũrũ wake warĩ ta mĩaka igana rĩmwe, na aamenya atĩ nda ya Sara nĩyathirĩte hinya wa gũciara-rĩ, ndaigana kũnyihanyiihĩrwo nĩ wĩtĩkio.
And, without growing weak in faith, he could contemplate his own vital powers which had now decayed--for he was nearly 100 years old--and Sarah's barrenness.
20 Nowe ndaigana kũgĩa na nganja ũhoro-inĩ wa wĩtĩkio ũkoniĩ kĩĩranĩro kĩu kĩa Ngai, no wĩtĩkio wake nĩ hinya wongereirwo, nake akĩgooca Ngai,
Nor did he in unbelief stagger at God's promise, but became mighty in faith, giving glory to God,
21 tondũ nĩetĩkĩtie biũ atĩ Ngai arĩ na hinya wa kũhingia ũrĩa eranĩire.
and being absolutely certain that whatever promise He is bound by He is able also to make good.
22 Ũndũ ũcio ũgĩtũma atuuo mũthingu.
For this reason also his faith was placed to his credit as righteousness.
23 Na rĩrĩ, ciugo icio ciandĩkĩtwo atĩrĩ “Nĩatuirwo mũthingu” itiandĩkirwo nĩ ũndũ wake wiki,
Nor was the fact of its being placed to his credit put on record for his sake only;
24 no ciandĩkirwo nĩ ũndũ witũ, ithuĩ arĩa Ngai agaatua athingu, o ithuĩ arĩa twĩtĩkĩtie Ngai ũrĩa wariũkirie Jesũ Mwathani witũ kuuma kũrĩ arĩa akuũ.
it was for our sakes too. Faith, before long, will be placed to the credit of us also who are believers in Him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead,
25 We aaneanirwo oragwo nĩ ũndũ wa mehia maitũ, na agĩcooka akĩriũkio nĩgeetha tũtuuo athingu.
who was surrendered to death because of the offences we had committed, and was raised to life because of the acquittal secured for us.