Ndị Rom 4
1 Gịnị ka anyị nwere ikwu banyere Ebraham, nna nna anyị na o nwetara ihe niile site nʼanụ ahụ?
What then, it may be asked, are we to say about Abraham, the ancestor of our nation?
2 A sị na a gụrụ Ebraham dịka onye ezi omume site nʼọrụ aka ya, ọ gaara enwe ihe ọ ga-eji anya isi, ma na ọ bụghị nʼihu Chineke.
If he was pronounced righteous as the result of obedience, then he has something to boast of. Yes, but not before God.
3 Ma gịnị ka akwụkwọ nsọ kwuru? “Ebraham kweere na Chineke, a gụrụ nke a nye ya dị ka ezi omume.”
For what are the words of Scripture? ‘Abraham had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.’
4 Mgbe mmadụ rụrụ ọrụ, ụgwọ ọrụ a kwụrụ ya abụghị onyinye, kama ọ bụ ihe ruru ya nʼihi ọrụ ọ rụrụ.
Now wages are regarded as due to the man who works, not as a favour, but as a debt;
5 Ma nye onye na-enweghị ọrụ ma tinye okwukwe ya na onye ahụ na-agụnye ndị ajọọ omume dịka ndị ezi omume, a ga-eji okwukwe ya gụnyere ya dịka ezi omume.
while, as for the man who does not rely upon his obedience, but has faith in him who can pronounce the godless righteous, his faith is regarded by God as righteousness.
6 Devid nʼonwe ya kwukwara banyere ọṅụ dịịrị onye ọbụla Chineke gụrụ nʼonye ezi omume nʼagbanyeghị ọrụ ya.
In precisely the same way David speaks of the blessing pronounced upon the man who is regarded by God as righteous apart from actions —
7 “Ngọzị na-adịrị ndị a gbaghaara ajọ omume ha niile, ndị ekpuchikwara mmehie ha niile.
‘Blessed are those whose wrong-doings have been forgiven and over whose sins a veil has been drawn!
8 Ngọzị na-adịrị nwoke ahụ, onye Onyenwe anyị na-adịghị agụnyere mmehie ya.”
Blessed the man whom the Lord will never regard as sinful!’
9 Ngọzị a ọ dịrị naanị ndị e biri ugwu ka ọ bụ nyekwa ndị a na-ebighị ugwu? Ihe anyị na-ekwu bụ na a gụrụ okwukwe Ebraham dị ka ezi omume nye ya.
Is this blessing, then, pronounced upon the circumcised only or upon the uncircumcised as well? We say that — ‘Abraham’s faith was regarded by God as righteousness.’
10 Olee mgbe a gụrụ ya nye ya? Ọ bụ tupu e bie ya ugwu, ka ọ bụ mgbe e bichara ya ugwu? Ọ bụghị mgbe e bichara ya ugwu kama ọ bụ tupu e bie ya ugwu.
Under what circumstances, then, did this take place? After his circumcision or before it?
11 Ọ natara ihe ịrịbama nke obibi ugwu dịka akara nke ezi omume nke okwukwe o nwere mgbe ọ nọ na-ebighị ugwu. Nke a bụ ime ya nna ndị niile kweerenụ, ndị ahụ ọ gụrụ dịka ndị ezi omume, ọ bụ ezie na ha bụ ndị a na-ebighị ugwu.
Not after, but before. And it was as a sign of this that he received the rite of circumcision — to attest the righteousness due to the faith of an uncircumcised man — in order that he might be the father of all who have faith in God even when uncircumcised, that they also may be regarded by God as righteous;
12 Nʼụzọ dị otu a kwa, ọ bụ nna ndị niile e biri ugwu. Ndụ ya na-egosikwa ha na ọ bụghị obibi ugwu ha na-azọpụta ha, kama ọ bụ okwukwe ha. Nʼihi na Chineke nabatara Ebraham naanị site nʼokwukwe o nwere tupu e bie ya ugwu.
as well as father of the circumcised — to those who are not only circumcised, but who also follow our father Abraham in that faith which he had while still uncircumcised.
13 Nkwa o kwere Ebraham na agbụrụ ya na ha ga-eketa ụwa abụghị site nʼidebe iwu, kama ọ bụ site nʼezi omume nke okwukwe.
For the promise that he should inherit the world did not come to Abraham or his descendants through Law, but through the righteousness due to faith.
14 Nʼihi na, ọ bụrụ na ndị a ga-enye ihe e kwere na nkwa bụ ndị na-edebe iwu, inwe okwukwe abakwaghị uru, nkwa ahụ enwekwaghị isi ọbụla.
If those who take their stand on Law are to inherit the world, then faith is robbed of its meaning and the promise comes to nothing!
15 Nʼihi na iwu nʼonwe ya na-eme ka ọnụma bịa. Ma ebe iwu na-adịghị, mmehie adịghịkwa.
Law entails punishment; but, where no Law exists, no breach of it is possible.
16 Ya mere, nkwa ahụ na-abịa site nʼokwukwe, ka ọ bụrụ naanị site nʼamara ka e ji mee ka ụmụ ya niile nweta ya, ọ bụghị naanị nye ndị nọ nʼokpuru iwu, kama ọ bụkwa nye ndị nwere ụdị okwukwe Ebraham. Nʼihi na ọ bụ nna anyị niile.
That is why all is made to depend upon faith, that all may be God’s gift, and in order that the fulfilment of the promise may be made certain for all Abraham’s descendants — not only for those who take their stand on the Law, but also for those who take their stand on the faith of Abraham. (He is the Father of us all;
17 Dịka e dere ya, “Emeela m gị nna nke ọtụtụ mba.” Ya mere, nʼihu Chineke ahụ bụ onye o kweenyere nʼime ya, bụ onye ahụ na-eme ka ndị nwụrụ anwụ dịkwa ndụ ọzọ, onye na-akpọkwa ihe ndị na-adịbụghị, mee ka ha dịrị.
as Scripture says — ‘I have made thee the Father of many nations.’) And this they do in the sight of that God in whom Abraham had faith, and who gives life to the dead, and speaks of what does not yet exist as if it did.
18 Ọ bụladị mgbe olileanya gasịrị, o kwenyere na ya ga-abụ nna nke ọtụtụ mba, dịka ihe a gwara ya si dị, “Otu a ka mkpụrụ gị ga-adị.”
With no ground for hope, Abraham, sustained by hope, put faith in God; in order that, in fulfilment of the words — ‘So many shall thy descendants be,’ he might become ‘the Father of many nations.’
19 Ọ daghị mba nʼokwukwe ọ bụladị mgbe ọ matara na ya akala nka nʼahụ, nʼihi na ọ gbaruola otu narị afọ, tinyekwara na akpanwa Sera bụ ihe nwụrụ anwụ.
Though he was nearly a hundred years old, yet his faith did not fail him, even when he thought of his own body, then utterly worn out, and remembered that Sarah was past bearing children.
20 Ọ dịghị mgbe ọbụla o nwere obi abụọ na Chineke agaghị emezu ihe niile o kwere ya na nkwa. Kama, okwukwe ya mere ka ọ gbasie ike, ka ọ na-enye Chineke otuto.
He was not led by want of faith to doubt God’s promise.
21 O nwere otu obi na Chineke pụrụ imezu ihe niile ọbụla o kwere na nkwa.
On the contrary, his faith gave him strength; and he praised God, in the firm conviction that what God has promised he is also able to carry out.
22 Ọ bụ nʼihi ya ka e ji gụọ nke a nye ya dị ka ezi omume.
And therefore his faith ‘was regarded as righteousness.’
23 Okwu ndị a, “A gụrụ ya nye ya dịka onye ezi omume,” edeghị ya naanị maka ya.
Now these words — ‘it was regarded as righteousness’ — were not written with reference to Abraham only;
24 Kama e dere ya nʼihi anyị bụ ndị kwere nʼonye ahụ mere ka Onyenwe anyị Jisọs si nʼọnwụ bilie.
but also with reference to us. Our faith, too, will be regarded by God in the same light, if we have faith in him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead;
25 Onye a rara nye ka ọ nwụọ nʼihi mmehie anyị niile, ma e mere ka o si nʼọnwụ bilie ka anyị bụrụ ndị a gụrụ dịka ndị ezi omume.
for Jesus ‘was given up to death to atone for our offences,’ and was raised to life that we might be pronounced righteous.
