Bharumi 4
1 Echaikaki lindi ati Abrahamu, Lata weswe okulubhana no mubhili, abhonekene?
What then, it may be asked, are we to say about Abraham, the ancestor of our nation?
2 Kulwo kubha alabha Abrahamu abhaliywe obhulengelesi kwe bhikolwa, akabhee na insonga yo kwikuya, mbe nawe atali imbele ya Nyamuanga.
If he was pronounced righteous as the result of obedience, then he has something to boast of. Yes, but not before God.
3 Kaoli amaandiko agaika ki? “Abrahamu amwikilisishe Nyamuanga, na nabhalilwa ku mwene kubha mulengelesi.”
For what are the words of Scripture? ‘Abraham had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.’
4 Mbe woli kwo munu unu kakola emilimu, omuyelo gwaye gutakubhalwa ati ni chigongo, mbe nawe ati ni bhanja.
Now wages are regarded as due to the man who works, not as a favour, but as a debt;
5 Mbe nawe ku munu unu atakola milimu nawe namwikilisha mwenene unu kamubhalila obhulengelesi unu atali mwelu, elikilisha lyaye omumukingila nabhalilwa kubha mulengelesi.
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 Daudi one kaika amabhando ingulu yo munu unu Nyamuanga kamubhalila obhulengelesi bhunu bhutali mu bhikolwa.
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 Aikile, “Bhana libhando bhaliya bhanu obhubhibhi bhwebhwe bhyeswaliliywe na bhanu ebhibhibhi bhyebhwe bhyabhisilwe.
‘Blessed are those whose wrong-doings have been forgiven and over whose sins a veil has been drawn!
8 Ana libhando omunu ulya unu Latabhugenyi atamubhalila chibhibhi.”
Blessed the man whom the Lord will never regard as sinful!’
9 Mbe angu amabhando ganu nikubhaliya bhanu bhatendelwe-la, amwi one na kubhaliya bhanu bhatatendelwe? Kulwo kubha echaika, “Ku Abrahamu okwikilisha kwaye kwabhaliywe kubha bhulengelesi.
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 Kwibhyo woli bhyabhaliywe atiki? kenu mumwanya Abrahamu aliga ali mu lutendo, amwi achali kutendwa? (Jaliga jitali mu kutendwa, nawe mubhutatendwa.)
Under what circumstances, then, did this take place? After his circumcision or before it?
11 Abulaamu ayaywe echibhalikisho cho lutendo. Lunu lwaliga luli lwa bhusibhusi lwa bhulia obhulengelesi obho aliga nabho bhwangu achali okutendwa. okubhonekana echibhalikisho chinu ni ati akolekene okubha lata wa bhona abhekilisha, nolwo kutyo bhali mu lutendo. Inu uli na isonga ati obhulengelesi obhubhalwa kubhene.
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 Inu ona yelesishe ati Abulaamu akolekene lata wo lutendo atalila ati ku bhaliya abho abhabhonekana no lutendo, atali ona bhalia abho abhabhiilubha ebhigele bhya lata weswe Aburaamu. Na linu nilyo elikilisha linu aliga analyo kwa bho bhaliga bhatatendelwe.
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 Ku lwokubha yaliga itali kwe bhilagilo ati omulago gwasosibhwe ku Aburaamu no lwibhulo lwae, omulago gunu nati abhabha bhali bho bhwandu gwe Chalo. Atali yaliga ili kulwokulabha kwo bhulengesi bhwe likilisha.
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 Ku lwokubha alabha bhalia abhebhilagilo nibho abhalya omwandu, elikilisha ni Lya kutyo-ela, no mulango ona ni gwa kutyo -ela.
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 Kunsonga ebhileta lisungu, nawe alia anu bhitali bhilagilo, ona( kutalio okusiga okubhayana.)
Law entails punishment; but, where no Law exists, no breach of it is possible.
16 Ku songa inu linu elibhonekana kwe likilisha, koleleki ibhwe yechigongo. Okubhonekana kwebhyo, omulago guli abhwelu ku lwibhulo lwona. Na bhwebhulwa bhanu bhatali ati ni bhalia abho abhamenya ebhilagilo, nawe one ni bhalya abho ni bhelikisha lya Aburaamu. Ku lwokubha omwenene ni lata weswe eswe bhona,
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 Lwakutyo jandikilwe,”Nakukola awe okubha lata wa Maanga mafu.”Aburaamu aliga amuliko unu amwikilisishe, niwe, Nyamuanga oyo kabhayana abhafue obhuanga no kugabhilikila amasango ago gatalio koleleki gatule okubhao
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 Okusigana Nejo jone ejaanja, Aburaamu kwo bhubhasi amwikilsishe Nyamuanga kusiku ejo jilija. kutyo nabha lata wa Maanga mafu, okulubhana na chiliya chaikilwe,”... Nikwo kutyo lulibha olwibhulo lwao.”
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 Omwene alga atalegae mulikilisha. Aburaamu ekilisishe ati omubhili gwaye gulamalile okufwa- aliga nalebhelela okukingya Mwaka egana limwi. Ona ekilishanyishe nejo lufu lwa inda ya Sara.
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 Mbe nawe kulwa insonga ye milago ja Nyamuanga, Abrahamu (atalindiliye) mu bhunyatekilisha. nawe, ayanilwe amanaga mu likilisha no kumukusha Nyamuanga.
He was not led by want of faith to doubt God’s promise.
21 Aliga namenya echimali ati chiliya chinu Nyamuanga alagile, one aliga ali no bhutulo bhwo kuchikumisha.
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 Kulwejo jinu jone jabhalilwe mu mwene kubha jo bhulengelesi.
And therefore his faith ‘was regarded as righteousness.’
23 Mbe woli itandikilwela kwa mabhona gae, ati jabhaliywe ku mwene.
Now these words — ‘it was regarded as righteousness’ — were not written with reference to Abraham only;
24 Jandikilwe ingulu yeswe one, bhanu bhaliga bhateyweo okubhalilwa, eswe bhanu echikilisha mu mwene unu amusuluye Latabhugenyi weswe Yesu okusoka mubhafuye.
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 Unu ni ulya unu asosibhwe ingulu ye bhikayo bhyeswe no kusululwa koleleki chibhone okubhalilwa obhulengelesi.
for Jesus ‘was given up to death to atone for our offences,’ and was raised to life that we might be pronounced righteous.
