Bharumi 4
1 Twibetakujobha kiki kabhele kujha Abrahamu, dadi jhitu kwa namna jha mb'el'e, abhonekene?
What then, it may be asked, are we to say about Abraham, the ancestor of our nation?
2 Kwa ndabha ikajhelayi Abrahamu abhalangibhu haki kwa matendo, na aajhe ni sababu jha kwitufya, lakini sio palongolo pa K'yara.
If he was pronounced righteous as the result of obedience, then he has something to boast of. Yes, but not before God.
3 Kwani majhandiku ghijobhuli? “Abrahamu an'kyeriri K'yara na abhalangibhu kwa muene kujha haki.”
For what are the words of scripture? “Abraham had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.”
4 Henu kwa munu jha ibhomba mbombo, mal'epu gha muene ghibhalangibhwa lepi kujha ni neema, bali kujha lideni.
Now wages are regarded as due to the person who works, not as a favour, but as a debt;
5 Lakini kwa munu jha ibhomba lepi mbombo jhojhioha bali akan'kiera muene ambajhe akambalangila haki jhaabeli kujha mtauwa, imani jha muene munu ojhu jhibalangibhu kujha haki.
while, as for the person who does not rely on their obedience, but has faith in him who can pronounce the godless righteous, their faith is regarded by God as righteousness.
6 Daudi ni muene ijobha baraka panani pa munu ambajhe K'yara akambalangila haki bila matendo.
In precisely the same way David speaks of the blessing pronounced on the person who is regarded by God as righteous apart from actions –
7 Ajobhili, “Bhabarikibhu bhala ambabho maovu gha bhene ghasamehibhu ni ambapo dhambi sya bhene sigupikibhu.
“Blessed are those whose wrongdoings have been forgiven and over whose sins a veil has been drawn!
8 Abarikibhu munu jhola ambajhe Bwana akambalangila lepi dhambi.”
Blessed the man whom the Lord will never regard as sinful!”
9 Basi je baraka e'se ndo kwa bhala bhabhatahiribhu tu, au kabhele ni kwa bhala bhabhabelikutahiribhwa? Kwa ndabha twijobha, “kwa Abrahamu imani jha muene jhabhalangiki kujha jha haki.”
Is this blessing, then, pronounced on the circumcised only or on the uncircumcised as well? We say that – “Abraham’s faith was regarded by God as righteousness.”
10 Henu jhabhalangibhu bhuli? Wakati Abrahamu ajhele mu tohara, au bho akhona kutahiribhwa? Jhajhelepi mu kutahiribhwa, bali kubela kutahiribhwa.
Under what circumstances, then, did this take place? After his circumcision or before it?
11 Abrahamu apokili alama jha kutahiribhwa. Obho bhwajhele bhola muhuribhwa jhela haki jha amani jhaajhe nayu tayari kabla jha kutahiribhwa. Matokeo jha ishara ejhe ndo kwamba abhombiki kujha dadi ghwa bhoha bhabhikiera, hata kama bhajhele mu kutokutahiribhwa. Ejhe jhijhe ni maana kujha haki jhibetakubhalangibhwa kwa bhene.
Not after, but before. And it was as a sign of this that he received the rite of circumcision – to show 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, so that they also may be regarded by God as righteous;
12 Ejhe kabhele jha maamisi kujha Abrahamu abhombiki kujha dadi ghwa tohara sio tu kwa bhala bhabhitokana ni tohara, bali bhala bhabhakasikesya nyayu sya dadijhitu Abrahamu. Na ejhe ndo imani jhaajhe najhu kwa bhabeli kutahiribhwa.
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 Kwa ndabha jha jhelepi kwa sheria kwamba ahadi jhahomesibhu kwa Abrahamu ni uzao bhwa muene, ahadi ejhe jha kujha bhibetakujha bharithi bha dunia. Isipokujha jhajhele kup'et'ela haki jha imani.
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 Kwa maana kama bhala, bha sheria ndo bharithi, imani ijhele jha bhwaka, ni ahadi jhibatiliki.
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 Kwa ndabha sheria jhileta ghadhabu, lakini pala ambapo ijhelepi sheria, kabhele kujhelepi kutii.
Law entails punishment; but, where no Law exists, no breach of it is possible.
16 Kwa ndabha ejhe e'le lihomela kwa imani, ili ijhelayi kwa neema. Matokeo ghake, ahadi ndo dhahiri kwa uzao bhuha. Ni bhazawa abha sio tu bhala bhabhajhimanyi sheria, bali kabhele bhala ambabho ndo bha imani jha Abrahamu. Kwa maana muene ndo dadijhitu tete twebhoka,
That is why everything is made to depend on faith: so that everything 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 kama kyajhilembibhu, “Nikubhombili bhebhe kujha dadi ghwa mataifa ghamehele.” Abrahamu ajhele mu uwepo bhwa jhola jhaamwamini, yaani, K'yara ambajhe akabhapela bhanu uzima ni kughakuta mambo ambagho ghajhelepi ili ghabhwesiajhi kujha.
as scripture says – “I have made you 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 Licha jha hali syoha syakwibhala, Abrahamu kwa ujasiri an'kieriri K'yara kwa magono ghaghahideghe. Naha ajhele dadi ghwa mataifa ghamehele, kul'engana ni khela kyakyajobhibhu, “... Ndo kwawibetakujha uzao bhwa bhebhe.”
With no ground for hope, Abraham, sustained by hope, put faith in God; in order that, in fulfilment of the words – “So many will your descendants be,” he might become “the father of many nations.”
19 Muene ajhelepi dhaifu mu imani. Abrahamu ajobhili kujhamb'el'e ghwa muene bhwamalili kujha bhufwili - ajhele ni umuli kulibila miaka mia moja. Kabhele ajhedekili ni hali jha kufwa jha lileme lya 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 Lakini kwa ndabha jha ahadi jha K'yara, Abrahamu abelilepi kubela kukiera, bali apelibhu nghofu mu imani ni kun'tufya K'yara.
He was not led by want of faith to doubt God’s promise.
21 Ajhele amanyili bhukweli kujha khela ambakyo K'yara aahidi, ajhele kabhele ni bhuwezo bhwa kukikamilisya.
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 Henu ejhe kabhele jhabhalangibhu kwa muene kujha ndo haki.
And therefore his faith “was regarded as righteousness.”
23 Henu jhalembibhu lepi tu kwa faida jha muene, kujha jhabhalangibhu kwa muene.
Now these words – “it was regarded as righteousness” – were not written with reference to Abraham only;
24 Jhalembibhu kwa ndabha jha tete kabhele, kwa bhabhekibhu kubhalangibhwa tete ambabho twikiera kwa muene jha amfufuili Bwana bhitu Yesu kuhoma kwa bhafu.
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 Ojho ndo jhola ambajhe apisibhu kwandabha jha makosa ghitu ni kufufulibhwa ili tukabhayi kubhalangibhwa haki.
for Jesus was given up to death to atone for our offences, and was raised to life that we might be pronounced righteous.
