KwabaseRoma 4
1 Pho-ke sizakuthi uAbrahama ubaba wethu wazuzani ngokwenyama?
What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh?
2 Ngoba uba uAbrahama walungisiswa ngemisebenzi, ulokuzincoma, kodwa kungekho phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
3 Ngoba umbhalo uthini? Uthi: Kodwa uAbrahama wakholwa kuNkulunkulu, kwasekubalelwa kuye ukuthi yikulunga.
For what does the Scripture say? "And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
4 Kodwa kulowo osebenzayo kabalelwa iholo ngokomusa, kodwa ngokomlandu.
Now to the one who works, the pay is not counted as a gift, but as an obligation.
5 Kodwa kulowo ongasebenziyo, kodwa ekholwa kuye olungisisa oweyisa uNkulunkulu, ukholo lwakhe lubalelwa ukuthi yikulunga.
But to him who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.
6 Njengoba laye uDavida ekhuluma ngokubusiswa komuntu, uNkulunkulu ambalela ukulunga ngaphandle kwemisebenzi esithi:
Even as David also pronounces blessing on the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works,
7 Babusisiwe abaziphambeko zabo zithethelelwe labazono zabo zisitshekelwe.
"Happy are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Ubusisiwe umuntu iNkosi engasoze yambalela isono.
Happy is the one whom the Lord will not charge with sin."
9 Ngakho lokhukubusiswa kuphezu kokusoka yini, kumbe laphezu kokungasoki? Ngoba sithi: Ukholo lwabalelwa kuAbrahama ukuthi luyikulunga.
Is this blessing then pronounced on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.
10 Pho lwabalelwa njani? Lapho esekusokeni yini, kumbe ekungasokini? Kungekho ekusokeni, kodwa ekungasokini.
How then was it credited? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11 Wasesemukela isibonakaliso sokusoka, uphawu lokulunga kokholo ayelakho ekungasokini; ukuze abe nguyise wabo bonke abakholwayo lanxa bengasokanga, ukuze ukulunga kubalelwe lakibo;
He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision, so that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might also be credited to them.
12 loyise wokusoka kulabo abangayisibo bokusoka kuphela, kodwa futhi abahamba ezinyathelweni zokholo lukababa wethu uAbrahama ayelalo engakasokwa.
The father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had in uncircumcision.
13 Ngoba kasingomlayo isithembiso kuAbrahama kumbe kunzalo yakhe, ukuthi uzakuba yindlalifa yomhlaba, kodwa ngokulunga kokholo.
For the promise to Abraham and to his descendants that he should be heir of the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 Ngoba uba labo abomlayo beyizindlalifa, ukholo lwenziwe ize, lesithembiso senziwa ize;
For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of no effect.
15 ngoba umlayo ubanga ulaka; ngoba lapho okungekho khona umlayo, kakukho lokweqa.
For the law works wrath, for where there is no law, neither is there disobedience.
16 Ngakho kungokholo, ukuze kube ngokomusa; ukuze isithembiso siqiniseke kuyo yonke inzalo; kungeyisiyo engeyomlayo kuphela kodwa lakuyo engeyokholo lukaAbrahama, ongubaba wethu sonke,
For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace, to the end that the promise may be sure to all the descendants, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.
17 (njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: Ngikumisile ukuthi ube nguyise wezizwe ezinengi) phambi kwakhe akholwa kuye, uNkulunkulu, ophilisa abafileyo, lobiza izinto ezingekho ngokungathi zikhona.
As it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations." This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were.
18 Owathi emelane lethemba wakholwa ngethemba, ukuze abe nguyise wezizwe ezinengi, njengalokho okwatshiwoyo ukuthi: Izakuba njalo inzalo yakho.
Who hoped in spite of hopeless circumstances, with the result that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, "so will your descendants be."
19 Njalo kabanga buthakathaka ekholweni, kanakananga umzimba wakhe uqobo owawusufile, ngoba wayesengaba leminyaka elikhulu, lokufa kwesizalo sikaSara;
And not being weak in faith, he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb.
20 njalo kathandabuzanga ngesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu ngokungakholwa, kodwa waqiniswa ekholweni, enika uNkulunkulu udumo,
Yet, looking to the promise of God, he did not waver through unbelief, but grew strong through faith, giving glory to God,
21 njalo eqinisekile ngokupheleleyo ukuthi lokho ayekuthembisile, ulamandla ngitsho okukwenza.
and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 Ngalokho-ke kwabalelwa kuye ukuthi yikulunga.
And therefore "it was credited to him as righteousness."
23 Kakubhalwanga-ke ngenxa yakhe yedwa, ukuthi kwabalelwa kuye;
Now it was not written that it was credited to him for his sake alone,
24 kodwa langenxa yethu, esizabalelwa khona, thina esikholwa kuye owavusa uJesu iNkosi yethu kwabafileyo,
but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
25 owanikelwa ngenxa yeziphambeko zethu, wavuswa ngenxa yokulungisiswa kwethu.
who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.
