KwabaseRoma 4
1 Pho-ke sizakuthi uAbrahama ubaba wethu wazuzani ngokwenyama?
What advantage then shall we say that Abraham our father had as to the flesh?
2 Ngoba uba uAbrahama walungisiswa ngemisebenzi, ulokuzincoma, kodwa kungekho phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
For if Abraham was accepted as righteous through works, he hath ground of boasting. But he hath no ground of boasting before God.
3 Ngoba umbhalo uthini? Uthi: Kodwa uAbrahama wakholwa kuNkulunkulu, kwasekubalelwa kuye ukuthi yikulunga.
For what saith the scripture? “Abraham had faith in God, and it was accounted unto him as righteousness.”
4 Kodwa kulowo osebenzayo kabalelwa iholo ngokomusa, kodwa ngokomlandu.
Now to him that performeth works, the reward is not accounted a matter of grace, but of debt;
5 Kodwa kulowo ongasebenziyo, kodwa ekholwa kuye olungisisa oweyisa uNkulunkulu, ukholo lwakhe lubalelwa ukuthi yikulunga.
but to him who without performing works hath faith in him who accepteth as righteous one that hath been ungodly, his faith is accounted as righteousness;
6 Njengoba laye uDavida ekhuluma ngokubusiswa komuntu, uNkulunkulu ambalela ukulunga ngaphandle kwemisebenzi esithi:
as David also speaketh of the blessedness of the man whom God accepteth as righteous without works:
7 Babusisiwe abaziphambeko zabo zithethelelwe labazono zabo zisitshekelwe.
“Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Ubusisiwe umuntu iNkosi engasoze yambalela isono.
Blessed is the man whom the Lord shall not charge with sin.”
9 Ngakho lokhukubusiswa kuphezu kokusoka yini, kumbe laphezu kokungasoki? Ngoba sithi: Ukholo lwabalelwa kuAbrahama ukuthi luyikulunga.
Doth this blessedness belong to the circumcised alone, or to the uncircumcised also? For we are saying that Abraham's faith was accounted as righteousness.
10 Pho lwabalelwa njani? Lapho esekusokeni yini, kumbe ekungasokini? Kungekho ekusokeni, kodwa ekungasokini.
How then was it so accounted? After his circumcision, or while he was uncircumcised? Not after he was circumcised, but while he was uncircumcised.
11 Wasesemukela isibonakaliso sokusoka, uphawu lokulunga kokholo ayelakho ekungasokini; ukuze abe nguyise wabo bonke abakholwayo lanxa bengasokanga, ukuze ukulunga kubalelwe lakibo;
And he received the outward sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was uncircumcised; that he might be the father of all the uncircumcised who have faith, so that righteousness might be put to their account also;
12 loyise wokusoka kulabo abangayisibo bokusoka kuphela, kodwa futhi abahamba ezinyathelweni zokholo lukababa wethu uAbrahama ayelalo engakasokwa.
and that he might be the father of the circumcised, who are not circumcised merely, but who tread in the steps of that faith which our father Abraham had while yet uncircumcised.
13 Ngoba kasingomlayo isithembiso kuAbrahama kumbe kunzalo yakhe, ukuthi uzakuba yindlalifa yomhlaba, kodwa ngokulunga kokholo.
For not through the Law was the promise made to Abraham or his offspring that he should be the heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 Ngoba uba labo abomlayo beyizindlalifa, ukholo lwenziwe ize, lesithembiso senziwa ize;
For if they that are of the Law are heirs, then faith becometh a vain thing, and the promise is made of no effect.
15 ngoba umlayo ubanga ulaka; ngoba lapho okungekho khona umlayo, kakukho lokweqa.
For the Law is the cause of wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 Ngakho kungokholo, ukuze kube ngokomusa; ukuze isithembiso siqiniseke kuyo yonke inzalo; kungeyisiyo engeyomlayo kuphela kodwa lakuyo engeyokholo lukaAbrahama, ongubaba wethu sonke,
Therefore the inheritance was made to depend on faith, that it might be a matter of grace; that the promise might be sure to all the offspring, not to that only which is under the Law, but to that also which hath 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 thee a father of many nations”) in the sight of that God whom he believed, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth 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.
For he had confident hope in that which was past hope, that he should become a father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, “Thus shall thy offspring 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 regarded not his own body which had become dead, he being about a hundred years old, nor the deadness of Sarah's womb;
20 njalo kathandabuzanga ngesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu ngokungakholwa, kodwa waqiniswa ekholweni, enika uNkulunkulu udumo,
nor did he waver in respect to the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 njalo eqinisekile ngokupheleleyo ukuthi lokho ayekuthembisile, ulamandla ngitsho okukwenza.
being fully convinced, that what he hath promised, he is able also to perform.
22 Ngalokho-ke kwabalelwa kuye ukuthi yikulunga.
And therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness.
23 Kakubhalwanga-ke ngenxa yakhe yedwa, ukuthi kwabalelwa kuye;
And that it was so accounted was not written for his sake alone,
24 kodwa langenxa yethu, esizabalelwa khona, thina esikholwa kuye owavusa uJesu iNkosi yethu kwabafileyo,
but for our sakes also, to whom it will be so accounted through our faith in him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,
25 owanikelwa ngenxa yeziphambeko zethu, wavuswa ngenxa yokulungisiswa kwethu.
who was delivered up on account of our trespasses, and raised from the dead that we might be accepted as righteous.
