Valumi 4
1 Hinu tijova wuli, ndava ya Ibulahimu gogo witu? Ajiwulili kyani?
Abraham is the [revered] ancestor of us [Jews]. So think about what we can conclude [from what happened to Abraham about how God can erase the record of our sins]. [RHQ]
2 Muni ngati Ibulahimu avalangiwi ubwina palongolo ya Chapanga kwa gala geakitili, ngaavili na chindu cha kumekela, nambu lepi palongolo ya Chapanga.
If it was because of Abraham’s doing [good] things that the record of his sins was erased {that [God] erased the record of his sins}, Abraham could then have been able to boast [about that to people], but he would not have [had any basis to] boast to God [about it].
3 Ndava muni Mayandiku Gamsopi gijova, “Ibulahimu amusadiki Chapanga, ndi mwene Chapanga amuyidikili kuvya mbwina palongolo yaki.”
[Remember that] in the Scriptures it is written {someone wrote} [PRS] that Abraham believed what God [promised] [RHQ], and as a result the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}.
4 Muhenga lihengu ilipwa luhuna, luhuna lwaki lepi njombi nambu ndi chindu cheiganikiwa kupewa.
If we receive wages for work that we do, those wages are not considered to be a gift. Instead, they [are considered] to be what we have earned. [Similarly, if God erases the record of our sins because we did things to earn God’s favor], we would not consider that [God’s erasing the record of our sin] was [a gift. Instead, we would consider it as what we had earned].
5 Nambu mundu mwangahuvalila matendu gaki mwene, nambu akumsadika Chapanga mweakuvakita vabudanu kuvya vangabuda, hinu Chapanga akuyidakila sadika ya mundu mwenuyo, akumyidakila kuvya mbwina palongolo yaki.
But suppose that we do not do things [to gain God’s acceptance]. Suppose that we instead trust [in God], who erases the record of sins of wicked people. Then the erasing of the record of our sins because of our trusting [in Christ] is considered to be a gift to us, [not something that we earned].
6 Na mwene Daudi ajovili chindu chichichi, luheku lwa mundu yula Chapanga mweakumyidakila kuvya mbwina palongolo yaki changalola matendu gaki.
Similarly, it is as David wrote [in the Psalms] about people being happy whose record of sins God has erased even though they have not done things [to earn it. David wrote]:
7 “Vamotisiwi vala vevalekekiswi uhakau wavi, kumbudila kwavi Chapanga kuwusiwi.
[God] is pleased with people whose sins have been {whose sins [he] has} forgiven, and whose sins he [has decided] to forget [DOU].
8 Amotisiwi mundu yula, ndi BAMBU ivalanga lepi kubuda kwaki.”
[God] causes to be happy the people whose sins he no longer keeps a record of.
9 Wu, kumotisiwa kwenuko yeajovili Daudi ndi vandu vevadumwili jandu vene? Lepi mewawa vandu vangadumula jandu. Ngati chenalongolili kujova, “Ibulahimu amsadiki Chapanga na kwa sadika yaki Chapanga amvalangili kuvya mbwina palongolo yaki.”
As for our being happy [because God has erased the record of our sins], (it is not something that [only] we Jews [can experience]./is it [MTY] something that [only] we Jews [can experience]?) [RHQ] [No, it is] also something that non-Jews [can experience] [MTY]. [What is written in the Scriptures], that it was because Abraham trusted [in God] that the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}, [also shows that this is true].
10 Wu, Ibulahimu ayidakiwi kuvya mbwina palongolo ya Chapanga peavi akona kudumula jandu amala peamali kudumula jandu? Kwakona kudumuliwa jandu, na lepi peamalili kudumuliwa jandu.
([Think about] when [God erased the record of Abraham’s sins]./When did [God erase the record of Abraham’s sins]?) [RHQ] (Consider whether [it happened] after someone circumcised [Abraham to mark him as one who belonged to God], or before someone circumcised him./[Did it happen] after [Abraham was] circumcised [to be marked as one who belonged to God], or before he was circumcised?) [RHQ] It happened before he was circumcised, not after he was circumcised.
11 Ibulahimu adumwili jandu mwanakandahi, na kudumula jandu kwaki kwavili ulangisu kuvya Chapanga amyidikili kuvya mbwina ndava ya kusadika kwaki kwakona kudumula jandu. Hinu, Ibulahimu avi Dadi wa vandu voha vevakumsadika Chapanga, hati ngati vangadumula jandu, muni Chapanga avavalangila ubwina palongolo yaki.
[Many years later, God commanded that] Abraham [be] circumcised. Abraham’s accepting that ritual simply showed [that he knew that God had accepted him]. [He knew that God] had [erased the record of his sins] because he trusted [in God] while he was still, [in effect, a non-Jew because] he had not been circumcised. [So we can understand that] Abraham became (a spiritual ancestor/like an ancestor) to [all] of us whose record of sins has been erased {whose sins [God] has erased the record of} because we believe [in God’s promise, even though some of us] are not circumcised.
12 Mewawa Ibulahimu ndi Dadi wa vala vevadumwili jandu, nambu lepi ndava ya kudumula jandu ndu, ndi ndava vilanda njila yilayila ya sadika yeavi nayu Dadi witu Ibulahimu kwakona angadumula jandu.
Likewise, Abraham is the [spiritual] ancestor of all us Jews who are not merely circumcised but who, more importantly, [believe in God’s promise] as our ancestor Abraham did, even before he was circumcised.
13 Ndava muni chealagini Chapanga kuvya yati ukuuhala mulima yabweli lepi kwa Ibulahimu amala mu chiveleku chaki kwa kuyidakila Malagizu nambu mu njila ya kuvya mbwina palongolo ya Chapanga yeyibwela kwa sadika.
God promised Abraham and his descendants that they would receive [the blessings that he promised to give to the people in] the world. But when he promised that, it was not because Abraham [obeyed] the laws [that God later gave to Moses]. Instead, it was because Abraham believed [that God would do what he promised that he would do]. As a result, God erased the record of his sins.
14 Ngati chealagazili Chapanga chipokelewa na vandu veviyidakila Malagizu ndu, hinu sadika chindu lepi.
If [we think that] it is those who [obey God’s] laws who will receive [what he has promised], it is useless [for us to trust in him. And what he] promised is worthless. [Remember that] it is [stated] in God’s law [PRS] [that] he will punish [people who do not perfectly obey them], and remember that wherever [MTY] laws exist, [people] disobey them [LIT].
15 Malagizu gileta ligoga la Chapanga, malagizu ngati kawaka, ngakuvi lepi kudenya Malagizu.
16 Ndava yeniyo, chila chealagini Chapanga chibwela kwa sadika, genago geajovili gihuma mu ubwina waki, na ndi ulangisu wa kulangisa kuvya ndi chakaka kulagana kwenuko ndava ya viveleku vyaki, lepi ndava ya vala vevikamula Malagizu ndu, ndi mewawa kwa vevisadika ngati cheakitili Ibulahimu, mweavili Dadi witu tavoha.
So it is because [we] trust [in God that we will receive the things that he has promised]. [It is not because we perfectly obey God’s laws. He wants] (to [erase the record of our sins/to declare us no longer guilty]) without our earning it. As a result, what God now promises, he guarantees to give to all people who are [Abraham’s spiritual] descendants. [He promises to do that not only for us Jewish believers], who [have] God’s laws [and trust in him as Abraham did], but also for those [non-Jews who do not have God’s laws but] who trust [in him] as Abraham did. Abraham is the [spiritual] ancestor of all of us [believers].
17 Ngati Mayandiku Gamsopi chegijova, “Nikuhagwili uvyai Dadi wa makabila gamahele.” Mwene ndi Dadi witu palongolo ya Chapanga mweamsadiki. Chapanga mweakuvapela vevafwili wumi, na kwa amuli yaki, vindu vyangavya vivya.
What is written {What [Moses] wrote} [in the Scriptures about what God promised Abraham shows that this is true]. [God said to him], “It is in order that you [(sg)] may be the ancestor of many ethnic groups that I have chosen you.” Romans 4:17b-22 God [guaranteed that he would give Abraham many descendants]. Abraham confidently believed that God [would do that],
18 Hati payavili kawaka chindu chechamkitili Ibulahimu ahuvalila chila chealagini Chapanga, Ibulahimu amusadiki Chapanga na kulihuvalila lilaganu, ndi akavya dadi wa makabila goha. Ngati Mayandiku Gamsopi chegijova, “Chiveleku chaku yati chivya chamahele ngati ndondo.”
even though there was no physical reason for him to hope [that he would have descendants, because he and his wife were too old to bear children]. But God is the one who causes dead people to live again, and who talks about things that do not yet exist as already existing. [God said to Abraham], “You will have so many descendants that they will be [as impossible to count as the stars].” And Abraham believed that, and he believed that he would become the ancestor of many ethnic groups.
19 Ibulahimu avili mgogolo neju, miyaka yahegalili miya yimonga nambu mwene asadiki neju, hati ngati amanyili ihotola lepi kupata mwana ndava higa yaki yavili ngati yifwili, na mdala waki Sala avili ngaveleka,
He did not doubt [that God would do what he promised], even though he knew that his body was already [as incapable of begetting children as if he were] dead [MET] because he was about 100 years old. And [even though he realized that] Sarah had never been able to become pregnant [IDM],
20 Ibulahimu alekili lepi kulisadika lilaganu la Chapanga na alyungi lyungili lepi apatili makakala ndava ya sadika yaki, akamulumba Chapanga.
he did not doubt at all that God [would do what he had] promised. Instead, he trusted [in God] more/very strongly, and he thanked God [for what God was going to do].
21 Chakaka amanyili ngati Chapanga ihotola kugakita gala gealagini nayu.
He was also convinced {very sure} that the thing that God promised, God was able to do.
22 Ndava ya sadika yaki, “Chapanga amvalangili Ibulahimu kuvya mundu mbwina palongolo yaki.”
And that is the reason that the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}.
23 Malovi aga, “Avalangiwi ubwina palongolo ya Chapanga,” Gayandikwi lepi ndava ya Ibulahimu mwene,
The words [in the Scriptures], “The record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins},” are not only about Abraham.
24 genaga tayandikiwi tete vetivalangiwi vabwina palongolo ya Chapanga, tete vetikumsadika amuyukisi Yesu, BAMBU witu, kuhuma kwevafwili.
They were also written {[They] also wrote that} for us whose record of sins would be erased {[God] would erase}. They were written {[They] wrote it} for us who believe [God], the one who caused our Lord Jesus to become alive again after he died.
25 Mwene awusiwi akomiwa ndava ya kubuda kwitu, kangi ayukili muni tivalangiwa kuvya tavabwina palongolo ya Chapanga.
Jesus allowed [men] to execute [MTY] him so that [God could forgive] our evil deeds. And [God] caused Jesus to live again because [God wanted to show that because of the death of Jesus he was able to] erase the record of our sins.
