Roomaa 4
1 Egaa Abrahaam inni fooniin abbaa keenya taʼe sun haala kanaan maal argate jenna ree?
What then, it may be asked, are we to say about Abraham, the ancestor of our nation?
2 Abrahaam utuu hojiin qajeelaa taasifamee jiraatee silaa waan ittiin of jaju qaba ture; fuula Waaqaa duratti garuu akkas miti.
If he was pronounced righteous as the result of obedience, then he has something to boast of. Yes, but not before God.
3 Katabbiin Qulqulluun maal jedha? “Abrahaam Waaqa amane; kunis qajeelummaatti lakkaaʼameef.”
For what are the words of scripture? “Abraham had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.”
4 Nama hojjetu tokkoof Mindaan gatiidha malee akka kennaa tolaatti hin hedamu.
Now wages are regarded as due to the person who works, not as a favour, but as a debt;
5 Taʼus nama hin hojjenne, kan Waaqa isa nama hamaa qajeelaa taasisu amanatu garuu amantiin isaa qajeelummaatti lakkaaʼamaaf.
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 Daawitis akka namni Waaqni qajeelummaa hojii malee argamu lakkaaʼuuf eebbifamaa taʼe yommuu dubbatu akkana jedha:
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 “Warri yakki isaanii dhiifameef, kanneen cubbuun isaanii haguugameef eebbifamoo dha.
“Blessed are those whose wrongdoings have been forgiven and over whose sins a veil has been drawn!
8 Namni Gooftaan cubbuu isaa itti hin lakkoofne eebbifamaa dha.”
Blessed the man whom the Lord will never regard as sinful!”
9 Eebbi kun warra dhagna qabatan qofaaf moo warra dhagna hin qabatiniifis? Abrahaamiif amantiin isaa qajeelummaatti lakkaaʼame jenneerraatii.
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 Kun egaa akkamitti isaaf lakkaaʼame ree? Erga inni dhagna qabatee moo duraanii? Durumaan malee erga dhagna qabate miti!
Under what circumstances, then, did this take place? After his circumcision or before it?
11 Inni mallattoo dhagna qabaa fudhate; kunis chaappaa qajeelummaa inni utuu dhagna hin qabatin dura amantiin argate sanaa ti. Kanaafis inni warra utuu dhagna hin qabatin amanan kanneen amantiin isaanii qajeelummaatti lakkaaʼameef hundaaf abbaa dha.
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 Akkasumas inni warra dhagna qabataniif, dhagna qabachuu qofas utuu hin taʼin warra karaa amantii abbaan keenya Abrahaam utuu dhagna hin qabatiniin dura fudhate sana duukaa buʼan hundaaf abbaa dha.
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 Abrahaamii fi sanyiin isaa waadaa akka inni dhaaltuu addunyaa taʼu kenname sana karaa qajeelummaa amantiin dhufuutiin argatan malee karaa seeraatiin miti.
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 Yoo warri seeratti bulan dhaaltota taʼan, amantiin gatii hin qabu; waadaanis homaa hin fayyaduutii;
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 kunis sababii seerri dheekkamsa fiduuf. Lafa seerri hin jirre yakki hin jiruutii.
Law entails punishment; but, where no Law exists, no breach of it is possible.
16 Kanaafuu waadaan kun akka ayyaanaan taʼuu fi akka sanyii isaa hundaaf wabii taʼuuf amantii irratti hundeeffame; innis warra akka Abrahaam amananiif malee warra seeratti bulan qofaaf miti; Abrahaam abbaa hunduma keenyaa ti.
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 Kunis akkuma, “Ani abbaa saboota baayʼee si taasiseera” jedhamee barreeffamee dha. Abrahaam Waaqa amanate; innis Waaqa warra duʼaniif jireenya kennuu fi isa waan hin jirre akka waan jiruutti waamu sana duratti abbaa keenya.
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 Abrahaamis akkuma, “Sanyiin kee akkas ni taʼa” jedhametti utuu abdiin tokko iyyuu hin jiraatin abdiidhaan amanee abbaa saboota baayʼee taʼe.
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 Innis akka umuriin isaa gara waggaa dhibbaa gaʼee dhagni isaa duʼe, akkasumas akka gadameessi Saaraa duʼe beeku illee amantii isaatti hin laafne.
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 Inni amantii isaatti jabaachuun Waaqaaf ulfina kenne malee amantii dhabuun waadaa Waaqaa hin shakkine;
He was not led by want of faith to doubt God’s promise.
21 akka Waaqni waan waadaa gale raawwachuu dandaʼus guutumaan guutuutti hubateera.
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 Kanaafuu, “Amantiin isaa qajeelummaatti isaaf lakkaaʼame.”
And therefore his faith “was regarded as righteousness.”
23 Dubbiin, “Qajeelummaatti isaaf lakkaaʼame” jedhu kun Abrahaam qofaaf hin barreeffamne;
Now these words – “it was regarded as righteousness” – were not written with reference to Abraham only;
24 nuufis, warra Waaqa Gooftaa keenya Yesuusin warra duʼan keessaa kaase sanatti amannuufis, qajeelummaatti ni lakkaaʼama.
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 Yesuus cubbuu keenyaaf dabarfamee duʼatti kenname; qajeeltota nu taasisuuf immoo duʼaa kaafame.
for Jesus was given up to death to atone for our offences, and was raised to life that we might be pronounced righteous.
