VaRoma 4
1 Zvino tichati Abhurahama, tateguru wedu, panyama akawaneiko pazviri?
What then, it may be asked, are we to say about Abraham, the ancestor of our nation?
2 Nokuti dai Abhurahama akaruramisirwa namabasa, angadai aine chinhu chokuzvirumbidza nacho, asi kwete pamberi paMwari.
If he was pronounced righteous as the result of obedience, then he has something to boast of. Yes, but not before God.
3 Ko, Rugwaro runoti kudiniko? “Abhurahama akatenda Mwari, uye kukanzi kwaari ndiko kururama.”
For what are the words of scripture? ‘Abraham had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.’
4 Zvino kana munhu achiita basa, mubayiro wake hautorwi sechipo chokungopiwa, asi somubayiro wakamufanira.
Now wages are regarded as due to the person who works, not as a favor, but as a debt;
5 Asi kumunhu asingashandi, asi achitenda Mwari uyo anoruramisira munhu akaipa, kutenda kwake kuchanzi kwaari ndiko kururama.
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 Dhavhidhi anotaura pamusoro pechinhu chimwe chete ichi paanotaura zvokuropafadzwa kwomunhu anonzi naMwari akarurama kunze kwamabasa, achiti:
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 “Vakaropafadzwa avo vakaregererwa zvakaipa zvavo, vakafukidzirwa zvivi zvavo.
‘Blessed are those whose wrongdoings have been forgiven and over whose sins a veil has been drawn!
8 Akaropafadzwa munhu ane chivi chisingazombobvunzwi naIshe pamusoro pake.”
Blessed the man whom the Lord will never regard as sinful!’
9 Ko, kuropafadzwa uku ndokwavakadzingiswa chete here? Kana kuti navasina kudzingiswawo? Nokuti tati kuna Abhurahama kutenda kwake kwakanzi kwaari ndiko kururama.
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 Zvino zvakanzarwo seiko? Akanga adzingiswa here, kana kuti asati? Haana kunzarwo adzingiswa, asi kuti asati adzingiswa!
Under what circumstances, then, did this take place? After his circumcision or before it?
11 Uye akagamuchira chiratidzo chokudzingiswa, sechisimbiso chokururama kwaakawana nokutenda asati adzingiswa. Saka naizvozvo ndiye baba wavose vanotenda, asi vasina kudzingiswa, kuitira kuti kururama kugopiwa kwavari.
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 Uye ndiyewo baba wavakadzingiswa, avo vasina kudzingiswa bedzi, asi vanofambawo mumakwara okutenda kwakanga kuna baba vedu Abhurahama vasati vadzingiswa.
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 Nokuti Abhurahama, nezvizvarwa zvake, haana kupiwa chipikirwa chokuti achava mugari wenhaka yenyika, kubudikidza nomurayiro, asi kubudikidza nokururama kunobva pakutenda.
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 Nokuti dai vaya vanorarama nomurayiro vari ivo vadyi venhaka, kutenda hakuna maturo uye nechipikirwa chinokoneswa,
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 nokuti murayiro unouyisa kutsamwa. Uye pasina murayiro hapanawo kudarika.
Law entails punishment; but, where no Law exists, no breach of it is possible.
16 Naizvozvo chipikirwa chinouya nokutenda, kuitira kuti zvive zvenyasha uye kuti chisimbiswe kuzvizvarwa zvose zvaAbhurahama, kwete avo vari vomurayiro voga, asi nokuna avo vari vokutenda kwaAbhurahama. Ndiye baba vedu tose.
That is why everything is made to depend on faith: so that everything may be God’s gift, and in order that the fulfillment 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 Sezvazvakanyorwa zvichinzi: “Ndakakuita baba vendudzi zhinji.” Ndiye baba vedu pamberi paMwari, uyo waakatenda kwaari, iye Mwari anopa upenyu kuvakafa uye anodana zvisipo sokunge zviripo.
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 Pasina kana tariro, Abhurahama netariro akatenda uye akava baba vendudzi zhinji, sezvazvakanga zvarehwa kwaari zvichinzi, “Zvizvarwa zvako zvichadarowo.”
With no ground for hope, Abraham, sustained by hope, put faith in God; in order that, in fulfillment of the words – ‘So many will your descendants be,’ he might become ‘the father of many nations.’
19 Haana kushayiwa simba mukutenda kwake, paakaona kuti muviri wake wakanga watofa hawo, sezvo akanga ava namakore anenge zana okuzvarwa, uye kuti chizvaro chaSara chakanga chafawo.
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 Asi haana kukahadzika nokuda kwokusatenda pamusoro pechipikirwa chaMwari, asi akasimbiswa mukutenda kwake uye akakudza Mwari,
He was not led by want of faith to doubt God’s promise.
21 achinyatsogutsikana kuti Mwari ane simba rokuita zvaakanga avimbisa.
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 Ndokusaka “zvakanzi kwaari ndiko kururama.”
And therefore his faith ‘was regarded as righteousness.’
23 Mashoko okuti, “zvakanzi kwaari,” haana kunyorerwa iye oga,
Now these words – ‘it was regarded as righteousness’ – were not written with reference to Abraham only;
24 asi kwatiriwo, kuna avo vachanzi naMwari vakarurama, kunesu vanotenda kwaari iye akamutsa Jesu Ishe wedu kubva kuvakafa.
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 Akaiswa kurufu nokuda kwezvivi zvedu uye akamutswa kuvapenyu nokuda kwokururamisirwa kwedu.
for Jesus was given up to death to atone for our offenses, and was raised to life that we might be pronounced righteous.
