Warumi 4
1 Tutasema nini tena kwamba Abrahamu, baba yetu kwa jinsi ya mwili, amepatikana?
What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, found?
2 Kwa maana ikiwa Abrahamu alihesabiwa haki kwa matendo, angekuwa na sababu ya kujisifu, lakini si mbele za Mungu.
For if Abraham had been justified by works, he would have had a reason to boast, but not before God.
3 Kwani maandiko yanasemaje? “Abrahamu alimwamini Mungu, na ikahesabiwa kwake kuwa haki.”
For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”
4 Sasa kwa mtu afanyaye kazi, malipo yake hayahesabiwi kuwa ni neema, bali kuwa ni deni.
Now for him who works, what he is paid is not counted as a gift, but as what is owed.
5 Lakini kwa mtu asiyefanya kazi bali anamwamini yeye ambaye amhesabia haki asiyekuwa mtaua, imani yake mtu huyo imehesabiwa kuwa haki.
But for him who does not work but instead believes in the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.
6 Daudi pia hunena baraka juu ya mtu ambaye Mungu amhesabia haki pasipo matendo.
David also pronounces blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness without works.
7 Alisema, “Wamebarikiwa wale ambao maovu yao yamesamehewa na ambao dhambi zao zimefunikwa.
He said, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Amebarikiwa mtu yule ambaye Bwana hamhesabii dhambi.”
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count sin.”
9 Basi je baraka hizi ni kwa wale waliotahiriwa tu, au pia kwa wale wasiotahiriwa? Kwa maana twasema, “kwa Abrahamu imani yake ilihesabiwa kuwa ni haki.”
Then is this blessing pronounced only on those of the circumcision, or also on those of the uncircumcision? For we say, “Faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.”
10 Hivyo ilihesabiwaje basi? Wakati Abrahamu alikuwa katika tohara, au kabla hajatahiriwa? Haikuwa katika kutahiriwa, bali katika kutotahiriwa.
So how was it counted? When Abraham was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? It was not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11 Abrahamu alipokea alama ya kutahiriwa. Huu ulikuwa muhuri wa ile haki ya imani aliyokuwa nayo tayari kabla hajatahiriwa. Matokeo ya ishara hii ni kwamba alifanyika kuwa baba wa wote waaminio, hata kama wapo katika kutotahiriwa. Hii ina maana kwamba haki itahesabiwa kwao.
Abraham received the sign of circumcision. This was a seal of the righteousness of the faith that he had already possessed when he was in uncircumcision. The result of this sign was that he became the father of all those who believe, even if they are in uncircumcision. This means that righteousness will be counted for them.
12 Hii pia ilimaanisha kuwa Abrahamu alifanyika baba wa tohara si tu kwa wale wanaotokana na tohara, bali pia wale wanaozifuata nyayo za baba yetu Abrahamu. Na hii ndiyo imani aliyokuwa nayo kwa wasiotahiriwa.
This also meant that Abraham became the father of the circumcision for those who are not only circumcised but also for those who follow in the steps of faith of our father Abraham before he was circumcised.
13 Kwa maana haikuwa kwa sheria kwamba ahadi ilitolewa kwa Abrahamu na uzao wake, ahadi hii ya kwamba watakuwa warithi wa dunia. isipokuwa, ilikuwa kupitia haki ya imani.
For the promise to Abraham and to his descendants that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
14 Kwa maana kama wale wa sheria ndio warithi, imani imekuwa bure, na ahadi imebatilika.
For if those who live by the law are to be the heirs, faith is made empty, and the promise is void.
15 Kwa sababu sheria huleta ghadhabu, lakini pale ambapo hakuna sheria, pia hakuna kutotii.
For the law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there is no trespass.
16 Kwa sababu hii hili hutokea kwa imani, ili iwe kwa neema. Matokeo yake, ahadi ni dhahiri kwa uzao wote. Na wazawa hawa si tu wale wanaojua sheria, bali pia wale ambao ni wa imani ya Abrahamu. Kwa maana yeye ni baba yetu sisi sote,
For this reason it is by faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all of Abraham's descendants—not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all,
17 kama ilivyoandikwa, “Nimekufanya wewe kuwa baba wa mataifa mengi.” Abrahamu alikuwa katika uwepo wa yule aliyemwamini, yaani, Mungu ambaye huwapa wafu uzima na kuyaita mambo ambayo hayapo ili yaweze kuwepo.
as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations.” Abraham was in the presence of him whom he trusted, that is, God, who gives life to the dead and calls the things that do not exist into existence.
18 Licha ya hali zote za nje, Abrahamu kwa ujasiri alimuamini Mungu kwa siku zijazo. Hivyo akawa baba wa mataifa mengi, kulingana na kile kilichonenwa,”... Ndivyo utakavyokuwa uzao wako.”
In hope he believed against hope, that he would become the father of many nations, according to what he had been told, “So will your descendants be.”
19 Yeye hakuwa dhaifu katika imani. Abrahamu alikiri kwamba mwili wake mwenyewe ulikwisha kufa - alikuwa na umri wa karibu miaka mia moja. Pia alikubaliana na hali ya kufa ya tumbo la Sara.
Without becoming weak in faith, he considered his own body as dead (because he was about a hundred years old)—and he considered the deadness of Sarah's womb.
20 Lakini kwa sababu ya ahadi ya Mungu, Abrahamu hakusita katika kutokuamini. Bali, alitiwa nguvu katika imani na alimsifu Mungu.
But because of God's promise, Abraham did not hesitate in unbelief. Instead, he was strengthened in faith and gave praise to God.
21 Alikuwa akijua hakika ya kuwa kile ambacho Mungu ameahidi, alikuwa pia na uwezo wa kukikamilisha.
He was fully convinced that what God had promised, he was also able to accomplish.
22 Kwa hiyo hii pia ilihesabiwa kwake kuwa ni haki.
Therefore this was also counted to him as righteousness.
23 Sasa haikuandikwa tu kwa faida yake, kwamba ilihesabiwa kwake.
Now it was not written only for his benefit, that it was counted for him.
24 Iliandikwa kwa ajili yetu pia, kwa waliowekewa kuhesabiwa, sisi ambao tunaamini katika yeye aliyemfufua Bwana wetu Yesu kutoka wafu.
It was written also for us, for whom it will be counted, we who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
25 Huyu ni yule ambaye alitolewa kwa ajili ya makosa yetu na kufufuliwa ili tupate kuhesabiwa haki.
This is the one who was delivered up for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.
