Mga Roma 4
1 Ano nga ang ating sasabihin, na nasumpungan ni Abraham na ating magulang ayon sa laman?
What then, it may be asked, are we to say about Abraham, the ancestor of our nation?
2 Sapagka't kung si Abraham ay inaring-ganap sa pamamagitan ng mga gawa, ay mayroon sana siyang ipagmamapuri; datapuwa't hindi sa Dios.
If he was pronounced righteous as the result of obedience, then he has something to boast of. Yes, but not before God.
3 Sapagka't ano ang sinasabi ng kasulatan? At sumampalataya si Abraham sa Dios, at sa kaniya'y ibinilang na katuwiran.
For what are the words of scripture? “Abraham had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.”
4 Ngayon sa kaniya na gumagawa'y, hindi ibinibilang na biyaya ang ganti, kundi utang.
Now wages are regarded as due to the person who works, not as a favour, but as a debt;
5 Datapuwa't sa kaniya na hindi gumagawa, nguni't sumasampalataya sa kaniya na umaaring ganap sa masama, ang kaniyang pananampalataya ay ibibilang na katuwiran.
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 Gaya naman ng sinasambit ni David na kapalaran ng tao, na sa kaniya'y ibinibilang ng Dios ang katuwiran nang walang mga gawa,
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 Na sinasabi, Mapapalad yaong ang kanilang mga pagsalangsang ay ipinatawad, At ang kanilang mga kasalanan ay nangatakpan.
“Blessed are those whose wrongdoings have been forgiven and over whose sins a veil has been drawn!
8 Mapalad ang tao na sa kaniya'y hindi ibibilang ng Panginoon ang kasalanan.
Blessed the man whom the Lord will never regard as sinful!”
9 Sinambit nga baga ang kapalarang ito tungkol sa pagtutuli, o tungkol din naman sa di-pagtutuli? sapagka't sinasabi natin, Kay Abraham ay ibinilang na katuwiran ang kaniyang pananampalataya.
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 Paano ngang ito'y ibinilang? nang siya baga'y nasa pagtutuli, o sa di-pagtutuli? Hindi sa pagtutuli, kundi sa di-pagtutuli:
Under what circumstances, then, did this take place? After his circumcision or before it?
11 At tinanggap niya ang tanda ng pagtutuli, na isang tatak ng katuwiran ng pananampalataya na nasa kaniya samantalang siya'y nasa di-pagtutuli: upang siya'y maging ama ng lahat ng mga nagsisisampalataya, bagaman sila'y nasa di-pagtutuli, upang ang katuwiran ay maibilang sa kanila;
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 At ang ama ng pagtutuli nila na hindi lamang sa pagtutuli, kundi pati naman sa mga nagsisilakad sa mga bakas niyaong pananampalataya ng ating amang si Abraham na nasa kaniya nang siya'y nasa di-pagtutuli.
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 Sapagka't hindi sa pamamagitan ng kautusan ginawa ang pangako kay Abraham o sa kaniyang binhi na siyang magmamana ng sanglibutan, kundi sa pamamagitan ng katuwiran ng pananampalataya.
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 Sapagka't kung silang nangasa kautusan ay siyang mga tagapagmana, ay walang kabuluhan ang pananampalataya, at nawawalang kabuluhan ang pangako:
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 Sapagka't ang kautusan ay gumagawa ng galit; datapuwa't kung saan walang kautusan ay wala ring pagsalangsang.
Law entails punishment; but, where no Law exists, no breach of it is possible.
16 Dahil dito'y sa pananampalataya, upang maging ayon sa biyaya; upang ang pangako ay lumagi sa lahat ng binhi; hindi lamang sa nasa kautusan, kundi pati naman sa nasa pananampalataya ni Abraham, na ama nating lahat.
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 (Gaya ng nasusulat, Ginawa kitang ama ng maraming bansa) sa harapan niyaong kaniyang pinanampalatayanan, sa makatuwid baga'y ang Dios, na nagbibigay ng buhay sa mga patay, at tumatawag sa mga bagay na hindi pa hayag na tila hayag na.
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 Siya na sumampalataya na nasa pagasa laban sa pagasa, upang maging ama ng maraming bansa ayon sa sabi, Magiging gayon ang iyong binhi.
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 At hindi humina sa pananampalataya na ipinalagay man ang kaniyang katawang tulad sa patay na (gayon siya'y may mga isang daang taon na), at ang pagkabaog ng bahay-bata ni Sara;
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 Kundi, sa pagtingin niya sa pangako ng Dios, ay hindi nagalinlangan sa pamamagitan ng di pananampalataya, kundi lumakas ng lumakas sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya, na niluluwalhati ang Dios,
He was not led by want of faith to doubt God’s promise.
21 At lubos nanalig na ang Dios na nangako ay may kapangyarihang makagawa noon.
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 Dahil dito'y ibinilang naman na katuwiran sa kaniya.
And therefore his faith “was regarded as righteousness.”
23 Ngayo'y hindi lamang dahil sa kaniya isinulat, na sa kaniya'y ibinilang;
Now these words – “it was regarded as righteousness” – were not written with reference to Abraham only;
24 Kundi dahil din naman sa atin, na ibibilang sa ating mga nagsisisampalataya sa kaniya na bumuhay na maguli sa mga patay, kay Jesus na ating Panginoon,
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 Na ibinigay dahil sa ating mga kasuwayan, at binuhay na maguli sa ikaaaring-ganap natin.
for Jesus was given up to death to atone for our offences, and was raised to life that we might be pronounced righteous.
