Romafoɔ 4
1 Ɛdeɛn na yɛbɛka afa yɛn tete agya Abraham ho? Osuahunu bɛn na ɔnyaeɛ?
What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, has discovered?
2 Sɛ wɔnam nneɛma a ɔyɛeɛ so buu no bem a, anka ɔwɔ biribi a ɔde bɛhoahoa ne ho. Nanso, ɔrentumi nhoahoa ne ho Onyankopɔn anim.
If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God.
3 Atwerɛsɛm no kyerɛ yɛn sɛ, “Abraham gyee Onyankopɔn diiɛ; na ɛno so na ɛnam maa Onyankopɔn gyee no sɛ ɔteneneeni no.”
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
4 Onipa a ɔyɛ adwuma no fata nʼakatua; ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔbu nʼakatua no sɛ akyɛdeɛ, na mmom, ɛyɛ biribi a wayɛ ho adwuma anya.
Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation.
5 Ɛnyɛ nnwuma bi a onipa yɛ na ɛbɛma Onyankopɔn abu no bem. Onyankopɔn gye nnebɔneyɛfoɔ to mu ɛfiri sɛ wɔwɔ gyidie wɔ ne mu.
However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
6 Dawid ka asɛm korɔ no ara sɛ, nhyira a ɛfiri Onyankopɔn nkyɛn ba onipa a Onyankopɔn agye no ato mu so. Saa nhyira yi mfiri nnipa nnwuma mu. Ɛno enti Dawid kaa sɛ:
And David speaks likewise of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “Nhyira ne wɔn a wɔde wɔn amumuyɛ akyɛ wɔn, na wɔakata wɔn bɔne so.
“Blessed are they whose lawless acts are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
8 Nhyira nka onipa a AWURADE mmu ne bɔne nngu ne so da.”
Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”
9 Saa anigyeɛ a Dawid ka ho asɛm no wɔ hɔ ma twetiatwafoɔ nko anaa? Dabi. Ɛwɔ hɔ ma wɔn nso a wɔntwaa twetia no; ɛfiri sɛ, yɛakenkan afiri Atwerɛsɛm no mu sɛ, “Abraham gyee Onyankopɔn diiɛ, na ɛsiane ne gyidie enti, Onyankopɔn gyee no sɛ ɔteneneeni.”
Is this blessing only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.
10 Ɛberɛ bɛn na saa asɛm yi siiɛ? Ɛsiiɛ ansa na wɔretwa Abraham twetia anaa Abraham twetiatwa no akyi na ɛsiiɛ? Ɛsiiɛ ansa, na ɛnyɛ twetiatwa no akyi na ɛsiiɛ.
In what context was it credited? Was it after his circumcision, or before? It was not after, but before.
11 Akyire no na wɔtwaa no twetia, na ne twetiatwa no yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ a ɛkyerɛ sɛ, Onyankopɔn gyee no sɛ ɔteneneeni ansa na wɔretwa no twetia. Enti Abraham yɛ Honhom mu agya ma wɔn a wɔgye Onyankopɔn di nyinaa na wɔagye wɔn sɛ ateneneefoɔ a nso wɔntwaa wɔn twetia.
And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
12 Saa ara nso na Abraham yɛ agya ma obiara a wɔatwa no twetia na ɔwɔ gyidie sɛdeɛ na Abraham wɔ gyidie ansa na wɔretwa no twetia no.
And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 Ɛnyɛ mmara no so na wɔnam hyɛɛ Abraham ne nʼasefoɔ bɔ sɛ wɔbɛyɛ ewiase adedifoɔ, mmom ɛnam tenenee a ɛfiri gyidie mu so.
For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
14 Sɛ wɔn a wɔdi Mmara so yɛ adedifoɔ a, ɛnneɛ na gyidie nka hwee, na bɔhyɛ no nso ho nni mfasoɔ,
For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless,
15 ɛfiri sɛ mmara de abufuhyeɛ ba. Na sɛ mmara nni hɔ a, mmarato nni hɔ.
because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.
16 Enti bɔhyɛ no firi gyidie mu sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a ɛbɛfiri adom mu na ɛbɛtena hɔ ama Abraham asefoɔ nyinaa; ɛnyɛ wɔn a wɔwɔ mmara no ase nko ara, na mmom wɔn a wɔwɔ gyidie sɛ Abraham nso. Ɔyɛ yɛn nyinaa agya.
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may rest on grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
17 Sɛdeɛ wɔatwerɛ no: “Mayɛ wo aman bebree agya.” Onyankopɔn kaa saa, ɛfiri sɛ, Abraham gyee Onyankopɔn a ɔma awufoɔ nya nkwa, na ɔyɛ nneɛma foforɔ firi deɛ ɛnni hɔ mu diiɛ.
As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist.
18 Ɛberɛ a anidasoɔ asa no, Abraham nyaa anidasoɔ gye diiɛ, enti ɔbɛyɛɛ aman bebree so agya, sɛdeɛ na wɔaka akyerɛ no sɛ, “Saa na wʼasefoɔ bɛyɛ” no.
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
19 Abraham gyidie anhinhim ɛberɛ a na ɔreyɛ adi mfeɛ ɔha no mpo. Na ɔnim nso sɛ ɔregye nna awu, na ne yere Sara nso rentumi nwo mma.
Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb.
20 Nanso ne gyidie anhinhim, na wannye Onyankopɔn bɔhyɛ no ho akyinnyeɛ. Ɔhyɛɛ ne gyidie mu den de animuonyam maa Onyankopɔn.
Yet he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
21 Na ɔgye dii yie sɛ Onyankopɔn bɛtumi ayɛ deɛ wahyɛ ho bɔ no.
being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised.
22 Yei enti wɔbuu no sɛ tenenee maa no.
This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”
23 Wɔtwerɛɛ sɛ, “Wɔbuu no sɛ tenenee maa no” no, wɔantwerɛ amma ɔno nko ara.
Now the words “it was credited to him” were written not only for Abraham,
24 Na mmom wɔtwerɛ maa yɛn nso a Onyankopɔn bɛbu yɛn sɛ ateneneefoɔ, yɛn a yɛgye deɛ ɔnyanee Yesu, yɛn Awurade, firii awufoɔ mu die no.
but also for us, to whom righteousness will be credited—for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
25 Yɛn bɔne enti, wɔyii no maa owuo, na wɔnyanee no maa yɛn bembuo.
He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.
