The Example of Abraham
1 Well then, what can we say about our ancestor Abraham? 2 If he became acceptable to God because of what he did, then he would have something to brag about. But he would never be able to brag about it to God. 3 The Scriptures say, “God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith in him.”
4 Money paid to workers isn't a gift. It is something they earn by working. 5 But you cannot make God accept you because of something you do. God accepts sinners only because they have faith in him. 6 In the Scriptures David talks about the blessings that come to people who are acceptable to God, even though they don't do anything to deserve these blessings. David says,
7-8 “What a blessing
when God forgives our sins
and our evil deeds.
What a blessing
when the Lord erases our sins
from his book.”
9 Are these blessings meant for circumcised people or for those who are not circumcised? Well, the Scriptures say that God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith in him. 10 But when did this happen? Was it before or after Abraham was circumcised? Of course, it was before.
11 Abraham let himself be circumcised to show he had been accepted because of his faith even before he was circumcised. This makes Abraham the father of all who are acceptable to God because of their faith, even though they are not circumcised. 12 This also makes Abraham the father of everyone who is circumcised and has faith in God, as Abraham did before he was circumcised.
The Promise Is for All Who Have Faith
13 God promised Abraham and his descendants that he would give them the world. This promise wasn't made because Abraham had obeyed a law, but because his faith in God made him acceptable. 14 If Abraham and his descendants were given this promise because they had obeyed a law, then faith would mean nothing, and the promise would be worthless.
15 God becomes angry when his Law is broken. But where there isn't a law, it cannot be broken. 16 Everything depends on having faith in God, so that God's promise is assured by his gift of undeserved grace. This promise isn't only for Abraham's descendants who have the Law. It is for all who are Abraham's descendants because they have faith, just as he did. Abraham is the ancestor of us all. 17 The Scriptures say that Abraham would become the ancestor of many nations. This promise was made to Abraham because he had faith in God, who raises the dead to life and creates new things.
18 God promised Abraham a lot of descendants. And when it all seemed hopeless, Abraham still had faith in God and became the ancestor of many nations. 19 Abraham's faith never became weak, not even when he was nearly 100 years old. He knew he was almost dead and that his wife Sarah could not have children. 20 But Abraham never doubted or questioned God's promise. His faith made him strong, and he gave all the credit to God.
21 Abraham was certain that God could do what he had promised. 22 So God accepted him, 23 just as we read in the Scriptures. But these words were not written only for Abraham. 24 They were written for us, since we will also be accepted because of our faith in God, who raised our Lord Jesus to life. 25 God gave Jesus to die for our sins, and he raised him to life, so that we would be made acceptable to God.
aza 4
ṯilŋiidina ṯeḏi ṯəmna ṯeḏi ibrahiim
1 ŋer ŋari ḏa manɔŋ ŋeḏi ibrahiim kwir kwukwurna kweri aŋna yi? 2 eŋgir ruzi ibrahiimŋw kwuzuɽu-na ŋɔḏɽor ŋi ŋakuŋw zi kuruu gi, eŋguŋw eḏi ŋuma eḏellini ki rɔgwɽɔ, lakin nuŋw ere eḏi ŋuma mac eḏellini ki yey-na yeḏi Allah. 3 kaka ŋa ŋuluḏina ŋari ḏa? ibrahiim eḏici Allah ṯəmna ner ṯa ruzi ṯəmna ṯuŋwun kaka ṯofḏana ṯuŋwun. 4 kwere muŋw aki ŋɔḏɽor ta, eṯir ere ruzi ujra wuŋwun haḏiya mac, lakin eṯir iɽeci ujra kaka ṯa weŋguŋw afi. 5 na ŋeḏi ŋgwa kwiti kweṯaki ŋɔḏɽor mac lakin kweṯalliḏa ŋgwa ṯugwori nana, kweṯi zi ruzi luzuɽu-na kla leni liki, eṯir ruzi ṯəmna ṯuŋwun kaka ṯofḏana ṯuŋwun. 6 kaka andicazi gwu dauḏ tɔk ŋeḏi ṯortaḏa ṯeḏi ŋgwa kwumɔ Allah ruzi kwofḏana kwiira ŋɔḏɽor-na, ŋwu:
7 kla limerzi fifrici ŋudurlaḏu, limerzi kwuɽbeci ŋikyaŋi lu tɔk, leni lortani;
8 ŋgwa kwiti kwinḏi Kweleny eḏi ruzi kaṯi mac ŋiɽaŋal ŋi ŋeḏi ŋikya ŋuŋun, kweni kwortani.
9 ṯortaḏa kḏu ṯiri ṯeḏi kla limerzi uɽu ŋwuḏrunya ṯuɽuk a? ya ṯiri ṯeḏi kla tɔk liti leḏi ṯuɽuna mac? a kwarir ŋwu: ner ruzi ṯəmna ṯeḏi ibrahiim ṯofḏana ṯuŋwun. 10 ner ruzi ṯəmna ṯuŋwun ṯofḏana ṯuŋwun aŋgwuru? kerreny, iti uɽuḏir gwu ŋunduŋwu luḏrunya mac, ya kwaḏan a? ŋiti ŋiri mac muŋw uɽuni, ŋeḏi kerrenyŋw ŋiri. 11 na kwaḏan nuŋw afi ṯuɽuna ṯeḏi luḏruny eḏorɔ kaka ŋwuli ŋwir nimra, eḏi zi ruweci ṯofḏana lu ṯuŋwun ṯimɔŋw afi ṯəmna ṯi, it uɽuŋw gwu kinna mac. ŋwu ṯa, ner ruzi ŋunduŋwu papa kweḏi lizi tatap leḏi ṯəmna liira ṯuɽuna, limerzi ṯa ruzi lofḏana; 12 ner ruzi ŋunduŋwu papa kweḏi kla leḏi ṯuɽuna liti leṯalliḏa ŋiɽaŋali ŋu rugwori nana ṯuɽuk mac, lakin eṯir kwaḏiḏa ṯəmna kḏa ṯeṯi papa kweri kweni ibrahiim miḏa, iti uɽuŋw gwu ludrunya kinna mac.
13 na Allah ere kitaḏa ibrahiimŋw, ya nyoru nyuŋwun, ŋiɽaŋal ŋi ŋeḏi kuruu mac eḏafi ṯurmuna kaka ŋor ŋeŋen, lakin nuŋw zi ŋi kitaḏa ŋu ŋiɽaŋal ŋi ŋeḏi ṯofḏana ṯəmna ṯi. 14 eŋgi kla leḏi kuruu linḏi eḏafi ŋoru, eŋgi ṯəmna ere eḏi fayḏa mac, ya ṯikitaḏa tɔk mac. 15 kaka eṯi gwu kuruu afa ŋirŋaza, lakin ma kuruu ere nani mac ta, eṯi lizi ere eḏi ŋuma mac eḏi dapi kuruu gi la.
16 ṯa ŋwu, eṯi ŋuma ŋeḏi ṯikitaḏa orɔ ŋeḏi ṯəmna, mindaŋ a ma nyor nyuŋwun tatap afi ṯikitaḏa weṯ, ṯimeca ṯi ṯeḏi ŋimɽi; ner ere orɔ mac kla dak leḏi kuruu, lakin kla tɔk leṯoɽmaṯi ki ṯəmna-na ṯeḏi ibrahiim, kaka urŋw gwu papa kweri tatap, 17 kaka luḏinar gwu, ŋaruŋw: nyi kwumɔ ŋa ruzi papa kweḏi ŋeleny ŋuru. na ṯa, ṯikitaḏa kḏu eḏi fayḏa ki yey-na yeḏi Allah, wir Allah wumɔŋw alliḏa ṯugwori nana, wir Allah weṯi zi inḏeḏa layyu ŋimiiḏa, nuŋw ornuṯi kwɔmne kwiti kwumijini kinna mac mindaŋ mer ijini. 18 ma ṯəkiza kizen ere eḏi fayḏa mac, eṯuŋw ṯa aki kizen eḏorɔ papa kweḏi ŋeleny ŋuru, kaka mer gwu andaci ŋunduŋwu: nyor nyɔŋa nyi ṯa orɔ. 19 nuŋw ere ajili ki ṯəmna-na mac muŋw ṯeci ŋiɽaŋali ŋeḏi aŋna wuŋwun wumɔ uteḏa ŋiɽany nana, kaka muŋw gwu orɔ yiḏleyu ruɽi-ṯuḏni, ya muŋw zi ṯeci ŋeḏi zaara kwir kworum. 20 nuŋw ere orɔ rugwor-na riɽen mac ŋiɽaŋal ŋi ŋeḏi ṯəmna ṯamɽaṯu, nuŋw kikindeḏi ṯəmna niiyaŋw gwu Allah-na ŋiniṯ ŋi, 21 na eṯuŋw elŋece rac eḏaruŋw, Allah weḏi ŋuma eḏəfica ŋunduŋwu ŋgwa kwumɔŋw gi kitaḏa. 22 ṯa ŋwu, ner ruzi ṯəmna ṯuŋwun ṯofḏana ṯuŋwun. 23 ŋiɽaŋal ŋu ŋimerzi lɔ ner ere orɔ ŋeḏi ibrahiim ṯuɽuk mac, 24 lakin ŋimerzi lɔ ŋeni ŋeri tɔk. er nyji ṯa ruzi nyuŋwuzi ŋwu tɔk, limalliḏa ŋunduŋwu rugwori nana ŋgwa kwumɔ diɽi Yecuŋw ŋiɽany-na, kwir Kweleny kweri, 25 kwumer iili ki ŋiɽany-na ŋiɽaŋal ŋi ŋeḏi ŋikya ŋeri, na Allah diɽi ŋunduŋwu eḏi ruzi nyuŋwuzi luzuɽu-na ŋin ŋi ŋuŋun.