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.
Ŋen ŋ-Ibrayim iŋi ŋəɽo sura yed̶eṯəm
1 Ləgabaṯrau eŋen ŋəbapa gəpənde Ibrayim eŋen ŋaŋəno? 2 Ndə ŋen ŋəlwaɽənu ṯa gënəŋu gid̶ənu gəd̶urwaṯo eŋen Rəmwa nëiñua ŋen ŋanṯa ŋen iŋi gënəŋu gid̶u, gënəŋu gaɽwad̶aṯa gëminia bəɽan, orn gerṯe Rəmwa nëiñua. 3 Ad̶am gə-Rəmwa gaṯa, “Rəmwa rəŋënṯu Ibrayim gəd̶urwaṯo eŋen ŋu nëiñua ŋen ŋanṯa gënəŋu gëndu ŋen ŋə-Rəmwa.” 4 Ndə ed̶a igi gəbəd̶ia ŋəmëɽria gəmama d̶əpəɽa d̶əlëɽəŋu, gerṯe ŋen ŋəd̶ənaica məɽəməɽeñ orn ŋen ŋëməcu. 5 Na ndə gəber gəbəd̶ia ŋəmëɽria, orn gəbëndia ŋen ŋə-Rəmwa ikərəŋ irri rəbəd̶ia led̶a laijəbama ləd̶urwaṯo eŋen, Rəmwa rabəŋentia d̶wonaṯa d̶əlëɽəŋu nṯia rabaṯa ṯa gënəŋu gad̶urwaṯo eŋen ŋu nëiñua. 6 Nṯia com Ḏawuḏ gaṯa ṯa ed̶a igi Rəmwa rəbaṯa ṯa gënəŋu gad̶urwaṯo eŋen ŋu nëiñua, gënəŋu gaŋəra nano. Na ŋen iŋi gerṯe ŋen ŋəwagənəŋ ed̶a gəbəd̶ia. 7 Ḏawuḏ gaṯa ṯa,
“Led̶a laŋəra nano ildi ləŋgəd̶einu ŋen eŋen ŋeicia,
na ŋen ŋeicia eŋen ŋəternu.
8 Ed̶a gaŋəra nano igi Eləŋ Rəmwa rəber rəbëɽia ŋen ŋeicia ŋəmageiya.”
9 Gaɽe d̶əŋəra nano id̶i d̶eṯo led̶a nano ikərəŋ ildi luɽəd̶ənu walla led̶a nano com ildi lero luɽəd̶ənia? Ŋen ŋanṯa ləgabaṯr ṯa, “Rəmwa rəŋënṯu Ibrayim gəd̶urwaṯa eŋen ŋen ŋanṯa d̶wonaṯa d̶əlëɽəŋu.” 10 Rəmwa rəŋënṯəma gəd̶urwaṯo eŋen ṯau? Gënəŋu gafo guɽəd̶ənu liga lakəl walla gafo gero guɽəd̶ənia? Gënəŋu gafo gamulu guɽəd̶ənia. 11 Nḏurṯu gënəŋu ganeinu ŋen ŋəd̶uɽəd̶ənia d̶i d̶əɽo ŋwëɽiña ŋə-Rəmwa na d̶ërrəŋaid̶ia d̶əŋen ṯa Rəmwa rəŋënṯəma gəd̶urwaṯo eŋen, ŋen ŋanṯa gënəŋu gëndu ŋen ŋə-Rəmwa liga gënəŋu gəmulu guɽəd̶ənia. Na gënəŋu gaɽo bapa gəled̶a pred̶ ildi lëndu ŋen ŋə-Rəmwa iliga lënəŋulu ləmulu luɽəd̶əma, ṯa Rəmwa rid̶i arəlid̶i ləd̶urwaṯo eŋen. 12 Na com gënəŋu gaɽo bapa gəled̶a ildi luɽəd̶ənu, orn com ildi ləteṯa d̶ad̶ d̶eṯen Ibrayim ed̶wonaṯa d̶əlëɽəŋu id̶i gënəŋu gerṯo iliga gəmulu guɽəd̶ənia.
Đëɽia ŋen d̶ə-Rəmwa d̶wonaṯad̶a
13 Ŋen iŋi Rəmwa rëɽəṯu Ibrayim, ṯa alo pred̶ yid̶i aiyaɽeṯe ilëɽəŋu na iləd̶ia əllëɽəŋu ŋero ŋəbëɽənia eŋen ŋ-Alganun orn eŋen ŋəŋen ŋəd̶urwaṯo iŋi gënəŋu gerṯo Rəmwa nëiñua d̶wonaṯad̶a d̶əled̶a. 14 Ndə led̶a ildi ləfo eŋen ŋ-Alganun lid̶i aɽrraṯe eŋen Alganunya, d̶wonaṯa d̶id̶i ad̶erṯe ŋeniano, na ŋen iŋi Rəmwa rëɽu aŋid̶əni ŋəpiano. 15 Alganun yamama d̶eiciano d̶ə-Rəmwa. Ndə Alganun yero d̶əgera ŋen d̶ero com.
16 Ŋen ŋafəṯia ŋen iŋi ŋəfo ŋëɽənu ŋafo ed̶wonaṯa, ṯa aŋəfeṯe ed̶ənaica məɽəməɽeñ d̶ə-Rəmwa ṯa ŋen ŋëɽənu ŋid̶i aŋəndame iləd̶ia pred̶ l-Ibrayim, gerṯe lënəŋulu ildi l-Alganun ikərəŋ orn com iŋulu ildi ləfo ed̶əɽəbəd̶ia eŋen ŋəd̶wonaṯa d̶-Ibrayim. Gënəŋu gaɽo bapa igëndr pred̶, 17 garno ŋen ŋəwërd̶ənu ṯa, “Igid̶iaŋa agəɽo bapa gəled̶a lwaiña kaiñ.” Ŋen iŋi ŋafo Rəmwa nëiñua irri rəɽwad̶aṯa rəbəd̶ia led̶a laiyo ṯa aləməṯe, na rəɽwad̶aṯa rundəd̶ia laŋge ildi lero ṯa aləfeṯe. Fə-Rəmwa irri Ibrayim gëndu ŋen ŋəlëɽəŋu. 18 Ndə ŋen ŋero iŋi ŋəd̶əṯurṯia, Ibrayim gëndu ŋen iŋi na gəṯurṯia, ŋen ŋanṯa gënəŋu aŋəɽeṯe bapa gəled̶a lwaiña kaiñ ŋen ŋarno Rəmwa rəlwaɽəṯəma ṯa, “Ləd̶ia əllaɽəŋa lid̶i alaijəbeṯe lumad̶einia.” 19 Đwonaṯa d̶əlëɽəŋu d̶ero d̶ëbia na com gënəŋu galəŋeṯo ṯa aŋəno ilëɽəŋu yafo ŋəɽaiñ ṯwaiñ, ŋen ŋanṯa gerṯo nṯəlia miyya, na ṯa Sara gaijəba gələŋa, 20 na ŋen ŋanṯa Rəmwa rëɽu ŋen iŋi gënəŋu gero gəɽəbəd̶ia nara ŋen ŋanṯa d̶wonaṯa d̶əlëɽəŋu d̶ero d̶əfia pwa orn gënəŋu ganeinu ŋabəɽa d̶wonaṯad̶a nəŋənaice Rəmwa ŋaɽrwa, 21 na gënəŋu galəŋeṯo ṯa Rəmwa raɽwad̶aṯa rəɽiñad̶aṯa ŋen iŋi ŋen ŋanṯa rënəŋu rëɽu. 22 Ŋen ŋafəṯia, “Gënəŋu gaŋënənṯu gəd̶urwaṯo eŋen” ŋen ŋanṯa d̶wonaṯa d̶əlëɽəŋu i-Rəmwa.
23 Ŋen iŋi ŋaṯa, “Gënəŋu gaŋënənṯu gəd̶urwaṯo eŋen.” Gerṯe ŋawërd̶ənu ŋen ŋanṯaŋu ikərəŋ. 24 Ŋen iŋi ŋawërd̶ənu ŋen ŋanṯa nëndr com, nëndr ləŋgr ləgid̶ənr ləgd̶urwaṯr eŋen d̶wonaṯad̶a id̶ëndr i-Rəmwa ŋen ŋə-Rəmwa irri rətud̶i Eləŋ igëndr Yesu eŋəɽaiñ. 25 Gënəŋu ganeinu ŋəɽaiñ ŋen ŋanṯa ŋen iŋëndr ŋeicia, na gënəŋu gatud̶inu ṯa alid̶ənr ləgəd̶urwaṯr eŋen Rəmwa nëiñua.