The Example of Abraham
1 What shall we say, then, of Abraham, the father of our race? What was his experience? 2 If he was put right with God by the things he did, he would have something to boast about—but not in God's sight. 3 The scripture says, “Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.” 4 A person who works is paid wages, but they are not regarded as a gift; they are something that has been earned. 5 But those who depend on faith, not on deeds, and who believe in the God who declares the guilty to be innocent, it is this faith that God takes into account in order to put them right with himself. 6 This is what David meant when he spoke of the happiness of the person whom God accepts as righteous, apart from anything that person does:
7 “Happy are those whose wrongs are forgiven,
whose sins are pardoned!
8 Happy is the person whose sins the Lord will not keep account of!”
9 Does this happiness that David spoke of belong only to those who are circumcised? No indeed! It belongs also to those who are not circumcised. For we have quoted the scripture, “Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.” 10 When did this take place? Was it before or after Abraham was circumcised? It was before, not after. 11 He was circumcised later, and his circumcision was a sign to show that because of his faith God had accepted him as righteous before he had been circumcised. And so Abraham is the spiritual father of all who believe in God and are accepted as righteous by him, even though they are not circumcised. 12 He is also the father of those who are circumcised, that is, of those who, in addition to being circumcised, also live the same life of faith that our father Abraham lived before he was circumcised.
God's Promise Is Received through Faith
13 When God promised Abraham and his descendants that the world would belong to him, he did so, not because Abraham obeyed the Law, but because he believed and was accepted as righteous by God. 14 For if what God promises is to be given to those who obey the Law, then faith means nothing and God's promise is worthless. 15 The Law brings down God's anger; but where there is no law, there is no disobeying of the law.
16 And so the promise was based on faith, in order that the promise should be guaranteed as God's free gift to all of Abraham's descendants—not just to those who obey the Law, but also to those who believe as Abraham did. For Abraham is the spiritual father of us all; 17 as the scripture says, “I have made you father of many nations.” So the promise is good in the sight of God, in whom Abraham believed—the God who brings the dead to life and whose command brings into being what did not exist. 18 Abraham believed and hoped, even when there was no reason for hoping, and so became “the father of many nations.” Just as the scripture says, “Your descendants will be as many as the stars.” 19 He was then almost one hundred years old; but his faith did not weaken when he thought of his body, which was already practically dead, or of the fact that Sarah could not have children. 20 His faith did not leave him, and he did not doubt God's promise; his faith filled him with power, and he gave praise to God. 21 He was absolutely sure that God would be able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why Abraham, through faith, “was accepted as righteous by God.” 23 The words “he was accepted as righteous” were not written for him alone. 24 They were written also for us who are to be accepted as righteous, who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from death. 25 Because of our sins he was given over to die, and he was raised to life in order to put us right with 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.