Romans 4
1 Ngakho siyakuthi u-Abrahama ubaba wethu ufumeneni ngokwenyama na?
2 Ngokuba uma u-Abrahama walungisiswa ngemisebenzi, unakho ukuzibonga; kodwa hhayi phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
3 Ngoba uthini umbhalo? U-Abrahama wakholwa nguNkulunkulu, kwabalelwa kuye ukuthi kungukulunga.
4 Kepha kosebenzayo umvuzo awubalwa ngokomusa, kodwa ngokwesikweletu.
5 Kepha kongasebenziyo, kodwa ekholwa kuye olungisisa ongamesabi uNkulunkulu, ukukholwa kwakhe kubalwa ukuthi kungukulunga.
6 Njengoba laye uDavida ekhuluma ngokubusiswa komuntu, uNkulunkulu ambalela ukulunga ngaphandle kwemisebenzi;
7 esithi: Babusisiwe abathethelelwe iziphambeko zabo, lalabo izono zabo zisitshekelwe.
8 Ubusisiwe umuntu iNkosi engayikubalela isono.
9 Ngakho-ke lokhu kubusiswa kuphezu kwabasokileyo noma nakwabangasokile na? ngoba sithi: Ukukholwa kwabalelwa kuAbrahama ukuthi kungukulunga.
10 Pho kwabalwa njani? Lapho esokile, noma ekungasokini? Hhayi ekusokeni, kodwa ekungasokini.
11 Wasesemukela isibonakaliso sokusoka, uphawu lokulunga kokukholwa ayelakho engakasoki, ukuze abe nguyise wabo bonke abakholwayo lanxa bengasokile; ukuze ukulunga kubalelwe nakubo;
12 noyise wokusoka kwabangasibo abokusoka kuphela, kodwa abahamba futhi ezinyathelweni zokholo lukababa wethu u-Abrahama ayenalo engakasoki.
13 Ngokuba isithembiso sokuthi uyakuba yindlalifa yezwe asifikanga ku-Abrahama nenzalo yakhe ngomthetho, kodwa ngokulunga kokukholwa.
14 Ngokuba uma abomthetho kuyizindlalifa, ukukholwa kwenziwe ize, nesithembiso senziwe ize;
15 Ngokuba umthetho uveza ulaka, ngokuba lapho okungekho umthetho khona, akukho ukweqa.
16 Ngakho-ke kungokholo, ukuze kube ngomusa; ukuze isithembiso siqiniseke kuyo yonke inzalo; kungeyisikho lokho okungokomthetho kuphela, kodwa nakulokho okungokukholwa kuka-Abrahama; ongubaba wethu sonke.
17 (njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: Ngikumisile ube nguyise wezizwe ezinengi), phambi kwalowo akholwayo, uNkulunkulu, ophilisa abafileyo, njalo obiza izinto ezingekho njengokungathi zikhona.
18 Owathi ngaphandle kwethemba wakholwa ngethemba, ukuze abe nguyise wezizwe eziningi, njengalokho okwashiwoyo ukuthi: Iyakuba njalo inzalo yakho.
19 Ngokuba engabuthakathaka ekukholweni, akawunakanga umzimba wakhe owawusufile, eseneminyaka engaba yikhulu, noma ukufa kwesizalo sikaSara;
20 Akabazanga ngesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu ngokungakholwa; kodwa waqina ekukholweni, enika uNkulunkulu udumo;
21 Eqiniseka ngokugcwele ukuthi lokho akuthembisile unamandla futhi nokukwenza.
22 Ngakho-ke kwabalelwa kuye ukuthi kungukulunga.
23 Kepha akulotshwanga ngenxa yakhe yedwa ukuthi kwabalelwa kuye;
24 Kodwa nakithi, esizakubalelwa, uma sikholwa kuye owavusa uJesu iNkosi yethu kwabafileyo;
25 owanikelwa ngenxa yeziphambeko zethu, wabuye wavuswa ukuze silungisiswe.