1 ف َماذا نَقُولُ عَنْ إبراهِيمَ الَّذِي هُوَ أبُونا بِحَسَبِ النَّسَبِ البَشَرِيِّ؟ ما الَّذِي اكتَشَفَهُ؟

if so, what shall we say about Abraham, our forefather humanly speaking— find out?

2 ل ِأنَّهُ إنْ كانَ إبراهِيمُ قَدْ تَبَرَّرَ بِأعمالِهِ، فَلَهُ الحَقُّ بِالتَّباهِي. لَكِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَدَيهِ ما يَتَباهَى بِهِ أمامَ اللهِ!

For if Abraham was justified ( established as just by acquittal from guilt) by good works he has grounds for boasting. But not before God!

3 ل ِأنَّ الكِتابَ يَقُولُ: «آمَنَ إبْراهِيمُ بِاللهِ، فَاعتَبَرَهُ اللهُ بارّاً بِسَبَبِ إيمانِهِ.»

For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed in (trusted in) God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness (right living and right standing with God).

4 ف َالأُجرَةُ الَّتِي تُعطَى مُقابِلَ العَمَلِ، لا تُعتَبَرُ هِبَةً مَجّانِيَّةً، بَلْ هِيَ دَينٌ يَستَحِقُّ الدَّفعَ.

Now to a laborer, his wages are not counted as a favor or a gift, but as an obligation (something owed to him).

5 أ مَّأ الَّذي لا يَتَّكِلُ عَلَى أعمالِهِ، بَلْ يُؤمِنُ بِاللهِ الَّذِي يُبَرِّرُ العاصِيَ، فَإنَّ اللهَ يَحسِبُ لَهُ إيمانَهُ بِرّاً.

But to one who, not working, trusts (believes fully) in Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (the standing acceptable to God).

6 ك َذَلِكَ يَتَحَدَّثُ داوُدُ مُهَنِّئاً الإنسانَ الَّذِي يَحسُبُ لَهُ اللهُ البِرَّ بِدونِ أعمالٍ، فَيَقُولُ:

Thus David congratulates the man and pronounces a blessing on him to whom God credits righteousness apart from the works he does:

7 « هَنِيئاً لِلَّذِينَ غُفِرَتْ آثامُهُمْ وَسُتِرَتْ خَطاياهُمْ.

Blessed and happy and to be envied are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered up and completely buried.

8 ه َنِيئاً لِلإنسانِ الَّذِي لا يَحسُبُ الرَّبُّ خَطِيَّتَهُ.»

Blessed and happy and to be envied is the person of whose sin the Lord will take no account nor reckon it against him.

9 ف َهَلْ تَنطَبِقُ هَذِهِ التَّهنِئَةُ عَلَى المَختُونِينَ فَقَط، أمْ عَلَى غَيرِ المَختُونِينَ أيضاً؟ إنَّها تَنطَبِقُ عَلَى غَيرِ المَختُونِينَ أيضاً. فَقَدْ سَبَقَ أنْ قُلْنا: «آمَنَ إبراهِيمُ بِاللهِ، فَاعتَبَرَ اللهُ إيمانَهُ بِرّاً لَهُ.»

Is this blessing (happiness) then meant only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.

10 ف َمَتَى اعتَبَرَ اللهُ إبراهِيمَ بارّاً بِناءً عَلَى إيمانِهِ؟ فَهَلْ كانَ ذَلِكَ وَهُوَ مَختُونٌ أمْ قَبلَ خِتانِهِ؟ بَلْ قَبلَ خِتانِهِ.

How then was it credited ? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.

11 و َقَدْ قَبِلَ إبراهِيمُ الخِتانَ كَعَلامَةٍ وَخَتمٍ لِلبِرِّ الَّذِي كانَ بِناءً عَلَى إيمانِهِ، قَبلَ أنْ يُختَنَ. فَهُوَ إذاً أبٌ لِكُلِّ الَّذِينَ يُؤمِنُونَ وَهُمْ غَيرُ مَختُونِينَ، وَيَحسِبُ اللهُ البِرَّ لَهُمْ أيضاً.

He received the mark of circumcision as a token or an evidence seal of the righteousness which he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised— so that he was to be made the father of all who believe, though without circumcision, and who thus have righteousness (right standing with God) imputed to them and credited to their account,

12 و َهُوَ أيضاً أبٌ لِجَمِيعِ المَختُونِينَ الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ خُطَى أبِينا إبراهِيمَ فِي الإيمانِ الَّذِي أظهَرَهُ قَبلَ أنْ يُختَنَ. نَوالُ وَعدِ اللهِ مِنْ خِلالِ الإيمان

As well as the father of those circumcised persons who are not merely circumcised, but also walk in the way of that faith which our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

13 ف َالوَعدُ المَقطُوعُ لإبراهِيمَ وَنَسلِهِ، بِأنَّهُ سَيَكُونُ وَارِثاً لِلعالَمِ، لَمْ يَأْتِ مِنْ خِلالِ الشَّرِيعَةِ، لَكِنَّهُ جاءَ مِنْ خِلالِ البِرِّ النّاتِجِ عَنِ الإيمانِ.

For the promise to Abraham or his posterity, that he should inherit the world, did not come through the Law but through the righteousness of faith.

14 ل ِأنَّهُ إنْ كانَ النّاسُ يَنالَونَ الوَعْدَ باتِّباعِهِمُ الشَّريعَةَ، فَقَدْ أصبَحَ الإيمانُ بِلا مَعنَىً، وَصارَ الوَعدُ باطِلاً.

If it is the adherents of the Law who are to be the heirs, then faith is made futile and empty of all meaning and the promise is made void (is annulled and has no power).

15 ل ِأنَّ الشَّرِيعَةَ تَأتي بِغَضَبَ اللهِ بِسَبَبِ عِصيانِ النّاسِ. فَحَيثُ لا تُوجَدُ شَرِيعَةٌ، لا يُوجَدُ أيضاً كَسرٌ لَها.

For the Law results in wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

16 و َلِهَذا فَإنَّ نَوالَ الوَعدِ هُوَ نَتِيجَةٌ لِلإيمانِ، لِيَكونَ الوَعدُ بِالنِّعمَةِ، وَيَبقَى مَضْموناً لِكُلِّ أولادِ إبراهِيمَ. لَيسَ فَقَطْ لِلَذينَ تَلَقَّوا الشَّرِيعَةَ، بَلْ أيضاً لِلَّذِينَ يُؤمِنُونَ كَإيمانِ إبراهيمَ، فَهُوَ أبٌ لَنا جَمِيعاً.

Therefore, the promise is the outcome of faith and depends on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace (unmerited favor), to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his descendants—not only to the devotees and adherents of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

17 ف َكَما يَقُولُ الكِتابُ: «جَعَلْتُكَ أباً لِشُعُوبٍ كَثِيرَةٍ.» فَهُوَ أبُونا أمامَ اللهِ الَّذِي آمَنَ بِهِ، اللهِ الَّذي يُحيِي المَوتَى، وَيَتَحَدَّثُ عَنْ أشياءَ غَيرِ مَوجُودَةٍ بَعدُ، وَكَأنَّها مَوجُودَةٌ!

As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that as if they existed.

18 ل َقَدْ آمَنَ إبراهِيمُ وَفِي قَلبِهِ رَجاءٌ مُخالِفٌ لِكُلِّ مَنطِقٍ بَشَرِيٍّ. وَهَكَذا أصبَحَ أباً لِشُعُوبٍ كَثِيْرَةٍ كَما يَقُولُ الكِتابُ: «سَيَكُونُ نَسلُكَ كَثِيراً جِدّاً.»

hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So shall your descendants be.

19 و َلَمْ يَضعُفْ إيمانُهُ، مَعَ أنَّهُ كانَ يَعلَمُ أنَّ جَسَدَهُ قَريبٌ مِنَ المَوتِ – فَعُمرُهُ كانَ نَحوَ مِئَةِ عامٍ – وكانَ يَعلَمُ أنَّ رَحمَ سارَة زَوجَتُهُ مَيِّتٌ أيضاً.

He did not weaken in faith when he considered the impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.

20 ف َما شَكَّ بِوَعدِ اللهِ أوْ تَخَلَّى عَنِ الإيمانِ، بَلِ ازْدادَ إيمانُهُ قُوَّةً، فَمَجَّدَ اللهَ.

No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God,

21 ك انَ عَلَى يَقِينٍ مِنْ أنَّ اللهَ قادِرٌ عَلَى أنْ يَفِيَ بِما وَعَدَ بِهِ.

Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.

22 ل ِهَذا «اعتَبَرَهُ اللهُ بارّاً بِسَبَبِ إيمانِهِ.»

That is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God).

23 و َلَمْ يُكتَبْ هَذا مِنْ أجلِهِ فَقَطْ،

But, It was credited to him, were written not for his sake alone,

24 ب َلْ مِنْ أجلِنا نَحنُ أيضاً الَّذِينَ يَحسُبُ اللهُ إيمانَنا بِرّاً لَنا، نَحنُ الَّذِينَ نُؤمِنُ بِالَّذِي أقامَ رَبَّنا يَسُوعَ مِنَ المَوتِ.

But for our sakes too. will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

25 و َهُوَ قَدْ سُلِّمَ لِلمَوتِ وَأُقِيمَ مِنَ المَوتِ، مِنْ أجلِ غُفرانِ خَطايانا وَمِنْ أجلِ تَبرِيرِنا.

Who was betrayed and put to death because of our misdeeds and was raised to secure our justification (our acquittal),.