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

What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh?

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 by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God.

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

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

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

Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as something owed.

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

But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.

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

Even as David also pronounces blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works,

7 « هَنِيئاً لِلَّذِينَ غُفِرَتْ آثامُهُمْ وَسُتِرَتْ خَطاياهُمْ.

“Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

8 ه َنِيئاً لِلإنسانِ الَّذِي لا يَحسُبُ الرَّبُّ خَطِيَّتَهُ.»

Blessed is the man whom the Lord will by no means charge with sin.”

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 then pronounced on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for 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 counted? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

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 sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they might be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might also be accounted to them.

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

He is the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had in uncircumcision.

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 and to his offspring that he should be heir of the world wasn’t 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.

For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of no effect.

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

For the law produces wrath, for where there is no law, neither is there disobedience.

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.

For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace, to the end that the promise may be sure to all the offspring, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of 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 a father of many nations.” This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were.

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

Besides hope, Abraham in hope believed, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So will your offspring 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.

Without being weakened in faith, he didn’t consider his own body, already having been worn out, (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.

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

Yet, looking to the promise of God, he didn’t waver through unbelief, but grew strong through faith, giving glory to God,

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

and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was also able to perform.

22 ل ِهَذا «اعتَبَرَهُ اللهُ بارّاً بِسَبَبِ إيمانِهِ.»

Therefore it also was “credited to him for righteousness.”

23 و َلَمْ يُكتَبْ هَذا مِنْ أجلِهِ فَقَطْ،

Now it was not written that it was accounted to him 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 sake also, to whom it will be accounted, who believe in him 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 delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.