1 D o the Jews have anything that those who are not Jews do not have? What good does it do to go through the religious act of becoming a Jew?

ما مِيزَةُ اليَهُودِيِّ إذاً؟ أوْ ما قِيمَةُ الخِتانِ؟

2 Y es, the Jews have much more in every way. First of all, God gave the Jews His Law.

إنَّ لِليَهُودِ مِيزاتٍ كَثِيرَةً مِنْ كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ: أوَّلاً، استَأْمَنَهُمُ اللهُ عَلَى كَلِمَتِهِ.

3 I f some of them were not faithful, does it mean that God will not be faithful?

لَكِنْ ماذا لَو كانَ بَعضُهُمْ غَيرَ أُمَناءَ؟ ألَعَلَّ عَدَمَ أمانَتِهِمْ يُلغِي أمانَةَ اللهِ؟

4 N o, not at all! God is always true even if every man lies. The Holy Writings say, “Speak the truth and you will not be proven guilty.”

بِالطَبعِ لا! بَلْ إنَّ اللهَ صادِقٌ، حَتَّى لَوْ كانَ كُلُّ النّاسِ كاذِبِينَ. فَكَما يَقُولُ الكِتابُ: «لِكَي يَثبُتَ أنَّكَ عَلَى صَوابٍ فِيما تَقُولُ، وَتَربَحَ قَضِيَّتَكَ حِينَ تُحاكِمُنِي.»

5 I f our sins show how right God is, what can we say? Is it wrong for God to punish us for it? (I am speaking as men do.)

فَإنْ كانَ إثمُنا يُبَيِّنُ أنَّ اللهَ عادِلٌ وَبارٌّ، فَماذا نَقُولُ؟ ألَعَلَّ اللهَ يَكُونُ ظالِماً إذا غَضَبَ وَعاقَبَنا؟ أنا أتَكَلَّمُ مِنْ مَنظُورٍ بَشَرِيٍّ.

6 N o, not at all! If it were wrong for God to punish us, how could He judge the world?

بِالطَّبْعِ لا! لِأنَّهُ إنْ لَمْ يَكُنِ اللهُ عادِلاً، فَكَيفَ يُمكِنُهُ أنْ يَحكُمَ عَلَى العالَمِ؟

7 I f my lies honor God by showing how true He is, why am I still being judged as a sinner?

لَكِنَّكَ تَقُولُ: «لَقَدْ تَعَزَّزَ صِدقُ اللهِ بِسَبَبِ عَدَمِ صِدقِي، وَقَدْ تَمَجَّدَ بِسَبَبِ ذَلِكَ. فَلِماذا أظَلُّ مُداناً كَخاطِئٍ؟»

8 W hy not say, “Let us sin that good will come from it.” (Some people have said I talk like this!) They will be punished as they should be.

وَهَذا أشبَهُ بِقَولِكَ: «هَيّا بِنا نَفعَلُ الشَّرَّ، لِكَيْ يَأتيَ الخَيرُ!» وَهوَ الكَلامُ الَّذِي يَفتَرِي فيهِ عَلَيَّ بَعضُهُمْ حِينَ يَزعَمُونَ إنَّنِي أقُولُهُ. فَهُمْ يَنالُونَ الدَّينُونَةَ الَّتِي يَستَحِقُّونَها. الجَمِيعُ أخطَأُوا

9 W hat about it then? Are we Jews better than the people who are not Jews? Not at all! I have already said that Jews and the people who are not Jews are all sinners.

فَماذا يَعنِي هَذا؟ هَلْ نَحنُ اليَهُودَ أفضَلُ حالاً مِنْ غَيْرِ اليَهُودِ؟ مُطلَقاً! فَقَدْ سَبَقَ أنْ أكَّدْتُ أنَّ اليَهُودَ وَغَيرَ اليَهُودِ وَاقِعُونَ تَحتَ قُوَّةِ الخَطِيَّةِ.

10 T he Holy Writings say, “There is not one person who is right with God. No, not even one!

فَكَما يَقُولُ الكِتابُ: «لَيسَ هُناكَ وَلا حَتَّى إنسانٌ واحِدٌ بارٌّ!

11 T here is not one who understands. There is not one who tries to find God.”

لَيسَ هُناكَ مَنْ يَفهَمُ، وَلا مَنْ يَسعَى إلَى اللهِ.

12 E veryone has turned away from God. They have all done wrong. Not one of them does what is good. No, not even one!

ابتَعَدُوا جَمِيعاً عَنِ اللهِ. الجَمِيعُ أخطَأُوا وَصارُوا بِلا جَدوَى، وَلَيسَ مَنْ يَعمَلُ عَمَلاً صالِحاً، وَلا واحِدٌ!»

13 T heir mouth is like an open grave. They tell lies with their tongues. Whatever they say is like the poison of snakes.

«أفواهُهُمْ أشبَهُ بِقُبُورٍ مَفتُوحَةٍ. يَخدَعُونَ النّاسَ بِألسِنَتِهِمْ. «سُمُّ الأفاعِي عَلَى شِفاهِهِمْ.

14 T heir mouths speak bad things against God. They say bad things about other people.

«أفواهُهُمْ مَملوءَةٌ بِاللَّعَناتِ وَالمَرارَةِ.

15 T hey are quick to hurt and kill people.

يُسرِعُونَ إلَى القَتلِ.

16 W herever they go, they destroy and make people suffer.

«وَيَترُكُونَ وَراءَهُمُ الخَرابَ وَالتَّعاسَةَ.

17 T hey know nothing about peace.

أمّا طَرِيقُ السَّلامِ فَلا يَعرِفُونَهُ،

18 T hey do not honor God with love and fear.”

«وَلا يَضَعُونَ مَهابَةَ اللهِ أمامَ عُيُونِهِمْ.»

19 N ow we know that the Law speaks to those who live under the Law. No one can say that he does not know what sin is. Yes, every person in the world stands guilty before God.

وَنَحنُ نَعلَمُ أنَّ كُلَّ ما تَقُولُهُ الشَّرِيعَةُ، فَإنَّما هُوَ مُوَجَّهٌ إلَى مَنْ هُمْ تَحتَ الشَّرِيعَةِ، لِكَي لا يَعُودَ هُناكَ مَجالٌ لِأعذارِ البَشَرِ، وَلِكَي يُصبِحَ الكُلُّ مَسؤُولاً أمامَ اللهِ.

20 N o person will be made right with God by doing what the Law says. The Law shows us how sinful we are.

فَلَنْ يَتَبَرَّرَ أحَدٌ أمامَ اللهِ بَأعمالِ الشَّرِيعَةِ، بَلْ تُبَيِّنُ الشَّرِيعَةُ لِلإنسانِ إنَّهُ خاطِئٌ. كَيفَ يَتَبَرَّرُ الإنسان

21 B ut now God has made another way to make men right with Himself. It is not by the Law. The Law and the early preachers tell about it.

أمّا الآنَ، فَقَدْ أعلَنَ اللهُ كَيفَ يَتَبَرَّرُ الإنسانُ مِنْ دُونِ الشَّرِيعَةِ. وَتَشهَدُ الشَّرِيعَةُ وَكُتُبُ الأنبِياءِ بِذَلِكَ.

22 M en become right with God by putting their trust in Jesus Christ. God will accept men if they come this way. All men are the same to God.

فَاللهُ يُبَرِّرُ بِالإيمانِ بِيَسُوعَ المَسِيحِ. وَهَذا يَشمَلُ جَمِيعَ الَّذِينَ يُؤمِنُونَ. لا فَرقَ بَينَهُمْ.

23 F or all men have sinned and have missed the shining-greatness of God.

حَيْثُ إنَّ الجَمِيعَ أخطَأُوا، وَهُمْ عاجِزونَ عَنْ بُلُوغِ مِقياسِ مَجدِ اللهِ.

24 A nyone can be made right with God by the free gift of His loving-favor. It is Jesus Christ Who bought them with His blood and made them free from their sins.

لَكِنَّهُمْ يَتَبَرَّرُونَ مَجّاناً بِنِعمَةِ اللهِ، بِالمَسِيحِ يَسُوعَ الَّذِي اشتَراهُمْ وَحَرَّرَهُمْ.

25 G od gave Jesus Christ to the world. Men’s sins can be forgiven through the blood of Christ when they put their trust in Him. God gave His Son Jesus Christ to show how right He is. Before this, God did not look on the sins that were done.

فَاللهُ قَدَّمَ يَسُوعَ كَفّارَةً بِدَمِهِ لِخَطايا كُلِّ مَنْ يُؤمِنُ. وَهَذا يُؤَكِّدُ أنَّ اللهَ بارٌّ، حَيثُ تَرَكَ الخَطايا الَّتِي ارتُكِبَتْ فِي الماضِي دُونَ عِقابٍ،

26 B ut now God proves that He is right in saving men from sin. He shows that He is the One Who has no sin. God makes anyone right with Himself who puts his trust in Jesus.

بِسَبَبِ إمهالِهِ. وَهوَ بارٌّ فِي الحاضِرِ أيضاً. وَهَكَذا هُوَ بارٌّ، وَهُوَ يُبَرِّرُ أيضاً الَّذِينَ يُؤمِنُونَ بِيَسُوعَ.

27 W hat then do we have to be proud of? Nothing at all! Why? Is it because men obey the Law? No! It is because men put their trust in Christ.

فَهَلْ هُناكَ مَجالٌ لِلتَّباهِي؟ لا مَجالَ لِذَلِكَ، لِأنَّنا نَعتَمِدُ عَلَى أساسِ الإيمانِ لا عَلَى أعمالِنا.

28 T his is what we have come to know. A man is made right with God by putting his trust in Christ. It is not by his doing what the Law says.

رَأينا إذاً أنَّ الإنسانَ يَتَبَرَّرُ بِالإيمانِ، لا بِأعمالِ الشَّريعَةِ.

29 I s God the God of the Jews only? Is He not the God of the people who are not Jews also? He is for sure.

أمْ لَعَلَّ اللهَ لِليَهُودِ فَقَط؟ أفَلَيسَ اللهُ لِغَيرِ اليَهُودِ أيضاً؟ بَلَى، هُوَ لِغَيرِ اليَهُودِ أيضاً.

30 H e is one God. He will make Jews and the people who are not Jews right with Himself if they put their trust in Christ.

فَاللهُ واحِدٌ، وَهُوَ يُبَرِّرُ اليَهُودَ وَغَيرَ اليَهُودِ بِالإيمانِ.

31 D oes this mean that we do away with the Law when we put our trust in Christ? No, not at all. It means we know the Law is important.

فَهَلْ نُلغِي الشَّرِيعَةَ بِقَولِنا: «التَّبريرُ بِالإيمانِ؟» بِالطَّبعِ لا! بَلْ إنَّنا نُحافِظُ عَلَى الشَّرِيعَةِ.