罗马书 4
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
亞伯拉罕因信稱義
4 那麼，論到在血統（“血統”原文作“肉身”）上作我們祖先的亞伯拉罕所經驗的，我們可以說甚麼呢？ 2 亞伯拉罕若是因行為稱義，就有可誇的，只是不能在 神面前誇口。 3 經上怎麼樣說呢？“亞伯拉罕信 神，這就算為他的義。” 4 作工的得工資，不算是恩典，是他應得的。 5 可是，那不作工而只信那稱不敬虔的人為義的 神的，他的信就算為義了。 6 大衛也是這樣說，那不靠行為而蒙 神算為義的人是有福的！ 7 “過犯得蒙赦免，罪惡得到遮蓋的人，是有福的； 8 主不算為有罪的，這人是有福的。” 9 這樣看來，那有福的人，是指受割禮的呢，還是也指沒有受割禮的呢？因為我們說：“亞伯拉罕的信算為他的義。” 10 那麼，是怎樣算的呢？是在他受割禮以後呢，還是在他受割禮之前呢？不是在他受割禮以後，而是在他受了割禮以前。 11 他領受了割禮為記號，作他受割禮之前因信稱義的印證，使他作所有沒有受割禮而信之人的父，使他們也被算為義； 12 又作受割禮之人的父，就是作那些不僅受割禮，並且照著我們祖宗亞伯拉罕未受割禮時就信的那腳蹤而行之人的父。
神應許的他必能成就
13 原來 神給亞伯拉罕和他後裔承受世界的應許，並不是因著律法，而是藉著因信而來的義。 14 如果屬於律法的人才能成為後嗣，信就沒有作用，應許也就落空了。 15 因為律法帶來刑罰，沒有律法，就沒有違背律法的事。
16 所以，成為後嗣是因著信，為的是要按著 神的恩典，使給所有後裔的應許堅定不移，不但臨到那屬於律法的人，也臨到那效法亞伯拉罕而信的人。亞伯拉罕在 神面前作我們眾人的父， 17 如經上所記：“我已經立了你作萬國的父。”他所信的，是叫死人得生命、使無變為有的 神。 18 在他沒有盼望的時候，仍然懷著盼望去信，因此就成了萬國的父，正如 神所說：“你的後裔將要這樣眾多。” 19 他快到一百歲的時候，想到自己的身體好像已經死了，撒拉也不能生育，他的信心還是不軟弱， 20 也沒有因著不信而疑惑 神的應許，反倒堅信不移，把榮耀歸給 神， 21 滿心相信 神所應許的， 神必能成就。 22 因此，這就算為他的義。 23 “算為他的義”這一句話，不是單為他寫的， 24 也是為我們這將來得算為義的人寫的，就是為我們這信 神使我們的主耶穌從死人中復活的人寫的。 25 耶穌為我們的過犯被交去處死，為我們的稱義而復活。
Romans 4
King James Version
4 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; 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 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Romans 4
EasyEnglish Bible
Abraham believed God
4 Abraham was the ancestor of all of us who are Jews. Think about what he discovered. 2 God did not accept Abraham as right with him because Abraham had done good things. If God had done that, then Abraham would have been able to boast about himself. But he could not boast to God. 3 Remember what the Bible tells us. It says: ‘Abraham believed God. As a result, God accepted Abraham as right with him.’[a]
4 When a person works to get money, it is right for him to receive his money. That money is not a gift. It is what that person ought to receive as a result of his work. 5 But someone may believe in God. He does not work to cause God to accept him. God accepts that person because of their faith. God says that people who have turned away from him are right with him, if they trust him. That is God's gift to them. 6 David also wrote about the same thing. He describes those people that God has accepted as right with himself. God has not accepted them because they have done good things, but as his gift to them. David tells us how happy people like that are. 7 David says:
‘The people that God has forgiven are really happy.
They have done wrong things, but he has forgiven them.
8 A person is really happy when the Lord accepts him.
The Lord does not think about that person's sin any more.’[b]
9 God does this for all people, both Jews and Gentiles. All people can be really happy like this, when God accepts them. As we have said, Abraham believed God. As a result, God accepted Abraham as right with him. 10 They circumcised Abraham to show that he was a Jew. Think about the time when God accepted Abraham. Did it happen before they circumcised him, or after that? We know that it was before they circumcised him! 11 Some time after that, God told Abraham that someone should circumcise him. That would be a mark on his body to show that God had accepted him. God had already accepted Abraham because Abraham believed in him. God did not accept Abraham because they had circumcised him as a Jewish man. This shows that Abraham is like a father to everyone that God has accepted. Like Abraham, God has accepted them because they have believed in him. It is not important that nobody has circumcised them. 12 But Abraham is also like the father of all Jews who believe in God. Someone has circumcised those Jews, but they have copied Abraham's example. They have believed in God, as Abraham believed before anyone had circumcised him.[c]
13 God promised to Abraham, and to his descendants, that the world would belong to them one day.[d] God did not promise that because Abraham obeyed any rules. God promised it because Abraham believed in him. That is why God accepted Abraham as right with him. 14 People cannot get what God promised because they obey rules. If they could get it like that, then faith in God would be worth nothing. And what God promised would be worth nothing. 15 The rules in Moses' Law say that God will punish people who do not obey those rules. But without any rules, there is nothing for people to obey.
16 So God gives us his promise as a gift, because he is very kind. We receive it when we trust him. If we believe in God like Abraham did, then God accepts us. That is God's promise to all of Abraham's family. If we believe in God, we can call Abraham our ancestor. We can all receive what God has promised. It is not only for those who have Moses' Law to obey. 17 In the Bible, God said to Abraham, ‘I have chosen you to become the ancestor of many different people.’[e] That is what God himself promises, because Abraham believed in him. God is the one who causes dead people to become alive again. He speaks about things that are not yet there as if they were already there.
18 Abraham continued to trust God. He hoped to receive what God had promised. He continued to hope even when he had no good reason to hope. That is why he became the ancestor of many different people. It happened just like God had said: ‘You will have very many descendants.’[f]
19 Abraham was about 100 years old. His body was already so old that it was nearly dead. His wife, Sarah, was unable to have children. Abraham understood all that, but he did not stop trusting God. 20 He never stopped believing what God had promised. Instead, he believed in God more strongly. He trusted God's great power. 21 Abraham was sure that God was able to do what he had promised to do. 22 So we see that it is true: Because Abraham believed God, God accepted Abraham as right with him.[g]
23 Think about those words, ‘God accepted him as right.’ They are not only speaking about Abraham. 24 They are written in the Bible to help us too. If we believe in God, he will accept us as right with him. God raised our Lord Jesus, so that he became alive again after his death. 25 God let people kill Jesus on the cross because of the wrong things that we have done. Then God raised Jesus from death, to show that he would accept us as right with him.
Footnotes
- 4:3 See Genesis 15:6. Genesis 12—22 tell us about how Abraham believed God.
- 4:8 See Psalms 32:1-2.
- 4:12 See Genesis 17:1-27.
- 4:13 Genesis 22:17-18 shows us what God promised to Abraham.
- 4:17 See Genesis 17:5.
- 4:18 See Genesis 17:7.
- 4:22 See Genesis 18:14;.
Romans 4
New King James Version
Abraham Justified by Faith(A)
4 What then shall we say that (B)Abraham our (C)father[a] has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was (D)justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? (E)“Abraham believed God, and it was [b]accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now (F)to him who works, the wages are not counted [c]as grace but as debt.
David Celebrates the Same Truth
5 But to him who (G)does not work but believes on Him who justifies (H)the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also (I)describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed(J) are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”
Abraham Justified Before Circumcision
9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. 11 And (K)he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that (L)he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father (M)Abraham had while still uncircumcised.
The Promise Granted Through Faith
13 For the promise that he would be the (N)heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For (O)if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because (P)the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be (Q)according to grace, (R)so that the promise might be [d]sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, (S)who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, (T)“I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, (U)who gives life to the dead and calls those (V)things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, (W)“So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, (X)he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), (Y)and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised (Z)He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore (AA)“it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
23 Now (AB)it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe (AC)in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 (AD)who was delivered up because of our offenses, and (AE)was raised because of our justification.
Footnotes
- Romans 4:1 Or (fore)father according to the flesh has found?
- Romans 4:3 imputed, credited, reckoned, counted
- Romans 4:4 according to
- Romans 4:16 certain
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
