To the Romans 4:1-25
4 That being so, what will we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?
2 For instance, if Abraham was declared righteous as a result of works, he would have reason to boast, but not with God.
3 For what does the scripture say? “Abraham put faith in Jehovah,* and it was counted to him as righteousness.”+
4 Now to the man who works, his pay is not counted as an undeserved kindness but as something owed to him.*
5 On the other hand, to the man who does not work but puts faith in the One who declares the ungodly one righteous, his faith is counted as righteousness.+
6 Just as David also speaks of the happiness of the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
7 “Happy are those whose lawless deeds have been pardoned and whose sins have been covered;*
8 happy is the man whose sin Jehovah* will by no means take into account.”+
9 Does this happiness, then, only come to circumcised people or also to uncircumcised people?+ For we say: “Abraham’s faith was counted to him as righteousness.”+
10 Under what circumstances, then, was it counted as righteousness? When he was circumcised or uncircumcised? He was not yet circumcised but was uncircumcised.
11 And he received a sign+—namely, circumcision—as a seal* of the righteousness by the faith he had while in his uncircumcised state, so that he might be the father of all those having faith+ while uncircumcised, in order for righteousness to be counted to them;
12 and so that he might be a father to circumcised offspring, not only to those who adhere to circumcision but also to those who walk orderly in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham+ had while in the uncircumcised state.
13 For it was not through law that Abraham or his offspring* had the promise that he should be heir of a world,+ but it was through righteousness by faith.+
14 For if those who adhere to law are heirs, faith becomes useless and the promise has been abolished.
15 In reality the Law produces wrath,+ but where there is no law, neither is there any transgression.+
16 That is why it is through faith, so that it might be according to undeserved kindness,+ in order for the promise to be sure to all his offspring,*+ not only to those who adhere to the Law but also to those who adhere to the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.+
17 (This is just as it is written: “I have appointed you a father of many nations.”)+ This was in the sight of God, in whom he had faith, who makes the dead alive and calls the things that are not as though they are.*
18 Although beyond hope, yet based on hope, he had faith that he would become the father of many nations according to what had been said: “So your offspring* will be.”+
19 And although he did not grow weak in faith, he considered his own body, now as good as dead (since he was about 100 years old),+ as well as the deadness* of the womb of Sarah.+
20 But because of the promise of God, he did not waver in a lack of faith; but he became powerful by his faith, giving God glory
21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to do.+
22 Therefore, “it was counted to him as righteousness.”+
23 However, the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake only,+
24 but also for our sake, to whom it will be counted, because we believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord up from the dead.+
25 He was handed over for the sake of our trespasses+ and was raised up for the sake of declaring us righteous.+
Footnotes
^ Or “as a debt.”
^ Or “forgiven.”
^ Or “guarantee; confirmation.”
^ Lit., “seed.”
^ Lit., “seed.”
^ Or possibly, “calls into existence what does not exist.”
^ Lit., “seed.”
^ Or “barrenness.”
