Romans 4

1 What, then, will we say Abraham our father to have found, according to flesh?

WHAT then shall we say that Abraham our father hath obtained by the flesh?

2 For if Abraham was declared righteous by works, he has to boast—but not before God;

For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath cause for glorying; though not before God.

3 for what does the writing say? “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness”;

For what doth the scripture say? Abraham truly believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness.

4 and to him who is working, the reward is not reckoned of grace, but of debt;

Now to him that worketh, the reward is not brought to account as a favour, but as a debt.

5 and to him who is not working, and is believing on Him who is declaring righteous the impious, his faith is reckoned for righteousness—

But to him who doth not work, but believeth in him who justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned in account for righteousness.

6 even as David also speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:

As David also describeth the blessedness of that man, to whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

7 “Blessed [are] they whose lawless acts were forgiven, And whose sins were covered;

“Blessed are they whose unrighteousnesses are forgiven, and whose sins are covered up.

8 Blessed [is] the man To whom the LORD may not reckon sin.”

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will in nowise impute sin.”

9 [Is] this blessedness, then, on the circumcision, or also on the uncircumcision—for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness?

This blessedness then, is it for the circumcision, or for the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was imputed to Abraham for righteousness.

10 How then was it reckoned? He being in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision;

How then was it imputed to him? when circumcised, or while uncircumcised? Not when circumcised, but whilst uncircumcised.

11 and he received a sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith in the uncircumcision, for his being father of all those believing through uncircumcision, for the righteousness also being reckoned to them,

And he received the sign of circumcision, as a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had when uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all those who believe, though uncircumcised; that to them also the righteousness might be imputed:

12 and father of circumcision to those not of circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of faith, that [is] in the uncircumcision of our father Abraham.

and the father of circumcision, not to those who are of the circumcision merely, but who also tread in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham, which he exercised while uncircumcised.

13 For not through law [is] the promise to Abraham, or to his seed, of his being heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith;

For not by the law came the promise to Abraham and his seed, that he should be heir of the world, but by the righteousness of faith.

14 for if they who are of law [are] heirs, faith has been made void, and the promise has been made useless;

For if they who are of the law are heirs, faith becomes vain, and the promise is useless:

15 for the Law works wrath; for where law is not, neither [is] transgression.

for the law causeth wrath: for where there is no law, neither is there transgression.

16 Because of this [it is] of faith, that [it may be] according to grace, for the promise being sure to all the seed, not to that which [is] of the Law only, but also to that which [is] of the faith of Abraham,

Therefore it is by faith, that it might be of grace; in order that the promise might be secured to all the seed; not only to that which is of the law, but to that which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

17 who is father of us all (according as it has been written: “A father of many nations I have set you,”) before Him whom he believed—God, who is quickening the dead, and is calling the things that are not as being.

(as it is written “that I have constituted thee father of many nations,”) before God, in whom he trusted, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth things that are not as if existing.

18 Who, against hope, believed in hope, for his becoming father of many nations according to that spoken: “So will your seed be”;

Who contrary to hope, in hope believed, that he should be the father of many nations, according to what was said, “So shall thy seed be.”

19 and having not been weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already become dead (being about one hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb,

And not being weak in faith, he regarded not his own body now deadened, being about an hundred years old, nor the deadness of Sarah’s womb:

20 and at the promise of God did not stagger in unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, having given glory to God,

for he disputed not against the promise of God with unbelief; but was mighty in faith, giving glory to God;

21 and having been fully persuaded that what He has promised He is also able to do:

and enjoyed the fullest assurance, that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

22 for this reason also it was reckoned to him for righteousness.

And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

23 And it was not written on his account alone that it was reckoned to him,

Now it was not written for his sake only, that it was imputed to him;

24 but also on ours, to whom it is about to be reckoned—to us believing on Him who raised up Jesus our Lord out of the dead,

but also for our sakes, to whom it will be imputed, if we believe in him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised up because of our being declared righteous.

who was delivered up for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.