Romans 4

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

What then shall we say of Abraham, our ancestor in 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 has something to be proud of, but not before God.

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

For what does Scripture say? And Abraham believed God, and it was set down to his account as righteousness.

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

Now if a man earn his pay by his work, it is not counted to him as a favor, but it is paid him 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 a man who does not "work," but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, has his faith imputed to him for righteousness.

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

Just as David also speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from actions.

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

Blessed he says are they whose iniquities have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered.

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

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not 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?

Is this blessing, then, for the circumcised alone? or for the uncircumcised also? Abraham’s faith, I say, was imputed to him 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 he was circumcised? or uncircumcised? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision;

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 circumcision as a sign, a seal of the faith- righteousness which he had while he was in uncircumcision; in order that he might be the father of all who believe, even though they are uncircumcised; so that righteousness might be imputed to them.

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.

He is the father of circumcision to those who are not merely circumcised, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he held while he was as yet 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 the promise that he should be heir of the world did not come to Abraham or to his posterity through law, but through faith- righteousness.

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

For if those who are righteous through law are heirs, faith is empty and the promise becomes void.

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

For law works wrath; but 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,

This is why righteousness is of faith, that it may be a free gift; so that the promise stands firm to all Abraham’s posterity; not to his children of his faith. For in the sight of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead, and calls into being that which is not, Abraham is the father of us all both Jews and Gentiles,

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, I have made you a father of many nations.

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

For Abraham, hoping against hope, had faith to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, So numberless shall your descendants 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,

Though he was about a hundred years old, his faith did not fail him when he regarded his own body, now as good as dead. and remembered Sarah’s barrenness.

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

Nor did he with regard to the promise of God waver in unbelief, but he waxed strong in faith, while he gave God glory,

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

and was fully persuaded that what God had promised, he was able also to perform.

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

And so his faith was reckoned to him for righteousness.

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

Now these words were not written simply for his sake, but for us as well.

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,

For it will be "reckoned for righteousness." to us also, who believe on him that raised from the dead our Lord Jesus;

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

who was betrayed to death for our transgressions, and raised again to life for our justification.