Romans 4

1 What then shall we say—as touching Abraham our forefather?

What then shall we say that Abraham our father has discovered according to the flesh?

2 For, if Abraham by works was declared righteous, he hath whereof to boast; —nevertheless, not towards God, —

If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

3 For what doth the Scripture say? And Abraham believed in God, and it was reckoned unto him as righteousness.

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

4 Now, unto him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned by way of favour but by way of obligation,

Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift, but as something owed to him.

5 Whereas, unto him that worketh not but believeth on him that declareth righteous the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.

However, to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

6 Just as David also affirmeth the happiness of the man unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works: —

just as David also speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

7 Happy, they whose lawlessnesses have been forgiven and whose sins have been covered,

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

8 Happy, the man whose sin the Lord will in nowise reckon.

Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will never count sin.”

9 This happiness, then, [is it] for the circumcision, or for the uncircumcision? for we say—His faith was reckoned unto Abraham as righteousness:

Is this blessedness then only for the circumcised, or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say, “Faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.”

10 How, then, was it reckoned? When he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision;

How then was it counted? When he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not when he was circumcised, but when he was uncircumcised.

11 And, a sign, he received [namely] of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while yet uncircumcised; to the end he might be father of all that believe during uncircumcision, to the end [the same] righteousness might be reckoned unto them, —

He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe when they are uncircumcised, so that righteousness might be counted to them as well,

12 And father of circumcision—unto them who are not of circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of the faith, while yet uncircumcised, of our father Abraham.

and so that he might be the father of those who are not only circumcised in the flesh, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had when he was uncircumcised.

13 For, not through means of law, doth the promise belong unto Abraham or unto his seed, —that he should be heir of the world; but, through a righteousness by faith.

For the promise to Abraham, or to his offspring, that he would be the heir of the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

14 For, if they who are of law are heirs, made void is faith and of no effect is the promise.

For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith has been made void and the promise has been invalidated,

15 For, the law, worketh out anger, but, where there is no law, neither is there transgression.

because the law brings wrath; for where there is no law, there is no transgression.

16 For this cause, it is by faith, in order that it may be by way of favour, so that the promise is firm unto all the seed, —not unto that by the law only, but unto that also [which is such] by the faith of Abraham; who is father of us all, —

For this reason the promise comes by faith, so that it may be according to grace and be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring, not only to the one who is of the law, but also to the one who is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

17 Even as it is written—Father of many nations, have I appointed thee: before him whom he believed—God, who causeth the dead to live, and calleth the things that are not as things that are: —

(just as it is written, “I have made yoʋ the father of many nations”). He is our father in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist.

18 Who, past hope, upon hope believed, so that he became father of many nations, —according to what had been said—So shall be thy seed; —

Against all hope Abraham believed in hope that he would become the father of many nations according to what had been spoken: “So shall yoʋr offspring be.”

19 And, without becoming weak in his faith, he attentively considered his own body, already deadened—he being a hundred years old, the deadening also of Sarah’s womb;

Because he was not weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, now as good as dead (since he was somewhere around a hundred years old), or the deadness of Sarah's womb.

20 In respect, however, of the promise of God, he was not led to hesitate by unbelief, but received power by his faith, giving glory unto God,

And he did not waver in unbelief at the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God

21 And being fully persuaded (that), —what he hath promised, able is he also to perform:

and being fully assured that God was able to do what he had promised.

22 Wherefore [also], it was reckoned unto him as righteousness.

Therefore, “it was counted to him as righteousness.”

23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was reckoned unto him,

Now the statement “it was counted to him” was not written only for Abraham's sake,

24 But for our sakes also—unto whom it is to be reckoned, —even unto them that believe upon him who raised Jesus our Lord from among the dead:

but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

25 Who was delivered up on account of our offences and was raised on account of the declaring us righteous.

who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.