Romans 4
1 What shall we saye then that Abraham oure father as pertayninge to ye flesshe dyd finde?
What then, it may be asked, are we to say about Abraham, the ancestor of our nation?
2 If Abraham were iustified by dedes the hath he wherin to reioyce: but not with god.
If he was pronounced righteous as the result of obedience, then he has something to boast of. Yes, but not before God.
3 For what sayth the scripture? Abraham beleved god and it was counted vnto him for rightewesnes.
For what are the words of Scripture? ‘Abraham had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.’
4 To him that worketh is the rewarde not reckened of favour: but of duty.
Now wages are regarded as due to the man who works, not as a favour, but as a debt;
5 To him that worketh not but beleveth on him that iustifieth the vngodly is his fayth counted for rightewesnes.
while, as for the man who does not rely upon his obedience, but has faith in him who can pronounce the godless righteous, his faith is regarded by God as righteousness.
6 Even as David describeth the blessedfulnes of the man vnto whom god ascribeth rihgtewesnes without dedes.
In precisely the same way David speaks of the blessing pronounced upon the man who is regarded by God as righteous apart from actions —
7 Blessed are they whose vnrightewesnes are forgeven and whose synnes are covered.
‘Blessed are those whose wrong-doings have been forgiven and over whose sins a veil has been drawn!
8 Blessed is that ma to whom the Lorde imputeth not synne.
Blessed the man whom the Lord will never regard as sinful!’
9 Came this blessednes then vpon the circumcised or vpon the vncircucised? We saye verely how that fayth was rekened to Abraham for rightewesnes.
Is this blessing, then, pronounced upon the circumcised only or upon the uncircumcised as well? We say that — ‘Abraham’s faith was regarded by God as righteousness.’
10 How was it rekened? in the tyme of circumcision? or in the tyme before he was circumcised? Not in tyme of circucision: but when he was yet vncircumcised.
Under what circumstances, then, did this take place? After his circumcision or before it?
11 And he receaved the signe of circumcision as a seale of yt rightewesnes which is by fayth which fayth he had yet beynge vncircucised: that he shuld be the father of all them that beleve though they be not circumcised that rightewesnes myght be imputed to them also:
Not after, but before. And it was as a sign of this that he received the rite of circumcision — to attest the righteousness due to the faith of an uncircumcised man — in order that he might be the father of all who have faith in God even when uncircumcised, that they also may be regarded by God as righteous;
12 and that he myght be the father of the circumcised not because they are circumcised only: but because they walke also in the steppes of that fayth yt was in oure father Abraham before the tyme of circumcision.
as well as father of the circumcised — to those who are not only circumcised, but who also follow our father Abraham in that faith which he had while still uncircumcised.
13 For the promes that he shuld be the heyre of the worlde was not geven to Abraha or to his seed thorow the lawe: but thorow ye rightewesnes which cometh of fayth.
For the promise that he should inherit the world did not come to Abraham or his descendants through Law, but through the righteousness due to faith.
14 For yf they which are of the lawe be heyres then is fayth but vayne and the promes of none effecte.
If those who take their stand on Law are to inherit the world, then faith is robbed of its meaning and the promise comes to nothing!
15 Because the lawe causeth wrathe. For where no lawe is there is no trasgression.
Law entails punishment; but, where no Law exists, no breach of it is possible.
16 Therfore by fayth is the inheritauce geven that it myght come of faveour: and the promes myght be sure to all the seed. Not to them only which are of the lawe: but also to them which are of the fayth of Abraham which is the father of vs all.
That is why all is made to depend upon faith, that all may be God’s gift, and in order that the fulfilment of the promise may be made certain for all Abraham’s descendants — not only for those who take their stand on the Law, but also for those who take their stand on the faith of Abraham. (He is the Father of us all;
17 As it is wrytten: I have made the a father to many nacions even before god whom thou hast beleved which quyckeneth the deed and called those thinges which be not as though they were.
as Scripture says — ‘I have made thee the Father of many nations.’) And this they do in the sight of that God in whom Abraham had faith, and who gives life to the dead, and speaks of what does not yet exist as if it did.
18 Which Abraham contrary to hope beleved in hope that he shuld be the father of many nacions accordynge to that which was spoken:
With no ground for hope, Abraham, sustained by hope, put faith in God; in order that, in fulfilment of the words — ‘So many shall thy descendants be,’ he might become ‘the Father of many nations.’
19 So shall thy seed be. And he faynted not in the fayth nor yet consydered hys awne body which was now deed even when he was almost an hondred yeare olde: nether yet that Sara was past chyldeberinge.
Though he was nearly a hundred years old, yet his faith did not fail him, even when he thought of his own body, then utterly worn out, and remembered that Sarah was past bearing children.
20 He stackered not at the promes of God thorow vnbelefe: but was made stronge in the fayth and gave honour to God
He was not led by want of faith to doubt God’s promise.
21 full certifyed that what he had promised that he was able to make good.
On the contrary, his faith gave him strength; and he praised God, in the firm conviction that what God has promised he is also able to carry out.
22 And therfore was it reckened to him for rightewesnes.
And therefore his faith ‘was regarded as righteousness.’
23 It is not written for him only that it was reckened to him for rightewesnes:
Now these words — ‘it was regarded as righteousness’ — were not written with reference to Abraham only;
24 but also for vs to whom it shalbe counted for rightewesnes so we beleve on him that raysed vp Iesus oure Lorde from deeth.
but also with reference to us. Our faith, too, will be regarded by God in the same light, if we have faith in him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead;
25 Which was delivered for oure synnes and rose agayne forto iustifie vs.
for Jesus ‘was given up to death to atone for our offences,’ and was raised to life that we might be pronounced righteous.
