Romans 4

1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our earthly forefather, has gained?

What then, it may be asked, are we to say about Abraham, the ancestor of our nation?

2 For if he was held to be righteous on the ground of his actions, he has something to boast of; but not in the presence of 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 says the Scripture? "And Abraham believed God, and this was placed to his credit as righteousness."

For what are the words of Scripture? ‘Abraham had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.’

4 But in the case of a man who works, pay is not reckoned a favour but a debt;

Now wages are regarded as due to the man who works, not as a favour, but as a debt;

5 whereas in the case of a man who pleads no actions of his own, but simply believes in Him who declares the ungodly free from guilt, his faith is placed to his credit as righteousness.

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 In this way David also tells of the blessedness of the man to whose credit God places righteousness, apart from his actions.

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," he says, "are those whose iniquities have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered over.

‘Blessed are those whose wrong-doings have been forgiven and over whose sins a veil has been drawn!

8 Blessed is the man of whose sin the Lord will not take account."

Blessed the man whom the Lord will never regard as sinful!’

9 This declaration of blessedness, then, does it come simply to the circumcised, or to the uncircumcised as well? For Abraham's faith--so we affirm--was placed to his credit as righteousness.

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 What then were the circumstances under which this took place? Was it after he had been circumcised, or before?

Under what circumstances, then, did this take place? After his circumcision or before it?

11 Before, not after. And he received circumcision as a sign, a mark attesting the reality of the faith-righteousness which was his while still uncircumcised, that he might be the forefather of all those who believe even though they are uncircumcised--in order that this righteousness might be placed to their credit;

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 the forefather of the circumcised, namely of those who not merely are circumcised, but also walk in the steps of the faith which our forefather Abraham had while he was as yet uncircumcised.

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 Again, the promise that he should inherit the world did not come to Abraham or his posterity conditioned by Law, but by faith-righteousness.

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 if it is the righteous through Law who are heirs, then faith is useless and the promise counts for nothing.

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 For the Law inflicts punishment; but where no Law exists, there can be no violation of Law.

Law entails punishment; but, where no Law exists, no breach of it is possible.

16 All depends on faith, and for this reason--that acceptance with God might be an act of pure grace,

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 so that the promise should be made sure to all Abraham's true descendants; not merely to those who are righteous through the Law, but to those who are righteous through a faith like that of Abraham. Thus in the sight of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and makes reference to things that do not exist, as though they did, Abraham is the forefather of all of us. As it is written, "I have appointed you to be the forefather of many nations."

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 Under utterly hopeless circumstances he hopefully believed, so that he might become the forefather of many nations, in agreement with the words "Equally numerous shall your posterity be."

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 And, without growing weak in faith, he could contemplate his own vital powers which had now decayed--for he was nearly 100 years old--and Sarah's barrenness.

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 Nor did he in unbelief stagger at God's promise, but became mighty in faith, giving glory to God,

He was not led by want of faith to doubt God’s promise.

21 and being absolutely certain that whatever promise He is bound by He is able also 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 For this reason also his faith was placed to his credit as righteousness.

And therefore his faith ‘was regarded as righteousness.’

23 Nor was the fact of its being placed to his credit put on record for his sake only;

Now these words — ‘it was regarded as righteousness’ — were not written with reference to Abraham only;

24 it was for our sakes too. Faith, before long, will be placed to the credit of us also who are believers in Him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead,

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 who was surrendered to death because of the offences we had committed, and was raised to life because of the acquittal secured for us.

for Jesus ‘was given up to death to atone for our offences,’ and was raised to life that we might be pronounced righteous.