Romans 4

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

What, then, shall we say that Abraham our father has found, as it respects the flesh?

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

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has cause for boasting, but not before God.

3 for what doth the writing say? 'And Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him — to righteousness;'

For what says the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted 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 works, the reward is not counted as a favor, but as a debt:

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

but to him that works not, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

6 even as David also doth speak of the happiness of the man to whom God doth reckon righteousness apart from works:

Even as David also speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God counts righteousness without works, saying:

7 'Happy they whose lawless acts were forgiven, and whose sins were covered;

Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

8 happy the man to whom the Lord may not reckon sin.'

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not charge sin.

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

Comes this blessedness then on those who are circumcised only, or on those who are uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham for righteousness.

10 how then was it reckoned? he being in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision;

Under what circumstances, then, was it counted? After he was circumcised? Or, while he was uncircumcised? Not after he was circumcised, but while he was uncircumcised.

11 and a sign he did receive of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the 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 that he had while he was uncircumcised, in order that he might be the father of all that believe, even in a state of uncircumcision, so that righteousness might be counted to them also;

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

and the father of circumcision to those who are not only circumcised, but who, also, walk in the steps of that faith which our father Abraham had while he was 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 the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, nor to his posterity, through law, but through the righteousness of faith.

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

For if they that are of the law be heirs, the faith is made powerless, and the promise is unmeaning;

15 for the law doth work wrath; for where law is not, neither [is] transgression.

for the law inflicts punishment; for where no law is, there is no 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, the inheritance is by faith, that it may be according to grace, in order that the promise may be sure to all his posterity, not to those only who are of the law, but to those, also, who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

17 who is father of us all (according as it hath been written — 'A father of many nations I have set thee,') before Him whom he did believe — God, who is quickening the dead, and is calling the things that be not as being.

(as it is written: I have made you a father of many nations, ) in the sight of him in whom he believed, even God, who makes the dead alive, and calls those things which are not, as though they were.

18 Who, against hope in hope did believe, for his becoming father of many nations according to that spoken: 'So shall thy seed be;'

He, against hope, confidently believed that he would become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken: So shall your posterity be.

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

And not being weak in faith, he considered not his own body, which was already dead, (for he was about a 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,

and he doubted not, through unbelief, with respect to the promise of God, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God,

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

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

22 wherefore also it was reckoned to him to righteousness.

For this reason, it was counted to him for righteousness.

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

But that it was counted to him, was not written for his sake alone,

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

but for our sakes also, to whom it shall be counted, if we believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

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

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