Romans 4

1  [BUT] IF so, what shall we say about Abraham, our forefather humanly speaking--[what did he] find out? [How does this affect his position, and what was gained by him?]2  For if Abraham was justified (established as just by acquittal from guilt) by good works [that he did, then] he has grounds for boasting. But not before God!3  For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed in (trusted in) God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness (right living and right standing with God). 4  Now to a laborer, his wages are not counted as a favor or a gift, but as an obligation (something owed to him).5  But to one who, not working [by the Law], trusts (believes fully) in Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (the standing acceptable to God).6  Thus David congratulates the man and pronounces a blessing on him to whom God credits righteousness apart from the works he does:7  Blessed and happy and to be envied are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered up and completely buried.8  Blessed and happy and to be envied is the person of whose sin the Lord will take no account nor reckon it against him. 9  Is this blessing (happiness) then meant only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.10  How then was it credited [to him]? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.11  He received the mark of circumcision as a token or an evidence [and] seal of the righteousness which he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised--[faith] so that he was to be made the father of all who [truly] believe, though without circumcision, and who thus have righteousness (right standing with God) imputed to them and credited to their account,12  As well as [that he be made] the father of those circumcised persons who are not merely circumcised, but also walk in the way of that faith which our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.13  For the promise to Abraham or his posterity, that he should inherit the world, did not come through [observing the commands of] the Law but through the righteousness of faith. 14  If it is the adherents of the Law who are to be the heirs, then faith is made futile and empty of all meaning and the promise [of God] is made void (is annulled and has no power).15  For the Law results in [divine] wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression [of it either].16  Therefore, [inheriting] the promise is the outcome of faith and depends [entirely] on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace (unmerited favor), to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his descendants--not only to the devotees and adherents of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is [thus] the father of us all.17  As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed. 18  [For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be. 19  He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s [deadened] womb. 20  No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God,21  Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.22  That is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God).23  But [the words], It was credited to him, were written not for his sake alone,24  But [they were written] for our sakes too. [Righteousness, standing acceptable to God] will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,25  Who was betrayed and put to death because of our misdeeds and was raised to secure our justification (our acquittal), [making our account balance and absolving us from all guilt before God].

Romans 4

The Illustration of Justification

1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh,t has discovered regarding this matter?t2 For if Abraham was declared righteoust by the works of the law, he has something to boast about – but not before God.3 For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was creditedtto him as righteousness.”s4 Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation.t

5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous,t his faith is credited as righteousness.

6 So even David himself speaks regarding the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessedtare those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;

8 blessed is the onetagainst whom the Lord will never counttsin.”s
9 Is this blessednesst then fort the circumcisions or also fort the uncircumcision? For we say, “faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.”s10 How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised!11 And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised,t so that he would becomet the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised,t that they too could have righteousness credited to them.

12 And he is also the father of the circumcised,t who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised.t
13 For the promises to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.14 For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the promise is nullified.t15 For the law brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no transgressiont either.16 For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace,t with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants – not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham,t who is the father of us all17 (as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”).ts He is our fathert in the presence of God whom he believed – the God whot makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do.t18 Against hope Abrahamt believedt in hope with the result that he became the father of many nationss according to the pronouncement,t “so will your descendants be.”s19 Without being weak in faith, he considereds his own body as deads (because he was about one hundred years old) and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.20 Het did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.21 He wast fully convinced that what Godt promised he was also able to do.

22 So indeed it was credited to Abrahamt as righteousness.
23 But the statement it was credited to himt was not written only for Abraham’st sake,24 but also for our sake, to whom it will be credited, those who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

25 Het was given overts because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake oft our justification.s