Romans, 4

1. Then what do we say about Abraham, the ancestor from whom we are descended physically?

1. What then shall we say about Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?

2. If Abraham had been justified because of what he had done, then he would have had something to boast about. But not before God:

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

3. does not scripture say: Abraham put his faith in God and this was reckoned to him as uprightness?

3. For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."

4. Now, when someone works, the wages for this are not considered as a favour but as due;

4. Now to one who works, his wages are not reckoned as a gift but as his due.

5. however, when someone, without working, puts faith in the one who justifies the godless, it is this faith that is reckoned as uprightness.

5. And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.

6. David, too, says the same: he calls someone blessed if God attributes uprightness to that person, apart from any action undertaken:

6. So also David pronounces a blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:

7. How blessed are those whose offence is forgiven, whose sin is blotted out.

7. "Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;

8. How blessed are those to whom the Lord imputes no guilt.

8. blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not reckon his sin."

9. Is this blessing only for the circumcised, or is it said of the uncircumcised as well? Well, we said of Abraham that his faith was reckoned to him as uprightness.

9. Is this blessing pronounced only upon the circumcised, or also upon the uncircumcised? We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.

10. Now how did this come about? When he was already circumcised, or before he had been circumcised? Not when he had been circumcised, but while he was still uncircumcised;

10. How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.

11. and circumcision was given to him later, as a sign and a guarantee that the faith which he had while still uncircumcised was reckoned to him as uprightness. In this way, Abraham was to be the ancestor of all believers who are uncircumcised, so that they might be reckoned as upright;

11. He received circumcision as a sign or seal of the righteousness which he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them,

12. as well as the ancestor of those of the circumcision who not only have their circumcision but who also follow our ancestor Abraham along the path of faith that he trod before he was circumcised.

12. and likewise the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but also follow the example of the faith which our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

13. For the promise to Abraham and his descendants that he should inherit the world was not through the Law, but through the uprightness of faith.

13. The promise to Abraham and his descendants, that they should inherit the world, did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

14. For if it is those who live by the Law who will gain the inheritance, faith is worthless and the promise is without force;

14. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.

15. for the Law produces nothing but God's retribution, and it is only where there is no Law that it is possible to live without breaking the Law.

15. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

16. That is why the promise is to faith, so that it comes as a free gift and is secure for all the descendants, not only those who rely on the Law but all those others who rely on the faith of Abraham, the ancestor of us all

16. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants -- not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, for he is the father of us all,

17. (as scripture says: I have made you the father of many nations). Abraham is our father in the eyes of God, in whom he put his faith, and who brings the dead to life and calls into existence what does not yet exist.

17. as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations" -- in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

18. Though there seemed no hope, he hoped and believed that he was to become father of many nations in fulfilment of the promise: Just so will your descendants be.

18. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations; as he had been told, "So shall your descendants be."

19. Even the thought that his body was as good as dead -- he was about a hundred years old -- and that Sarah's womb was dead too did not shake his faith.

19. He did not weaken in faith when he considered 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 womb.

20. Counting on the promise of God, he did not doubt or disbelieve, but drew strength from faith and gave glory to God,

20. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,

21. fully convinced that whatever God promised he has the power to perform.

21. fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

22. This is the faith that was reckoned to him as uprightness.

22. That is why his faith was "reckoned to him as righteousness."

23. And the word 'reckoned' in scripture applies not only to him;

23. But the words, "it was reckoned to him," were written not for his sake alone,

24. it is there for our sake too -- our faith, too, will be 'reckoned'

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

25. because we believe in him who raised from the dead our Lord Jesus who was handed over to death for our sins and raised to life for our justification.

25. who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification.