Romans, 4

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

1. What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

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 were justified by works, he hath [whereof] to glory; 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 saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

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

4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

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. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

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

6. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

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

7. [Saying], Blessed [are] they 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 to whom the Lord will not impute 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. [Cometh] this blessedness then upon the circumcision [only], or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for 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 was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

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. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which [he had yet] being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

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 the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which [he had] being [yet] uncircumcised.

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. For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, [was] not to Abraham, or to his seed, 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. For if they which are of the law [be] heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

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. Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, [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. Therefore [it is] of faith, that [it might be] by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who 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 thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, [even] God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

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. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed 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. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara'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. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

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

21. And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

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

22. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

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

23. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

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

24. But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

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 delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.