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Romans 4
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1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, hath found according to the flesh?
1So, what can we say our ancestor Abraham discovered about this matter of being human?
2For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God.
2If Abraham was made right with God because of what he did, he would have something to brag about—but not in God's presence.
3For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
3For what do the Scriptures say? 'Abraham believed God, and because of this, God credited him as being righteous.'
4Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt.
4Now, when a person works, their pay isn't considered a gift; it is something they have earned.
5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.
5But for someone who does not work for it, but instead trusts God who makes the ungodly right, their faith is credited to them as righteousness.
6Even as David also pronounceth blessing upon the man, unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works,
6David says the same thing when he speaks about the person God considers righteous apart from their actions:
7saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered.
7'How happy are those whose lawless acts are forgiven and whose sins are covered up.
8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin.
8How happy is the person whose sin the Lord will never hold against them.'
9Is this blessing then pronounced upon the circumcision, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say, To Abraham his faith was reckoned for righteousness.
9Is this blessing only for those who are circumcised, or is it for the uncircumcised too? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.
10How then was it reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision:
10When did this happen? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but while he was still uncircumcised.
11and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them;
11He received the mark of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness he already had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So he is the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that they too can be credited as righteous.
12and the father of circumcision to them who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had in uncircumcision.
12And he is also the father of those who are circumcised—not just because they have the mark, but because they follow the example of the faith our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13For not through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith.
13The promise that Abraham and his descendants would inherit the world did not come through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
14For if they that are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect:
14If the inheritance belongs only to those who follow the law, then faith is useless and the promise is worthless.
15for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
15This is because the law brings punishment; but where there is no law, there is no violation of the law.
16For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace; to the end that the promise may 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
16Therefore, the promise comes by faith so that it can be a gift. This ensures that the promise is for all of Abraham’s descendants—not only those who live under the law, but also those who have the same faith as Abraham. He is the father of us all.
17(as it is written, A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were.
17As it is written: 'I have made you a father of many nations.' He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and speaks of things that do not yet exist as if they did.
18Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, So shall thy seed be.
18Even when there was no reason to hope, Abraham kept hoping and believing. So he became the father of many nations, just as God had said to him: 'This is how many descendants you will have.'
19And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb;
19Without his faith becoming weak, he faced the fact that his own body was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old) and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.
20yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God,
20He did not doubt God's promise with unbelief. Instead, his faith grew strong as he gave glory to God.
21and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
21He was fully convinced that God had the power to do what he had promised.
22Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
22That is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness.'
23Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned unto him;
23But the words 'it was credited to him' were not written for Abraham alone.