Romans 4:1–12

ABRAHAM JUSTIFIED BY FAITH

4What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather^av according to the flesh, has found?^{C 2}If Abraham was justified^D by works,^aw he has something to boast about—but not before God. ³For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness.^{Ea 4}Now to the one who works,^b pay is not credited as a gift, but as something owed. ⁵But to the one who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly,^c his faith is credited for righteousness.

DAVID CELEBRATING THE SAME TRUTH

⁶Likewise, David also speaks of the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

⁷Blessed are those whose lawless acts are forgiven

and whose sins are covered.

⁸Blessed is the person

the Lord will never charge with sin.^Fd

ABRAHAM JUSTIFIED BEFORE CIRCUMCISION

⁹Is this blessing only for the circumcised,^e then? Or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say, Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness.^{Ef 10}In what way, then, was it credited—while he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? It was not while he was circumcised, but uncircumcised. ¹¹And he received the sign of circumcision^g as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith^h while still uncircumcised. This was to make him the fatherⁱ of all who believe^j but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to them also. ¹²And he became the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised.