Romans 4:11–18

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.

THE PROMISE GRANTED THROUGH FAITH

¹³For the promise to Abraham^k or to his descendants that he would inherit the world^l was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. ¹⁴If those who are of the law are heirs,^m faith is made empty and the promise nullified, ¹⁵because the law produces wrath.ⁿ And where there is no law,^o there is no transgression.

¹⁶This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace,^p to guarantee it to all the descendants^q—not only to the one who is of the law^A but also to the one who is of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all. ¹⁷As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations—^Br in the presence of the God in whom he believed, the one who gives life to the dead^s and calls^t things into existence that do not exist.^{u 18}He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations^Bv according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be.^Cw