Romans 4:3–25

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.

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 19}He did not weaken in faith when he considered^D his own body to be already dead^x (since he was about a hundred years old)^y and also the deadness of Sarah’s womb.^{z 20}He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,^{aa 21}because he was fully convinced^ab that what God had promised, he was also able to do.^{ac 22}Therefore, it was credited to him for righteousness.^{Ead 23}Now it was credited to him^E was not written for Abraham alone,^{ae 24}but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in him^af who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.^{ag 25}He was delivered up for^F our trespasses^ah and raised for our justification.^ai