Romans 4:1–12

Abraham and David’s Faith Counted as Righteousness

¹What then shall we say that Abraham, ¹our forefather ^aaccording to the flesh, has found?

²For if Abraham was justified ¹by works, he has something to boast about—but ^anot ²before God!

³For what does the Scripture say? “^aAbraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

⁴Now to the one who ^aworks, his wage is not counted according to grace, but according to what is due.

⁵But to the one who does not work, but ^abelieves upon Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

⁶just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

⁷“^aBlessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven,

And whose sins have been covered.

⁸“^aBlessed is the man whose sin the ¹Lord will not ^btake into account.”

⁹Therefore, is this blessing on ^1athe circumcised, or on ²the uncircumcised also? For ^bwe say, “^cFaith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.”

¹⁰How then was it counted? While he was ¹circumcised, or ²uncircumcised? Not while ³circumcised, but while ⁴uncircumcised;

¹¹and he ^areceived the sign of circumcision, ^ba seal of the righteousness of the faith which ¹he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be ^cthe father of ^dall who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be counted to them,

¹²and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which ¹he had while uncircumcised.