Romans 4:1-15

English Standard Version

Abraham Justified by Faith

4 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, ^(A)our forefather according to the flesh? ²For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but ^(B)not before God. ³For what does the Scripture say? ^(C)“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” ⁴Now ^(D)to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. ⁵And to the one who does not work but ^(E)believes in^[a] him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, ⁶just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

⁷^(F)“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
⁸blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not ^(G)count his sin.”

⁹Is this blessing then only for ^(H)the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? ^(I)For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. ¹⁰How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. ¹¹^(J)He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was ^(K)to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, ¹²and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

The Promise Realized Through Faith

¹³For ^(L)the promise to Abraham and his offspring ^(M)that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴^(N)For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. ¹⁵For ^(O)the law brings wrath, but ^(P)where there is no law ^(Q)there is no transgression.