| International Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1What, then, are we to say about Abraham, our human ancestor? | 1Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? |
| 2For if Abraham was justified by actions, he would have had something to boast about—though not before God. | 2If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. |
| 3For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." | 3For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” |
| 4Now to someone who works, wages are not considered a gift but an obligation. | 4When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. |
| 5However, to someone who does not work, but simply believes in the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. | 5But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. |
| 6Likewise, David also speaks of the blessedness of the person whom God regards as righteous apart from actions: | 6David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it: |
| 7"How blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered! | 7“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. |
| 8How blessed is the person whose sins the Lord will never charge against him!" | 8Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin.” |
| 9Now does this blessedness come to the circumcised alone, or also to the uncircumcised? For we say, "Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness." | 9Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles? Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith. |
| 10Under what circumstances was it credited? Was he circumcised or uncircumcised? He had not yet been circumcised, but was uncircumcised. | 10But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised! |
| 11Afterward he received the mark of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. Therefore, he is the ancestor of all who believe while uncircumcised, in order that righteousness may be credited to them. | 11Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. |
| 12He is also the ancestor of the circumcised—those who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. | 12And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised. |
| 13For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the Law, but through the righteousness produced by faith. | 13Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. |
| 14For if those who were given the Law are the heirs, then faith is useless and the promise is worthless, | 14If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. |
| 15for the Law produces wrath. Now where there is no Law, neither can there be any violation of it. | 15For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) |
| 16Therefore, the promise is based on faith, so that it may be a matter of grace and may be guaranteed for all of Abraham's descendants—not only for those who were given the Law, but also for those who share the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. | 16So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. |
| 17As it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations." Abraham acted in faith when he stood in the presence of God, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that don't yet exist. | 17That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. |
| 18Hoping in spite of hopeless circumstances, he believed that he would become "the father of many nations," just as he had been told: "This is how many descendants you will have." | 18Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” |
| 19His faith did not weaken when he thought about his own body (which was already as good as dead now that he was about a hundred years old) or about Sarah's inability to have children, | 19And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. |
| 20nor did he doubt God's promise out of a lack of faith. Instead, his faith became stronger and he gave glory to God, | 20Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. |
| 21being absolutely convinced that God would do what he had promised. | 21He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. |
| 22This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." | 22And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. |
| 23Now the words "it was credited to him" were written not only for him | 23And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded |
| 24but also for us. Our faith will be regarded in the same way, if we believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. | 24for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. |
| 25He was sentenced to death because of our sins and raised to life to justify us. | 25He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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