Romans 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Romans 4
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1 WHAT then shall we say concerning Abraham, the chief of our forefathers, who lived according to the flesh before God called him? What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter?
2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he had reason to be proud; but not before God. For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.
3 For what said the scripture? Abraham believed in God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
4 But to him who works, wages are not considered as a favor but as that which is due to him. Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation.
5 And to him who works not, but only believes in him who justifies sinners, his faith is counted for righteousness. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.
6 Just as David also said about the blessedness of the man, whom God declared righteous without works, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are wiped away. “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man whose sins God will not hold against him. blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”
9 Now, therefore, is this blessedness on account of circumcision, or on account of uncircumcision? for we say that Abraham’s faith was accounted to him for righteousness. Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.
10 How then was it given to him? by means of circumcision, or in uncircumcision? It was not given in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!
11 For he received circumcision as a sign and a seal of the righteousness of his faith while he was uncircumcised: that he might become the father of all them who believe, though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be given to them also; 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 to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
12 So that the father of circumcision is not only to those who are of circumcision, but also to those who walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham while he was yet uncircumcised. and 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. And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 For the promise to Abraham and his seed that he should inherit the world was not made through the law, but through the righteousness of his faith. For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
14 For if they had become heirs by means of the law, then faith would have been empty and the promise made of no effect. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless,
15 For the law causes provocation; for where there is no law, there is no transgression. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 Therefore it is by faith that we will be justified by grace; so that the promise might be sure to all his seed; not only to him who is of the law, but also to him who is of the faith of Abraham who is the father of us all, That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
17 As it is written, I have made you a father of many peoples, in the presence of the God in whom you have believed, who quickens the dead, and who invites those who are not yet in being, as though they were present. as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
18 For he who was hopeless trusted in hope, that he might become the father of many peoples, as it is written, So shall your seed be. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
19 His faith never weakened even when he examined his old body when he was a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.
20 He did not doubt the promise of God as one who lacks faith; but his faith gave him strength, and he gave glory to God. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
21 He felt assured that what God had promised him, God was able to fulfill. fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
22 Therefore it was given to him for righteousness. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”
23 That his faith was given for righteousness, was not written for his sake alone, But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone,
24 But for us also, for he will number us also, who believe in him who raised our LORD Jesus Christ from the dead; but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
25 Who was delivered up for our offences and arose that he might justify us. who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
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