Romans (Rom) 4
4
1Then what should we say Avraham, our forefather, obtained by his own efforts? 2For if Avraham came to be considered righteous by God because of legalistic observances, then he has something to boast about. But this is not how it is before God! 3For what does the Tanakh say? “Avraham put his trust in God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness.” 4Now the account of someone who is working is credited not on the ground of grace but on the ground of what is owed him. 5However, in the case of one who is not working but rather is trusting in him who makes ungodly people righteous, his trust is credited to him as righteousness.
6In the same way, the blessing which David pronounces is on those whom God credits with righteousness apart from legalistic observances:
7“Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered over;
8Blessed is the man whose sin Adonai
will not reckon against his account.”
9Now is this blessing for the circumcised only? Or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say that Avraham’s trust was credited to his account as righteousness; 10but what state was he in when it was so credited — circumcision or uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision! 11In fact, he received circumcision as a sign, as a seal of the righteousness he had been credited with on the ground of the trust he had while he was still uncircumcised. This happened so that he could be the father of every uncircumcised person who trusts and thus has righteousness credited to him, 12and at the same time be the father of every circumcised person who not only has had a b’rit-milah, but also follows in the footsteps of the trust which Avraham avinu had when he was still uncircumcised.
13For the promise to Avraham and his seed that he would inherit the world did not come through legalism but through the righteousness that trust produces. 14For if the heirs are produced by legalism, then trust is pointless and the promise worthless. 15For what law brings is punishment. But where there is no law, there is also no violation.
16The reason the promise is based on trusting is so that it may come as God’s free gift, a promise that can be relied on by all the seed, not only those who live within the framework of the Torah, but also those with the kind of trust Avraham had — Avraham avinu for all of us. 17This accords with the Tanakh, where it says, “I have appointed you to be a father to many nations.” Avraham is our father in God’s sight because he trusted God as the one who gives life to the dead and calls nonexistent things into existence. 18For he was past hope, yet in hope he trusted that he would indeed become a father to many nations, in keeping with what he had been told, “So many will your seed be.” 19His trust did not waver when he considered his own body — which was as good as dead, since he was about a hundred years old — or when he considered that Sarah’s womb was dead too. 20He did not by lack of trust decide against God’s promises. On the contrary, by trust he was given power as he gave glory to God, 21for he was fully convinced that what God had promised he could also accomplish. 22This is why it was credited to his account as righteousness.
23But the words, “it was credited to his account . . . ,” were not written for him only. 24They were written also for us, who will certainly have our account credited too, because we have trusted in him who raised Yeshua our Lord from the dead — 25Yeshua, who was delivered over to death because of our offences and raised to life in order to make us righteous.
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Romans (Rom) 4: CJB
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4
1WHAT shall we say then that Abraham hath found, who is our father according to the flesh.
2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God.
3For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.
4Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned according to grace, but according to debt.
5But to him that worketh not, yet believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reputed to justice, according to the purpose of the grace of God.
6As David also termeth the blessedness of a man, to whom God reputeth justice without works:
7Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin.
9This blessedness then, doth it remain in the circumcision only, or in the uncircumcision also? For we say that unto Abraham faith was reputed to justice.
10How then was it reputed? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the justice of the faith, which he had, being uncircumcised; that he might be the father of all them that believe, being uncircumcised, that unto them also it may be reputed to justice:
12And might be the father of circumcision; not to them only, that are of the circumcision, but to them also that follow the steps of the faithful, that is in the uncircumcision of our father Abraham.
13For not through the law was the promise to Abraham, or to his seed, that he should be heir of the world; but through the justice of faith.
14For if they who are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, the promise is made of no effect.
15For the law worketh wrath. For where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
16Therefore is it of faith, that according to grace the promise might be firm to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
17(As it is written: I have made thee a father of many nations,) before God, whom he believed, who quickeneth the dead; and calleth those things that are not, as those that are.
18Who against hope believed in hope; that he might be made the father of many nations, according to that which was said to him: So shall thy seed be.
19And he was not weak in faith; neither did he consider his own body now dead, whereas he was almost an hundred years old, nor the dead womb of Sara.
20In the promise also of God he staggered not by distrust; but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God:
21Most fully knowing, that whatsoever he has promised, he is able also to perform.
22And therefore it was reputed to him unto justice.
23Now it is not written only for him, that it was reputed to him unto justice,
24But also for us, to whom it shall be reputed, if we believe in him, that raised up Jesus Christ, our Lord, from the dead,
25Who was delivered up for our sins, and rose again for our justification.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.