CHAPTER 4
1 What then shall we say, that Abraham, our father after the flesh, found?
2 For if Abraham is justified of works of the law, he hath glory, but not with God. (For if Abraham is justified by works of the Law, he can boast, but not of God or not before God.)
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed to God (or Abraham believed God), and it was areckoned to him to rightwiseness.
4 And to him that worketh, meed is not areckoned by grace, but by debt. (And to him who worketh, his wages, or his reward, is not reckoned as a gift, but as a debt that is owed to him.)
5 Soothly to him that worketh not, but believeth into him that justifieth a wicked [or an unpious] man, his faith is areckoned to rightwiseness, after the purpose of God’s grace.
6 As David saith the blessedness of a man, whom God accepteth, he giveth to him rightwiseness without works of the law,
7 Blessed be they, whose wickednesses be forgiven, and whose sins be hid, [or be covered], (or and whose sins be hidden, or covered over).
8 Blessed is that man, to whom God areckoned not sin.
9 Then whether dwelleth this blessedness only in (the) circumcision, or also in (the) prepuce? (or also among the uncircumcised, or among the Gentiles?) For we say, that the faith was areckoned to Abraham to rightwiseness.
10 How then was it areckoned? in circumcision, or in prepuce? Not in circumcision, but in prepuce. (But when was it reckoned? when he was circumcised, or when he was uncircumcised? Not when he was circumcised, but when he was uncircumcised.)
11 And he took a sign of circumcision, a token [or a marking] of (the) rightwiseness of the faith which is in (the) prepuce, that he be (the) father of all men believing by prepuce, that it be areckoned also to them to rightwiseness; (And he later received the sign of circumcision, a marking of the righteousness of his faith, when he was still uncircumcised, and so he is the father of all believing men who be uncircumcised, so that righteousness is also reckoned to them;)
12 and that he be (the) father of (the) circumcision, not only to them that be of (the) circumcision, but also to them that (pur)sue the steps of the faith, which faith is in (the) prepuce of our father Abraham. [and that he be (the) father of (the) circumcision, not only to them that be of circumcision, but and to them that (pur)sue the steps of the faith of our father Abraham, that is in (the) prepuce (or who was uncircumcised).](and so he is the father of the circumcised, not only to those who be of the circumcision, but also to those who follow the steps of the faith, which faith Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised.)
13 For not by the law is [the] promise to Abraham, or to his seed, that he should be [the] heir of the world, but by the rightwiseness of faith.
14 For if they that be of the law, be heirs, faith is destroyed, (the) promise is done away.
15 For the law worketh wrath; for where (there) is no law, there is no trespass, neither is (there) trespassing [or prevarication].
16 Therefore rightwiseness is of (the) faith, (so) that by grace (the) promise be stable [or be steadfast] to each seed, not to that seed only that is of the law, but to that that is of the faith of Abraham, which (or who) is (the) father of us all.
17 As it is written, For I have set thee father of many folks (or For I have made thee the father of many nations and peoples), before God to whom thou hast believed. The which God quickeneth dead men, [or The which quickeneth the dead], (or The which God giveth life to the dead), and calleth those things that be not, as those that be.
18 [The] Which Abraham against hope believed into hope, that he should be made father of many folks (or that he would be made the father of many nations and peoples), as it was said to him [or after that it is said to him], Thus shall thy seed be, as the stars of (the) heaven(s), and as the gravel [or (the) sand] that is in the brink of the sea (or and like the sand that is on the seashore).
19 And he was not made unsteadfast in the belief, neither he beheld his body then nigh dead, when he was almost of an hundred years (old), nor the womb of Sarah nigh dead.
20 Also in the promise of God he doubted not with untrust; but he was comforted in (his) belief, giving glory to God,
21 witting most fully (or fully knowing) that whatever things (that) God hath promised, he is mighty also to do (them).
22 Therefore it was areckoned to him to rightwiseness.
23 And it is not written only for him, that it was areckoned to him to rightwiseness,
24 but also for us, to whom it shall be areckoned, that believe in him that raised our Lord Jesus Christ from death. [but and for us, to which it shall be reckoned, believing into him that raised our Lord Jesus Christ from (the) dead.]
25 Which was betaken for our sins (or Who was delivered, or given over, for our sins), and rose again for our justifying.