To the Romans
4 That being so, what will we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For instance, if Abraham was declared righteous as a result of works, he would have reason to boast, but not with God. 3 For what does the scripture say? “Abraham put faith in Jehovah,* and it was counted to him as righteousness.”+ 4 Now to the man who works, his pay is not counted as an undeserved kindness but as something owed to him.* 5 On the other hand, to the man who does not work but puts faith in the One who declares the ungodly one righteous, his faith is counted as righteousness.+ 6 Just as David also speaks of the happiness of the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: 7 “Happy are those whose lawless deeds have been pardoned and whose sins have been covered;* 8 happy is the man whose sin Jehovah* will by no means take into account.”+
9 Does this happiness, then, only come to circumcised people or also to uncircumcised people?+ For we say: “Abraham’s faith was counted to him as righteousness.”+ 10 Under what circumstances, then, was it counted as righteousness? When he was circumcised or uncircumcised? He was not yet circumcised but was uncircumcised. 11 And he received a sign+—namely, circumcision—as a seal* of the righteousness by the faith he had while in his uncircumcised state, so that he might be the father of all those having faith+ while uncircumcised, in order for righteousness to be counted to them; 12 and so that he might be a father to circumcised offspring, not only to those who adhere to circumcision but also to those who walk orderly in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham+ had while in the uncircumcised state.
13 For it was not through law that Abraham or his offspring* had the promise that he should be heir of a world,+ but it was through righteousness by faith.+ 14 For if those who adhere to law are heirs, faith becomes useless and the promise has been abolished. 15 In reality the Law produces wrath,+ but where there is no law, neither is there any transgression.+
16 That is why it is through faith, so that it might be according to undeserved kindness,+ in order for the promise to be sure to all his offspring,*+ not only to those who adhere to the Law but also to those who adhere to the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.+ 17 (This is just as it is written: “I have appointed you a father of many nations.”)+ This was in the sight of God, in whom he had faith, who makes the dead alive and calls the things that are not as though they are.* 18 Although beyond hope, yet based on hope, he had faith that he would become the father of many nations according to what had been said: “So your offspring* will be.”+ 19 And although he did not grow weak in faith, he considered his own body, now as good as dead (since he was about 100 years old),+ as well as the deadness* of the womb of Sarah.+ 20 But because of the promise of God, he did not waver in a lack of faith; but he became powerful by his faith, giving God glory 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to do.+ 22 Therefore, “it was counted to him as righteousness.”+
23 However, the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake only,+ 24 but also for our sake, to whom it will be counted, because we believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord up from the dead.+ 25 He was handed over for the sake of our trespasses+ and was raised up for the sake of declaring us righteous.+