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.+