Common English Bible CEB
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 So what are we going to say? Are we going to find that Abraham is our ancestor on the basis of genealogy?
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What then shall we say about Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?
2 Because if Abraham was made righteous because of his actions, he would have had a reason to brag, but not in front of God.
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For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
3 What does the scripture say? Abraham had faith in God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
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For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."
4 Workers' salaries aren't credited to them on the basis of an employer's grace but rather on the basis of what they deserve.
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Now to one who works, his wages are not reckoned as a gift but as his due.
5 But faith is credited as righteousness to those who don't work, because they have faith in God who makes the ungodly righteous.
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And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.
6 In the same way, David also pronounces a blessing on the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from actions:
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So also David pronounces a blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:
7 Happy are those whose actions outside the Law are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
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"Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
8 Happy are those whose sin isn't counted against them by the Lord.
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blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not reckon his sin."
9 Is this state of happiness only for the circumcised or is it also for those who aren't circumcised? We say, "Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness."
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Is this blessing pronounced only upon the circumcised, or also upon the uncircumcised? We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.
10 So how was it credited? When he was circumcised, or when he wasn't circumcised? In fact, it was credited while he still wasn't circumcised, not after he was circumcised.
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How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.
11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that comes from the faith he had while he still wasn't circumcised. It happened this way so that Abraham could be the ancestor of all those people who aren't circumcised, who have faith in God, and so are counted as righteous.
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He received circumcision as a sign or seal of the righteousness which he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them,
12 He could also be the ancestor of those circumcised people, who aren't only circumcised but who also walk in the path of faith, like our ancestor Abraham did while he wasn't circumcised.
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and likewise the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but also follow the example of the faith which our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 The promise to Abraham and to his descendants, that he would inherit the world, didn't come through the Law but through the righteousness that comes from faith.
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The promise to Abraham and his descendants, that they should inherit the world, did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
14 If they inherit because of the Law, then faith has no effect and the promise has been canceled.
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If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.
15 The Law brings about wrath. But when there isn't any law, there isn't any violation of the law.
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For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 That's why the inheritance comes through faith, so that it will be on the basis of God's grace. In that way, the promise is secure for all of Abraham's descendants, not just for those who are related by Law but also for those who are related by the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us.
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That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants--not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, for he is the father of us all,
17 As it is written: I have appointed you to be the father of many nations. So Abraham is our father in the eyes of God in whom he had faith, the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that don't exist into existence.
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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.
18 When it was beyond hope, he had faith in the hope that he would become the father of many nations, in keeping with the promise God spoke to him: That's how many descendants you will have.
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In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations; as he had been told, "So shall your descendants be."
19 Without losing faith, Abraham, who was nearly 100 years old, took into account his own body, which was as good as dead, and Sarah's womb, which was dead.
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He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.
20 He didn't hesitate with a lack of faith in God's promise, but he grew strong in faith and gave glory to God.
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No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,
21 He was fully convinced that God was able to do what he promised.
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fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
22 Therefore, it was credited to him as righteousness.
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That is why his faith was "reckoned to him as righteousness."
23 But the scripture that says it was credited to him wasn't written only for Abraham's sake.
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But the words, "it was reckoned to him," were written not for his sake alone,
24 It was written also for our sake, because it is going to be credited to us too. It will be credited to those of us who have faith in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
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but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him that raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,
25 He was handed over because of our mistakes, and he was raised to meet the requirements of righteousness for us.
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who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.