King James Version KJV
The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
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Then what should we say Avraham, our forefather, obtained by his own efforts?
2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
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For 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!
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
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For what does the Tanakh say? "Avraham put his trust in God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness."p
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
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Now the account of someone who is working is credited not on the ground of grace but on the ground of what is owed him.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
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However, 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.
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
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In the same way, the blessing which David pronounces is on those whom God credits with righteousness apart from legalistic observances:
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
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"Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered over;
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
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Blessed is the man whose sin ADONAI will not reckon against his account."
9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
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Now 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;
10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
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but what state was he in when it was so credited - circumcision or uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision!
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
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In 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,
12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
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and 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.
13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
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For the promise to Avraham and his seedr that he would inherit the world did not come through legalism but through the righteousness that trust produces.
14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
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For if the heirs are produced by legalism, then trust is pointless and the promise worthless.
15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
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For what law brings is punishment. But where there is no law, there is also no violation.
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure 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,
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The 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.
17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
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This 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.
18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
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For 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."
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:
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His 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.
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
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He 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,
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
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for he was fully convinced that what God had promised he could also accomplish.
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
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This is why it was credited to his account as righteousness.
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
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But the words, "it was credited to his account . . . ," were not written for him only.
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
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They 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 -
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
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Yeshua, who was delivered over to death because of our offences and raised to life in order to make us righteous.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.