King James Version KJV
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
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What then shall we say about Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?
2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
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For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not 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 scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
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Now to one who works, his wages are not reckoned as a gift but as his due.
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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And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
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So also David pronounces a blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
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"Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
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blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not reckon his sin."
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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Is this blessing pronounced only upon the circumcised, or also upon the uncircumcised? We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham 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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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 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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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 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 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 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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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 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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If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.
15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
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For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
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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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 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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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 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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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 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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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 staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving 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 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
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fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
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That is why his faith was "reckoned to him 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 reckoned to him," were written not for his sake alone,
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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but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him that raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
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who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
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.