Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
New Revised Standard NRS
1 What shall we say then that Abraham hath found, who is our father according to the flesh?
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What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor 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 reputed to him unto justice.
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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, the reward is not reckoned according to grace but according to debt.
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Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due.
5 But to him that worketh not, yet believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reputed to justice, according to the purpose of the grace of God.
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But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.
6 As David also termeth the blessedness of a man to whom God reputeth justice without works:
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So also David speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:
7 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 hath not imputed sin.
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blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin."
9 This blessedness then, doth it remain in the circumcision only or in the uncircumcision also? For we say that unto Abraham faith was reputed to justice.
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Is this blessedness, then, pronounced only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We say, "Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness."
10 How then was it reputed? 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 justice of the faith which he had, being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, being uncircumcised: that unto them also it may be reputed to justice:
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He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the ancestor of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them,
12 And he might be the father of circumcision; not to them only that are of the circumcision, but to them also that follow the steps of the faith that is in the uncircumcision of our father Abraham.
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and likewise the ancestor of the circumcised who are not only circumcised but who also follow the example of the faith that our ancestor Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 For not through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed, that he should be heir of the world: but through the justice of faith.
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For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if they who are of the law be heirs, faith is made void: the promise is made of no 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 For the law worketh wrath. For where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
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For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
16 Therefore is it of faith, that according to grace the promise might be firm 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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For this reason 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 all of us,
17 (As it is written: I have made thee a father of many nations), before God, whom he believed: who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things that are not, as those that are.
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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 be made the father of many nations, according to that which was said to him: So shall thy seed be.
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Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become "the father of many nations," according to what was said, "So numerous shall your descendants be."
19 And he was not weak in faith. Neither did he consider his own body, now dead (whereas he was almost an hundred years old), nor the dead womb of Sara.
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He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.
20 In the promise also of God he staggered not by distrust: but was strengthened 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 Most fully knowing that whatsoever he has promised, he is able also to perform.
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being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
22 And therefore it was reputed to him unto justice.
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Therefore his faith "was reckoned to him as righteousness."
23 Now it is not written only for him. that it was reputed to him unto justice,
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Now the words, "it was reckoned to him," were written not for his sake alone,
24 But also for us, to whom it shall be reputed, if we believe in him that raised up Jesus Christ, our Lord, from the dead,
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but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
25 Who was delivered up for our sins and rose again for our justification.
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who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.
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New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, 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.