| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? | 1What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, has discovered regarding this matter? |
| 2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. | 2For if Abraham was declared righteous by the works of the law, he has something to boast about--but not before God. |
| 3For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” | 3For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." |
| 4Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. | 4Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation. |
| 5And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, | 5But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, his faith is credited as righteousness. |
| 6just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: | 6So even David himself speaks regarding the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: |
| 7“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; | 7"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; |
| 8blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” | 8blessed is the one against whom the Lord will never count sin." |
| 9Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. | 9Is this blessedness then for the circumcision or also for the uncircumcision? For we say, "faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness." |
| 10How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. | 10How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised! |
| 11He 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 father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, | 11And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised, so that he would become the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised, that they too could have righteousness credited to them. |
| 12and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. | 12And he is also the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised. |
| 13For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. | 13For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. |
| 14For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. | 14For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the promise is nullified. |
| 15For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. | 15For the law brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no transgression either. |
| 16That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, | 16For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace, with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants--not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all |
| 17as 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. | 17(as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"). He is our father in the presence of God whom he believed--the God who makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do. |
| 18In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” | 18Against hope Abraham believed in hope with the result that he became the father of many nations according to the pronouncement, "so will your descendants be." |
| 19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. | 19Without being weak in faith, he considered his own body as dead (because he was about one hundred years old) and the deadness of Sarah's womb. |
| 20No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, | 20He did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. |
| 21fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. | 21He was fully convinced that what God promised he was also able to do. |
| 22That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” | 22So indeed it was credited to Abraham as righteousness. |
| 23But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, | 23But the statement it was credited to him was not written only for Abraham's sake, |
| 24but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, | 24but also for our sake, to whom it will be credited, those who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. |
| 25who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. | 25He was given over because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of our justification. |
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