| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1What, then, are we to say about Abraham, our human ancestor? | 1What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, has discovered regarding this matter? |
| 2For if Abraham was justified by actions, he would have had something to boast about—though 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 credited to him as righteousness." | 3For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." |
| 4Now to someone who works, wages are not considered a gift but an obligation. | 4Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation. |
| 5However, to someone who does not work, but simply believes in the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited 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. |
| 6Likewise, David also speaks of the blessedness of the person whom God regards as righteous apart from actions: | 6So even David himself speaks regarding the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: |
| 7"How blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered! | 7"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; |
| 8How blessed is the person whose sins the Lord will never charge against him!" | 8blessed is the one against whom the Lord will never count sin." |
| 9Now does this blessedness come to the circumcised alone, or also to the uncircumcised? For we say, "Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness." | 9Is this blessedness then for the circumcision or also for the uncircumcision? For we say, "faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness." |
| 10Under what circumstances was it credited? Was he circumcised or uncircumcised? He had not yet been circumcised, but was uncircumcised. | 10How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised! |
| 11Afterward he received the mark of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. Therefore, he is the ancestor of all who believe while uncircumcised, in order that righteousness may be credited to them. | 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. |
| 12He is also the ancestor of the circumcised—those who are not only 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 that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the Law, but through the righteousness produced by 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 those who were given the Law are the heirs, then faith is useless and the promise is worthless, | 14For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the promise is nullified. |
| 15for the Law produces wrath. Now where there is no Law, neither can there be any violation of it. | 15For the law brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no transgression either. |
| 16Therefore, the promise is based on faith, so that it may be a matter of grace and may be guaranteed for all of Abraham's descendants—not only for those who were given the Law, but also for those who share 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." Abraham acted in faith when he stood in the presence of God, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that don't yet 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. |
| 18Hoping in spite of hopeless circumstances, he believed that he would become "the father of many nations," just as he had been told: "This is how many descendants you will have." | 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." |
| 19His faith did not weaken when he thought about his own body (which was already as good as dead now that he was about a hundred years old) or about Sarah's inability to have children, | 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. |
| 20nor did he doubt God's promise out of a lack of faith. Instead, his faith became stronger and 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. |
| 21being absolutely convinced that God would do what he had promised. | 21He was fully convinced that what God promised he was also able to do. |
| 22This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." | 22So indeed it was credited to Abraham as righteousness. |
| 23Now the words "it was credited to him" were written not only for him | 23But the statement it was credited to him was not written only for Abraham's sake, |
| 24but also for us. Our faith will be regarded in the same way, if we believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. | 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. |
| 25He was sentenced to death because of our sins and raised to life to justify us. | 25He was given over because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of our justification. |
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