Romans 4

What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

1Abraham was the father of our family long ago. So what did Abraham find out?

2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

2Maybe Abraham was made right with God by the good things he did. Then he could brag. But he could not brag in front of God.

3For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

3What does the Bible say? It says Abraham trusted God. And God counted that trust as being right with him.

Note"Counted" is a word from keeping accounts, like writing something down in a record book. God writes down Abraham's trust and calls it right.

4Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

4When someone works for pay, the pay is not a gift. The boss owes it to the worker.

5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

5But some people do not work for it. They simply trust God. God makes people right with him even when they have done wrong. He counts their trust as being right with him.

6Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

6King David said the same thing. He wrote about how happy a person is. God counts that person right with him, apart from any work.

7Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

7David said, "Happy are the people whose wrong deeds are forgiven. Their sins are covered over."

8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

8"Happy is the person whose sin the Lord will never count against him."

9Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

9Is this happiness only for men who have the mark of circumcision? Or is it for men without the mark too? We just said that Abraham's trust counted as being right with God.

NoteCircumcision was a small cut made on a man's body. It was a sign that he belonged to God's people, Israel.

10How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

10So when did God count it? Was it after Abraham got the mark, or before? It was before, not after.

11And 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:

11Later Abraham got the mark of circumcision. It was a sign that God had already counted him right because he trusted. So Abraham is the father of everyone who trusts God without the mark. God counts them right with him too.

12And 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.

12He is also the father of men who do have the mark. But having the mark is not enough. They must also trust God, the way Abraham did before he got the mark.

13For 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.

13God promised Abraham and his family that the world would be theirs. That promise did not come from keeping God's rules. It came because Abraham trusted God and was counted right.

14For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

14Suppose the promise only goes to people who keep the rules. Then trusting God would mean nothing. The promise would be empty.

15Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

15God's rules show us we have broken them, and that brings his anger. Where there is no rule, no one can break one.

16Therefore 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,

16So the promise comes through trusting God. That way it is a free gift. Then the promise is safe for all of Abraham's family. It is not only for those who have God's rules. It is also for those who trust God the way Abraham did. 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.

17The Bible says, "I have made you the father of many nations." Abraham is our father in front of God, the God he trusted. This God brings dead people back to life. He speaks about things that do not exist yet as if they already do.

NoteThe King James Bible says God "quickeneth" the dead. In old English, "quicken" means to make alive.

18Who 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.

18There was no reason left to hope. Abraham hoped and trusted anyway. So he became the father of many nations. God had told him, "That is how many children you will have."

19And 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 Sarah’s womb:

19His trust did not get weak. He knew his body was too old to have a baby. He was about a hundred years old. He knew his wife Sarah was too old too.

20He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

20He did not doubt God's promise. Instead his trust grew strong, and he gave honor to God.

NoteThe King James Bible says Abraham "staggered not." That does not mean he stumbled while walking. It means he did not go back and forth in his mind about God's promise.

21And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

21He was completely sure of one thing. God was able to do what he had promised.

22And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

22That is why God counted Abraham as right with him.

23Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

23The words "it was counted to him" were not written for Abraham alone.

24But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

24They were written for us too. God will count us right with him when we trust him. He is the God who raised Jesus our Lord back to life.

25Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

25Jesus was handed over to die because of the wrong things we did. He was raised back to life to make us right with God.