1  What then [is] the superiority of the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision?

1  What advantage then hath the Jew? or what is the profit of circumcision?

1  So then, what more is the Jew, or what is the usefulness of circumcision?

2  Much in every way! First of all, that they were entrusted with the [very ]words of God!

2  Much every way: first of all, that they were intrusted with the oracles of God.

3  For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God?

3  For what if some were without faith? shall their want of faith make of none effect the faithfulness of God?

3  But what if some of them have not believed? Shall their unbelief nullify the faith of God? Let it not be so!

4  By no means! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar, just as it is written: "That You may be justified in Your words, and You may prevail when You are judged."

4  God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy words, And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment.

4  For God is truthful, but every man is deceitful; just as it was written: “Therefore, you are justified in your words, and you will prevail when you give judgment.”

5  But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? [Surely] God, the [One ]inflicting wrath is not unrighteous, is [He]? (I speak as a man).

5  But if even our injustice points to the justice of God, what shall we say? Could God be unfair for inflicting wrath?

6  By no means! For otherwise how shall God judge the world?

6  God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

6  (I am speaking in human terms.) Let it not be so! Otherwise, how would God judge this world?

7  For if by my lie the truth of God has abounded to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

7  For if the truth of God has abounded, through my falseness, unto his glory, why should I still be judged as such a sinner?

8  And why not say, "Let us do evil so that good may come"?-just as we are slandered, and just as some affirm that we say. [The] judgment of whom is just.

8  And should we not do evil, so that good may result? For so we have been slandered, and so some have claimed we said; their condemnation is just.

9  What then? Are we [any] better? Not at all. For we previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.

9  What is next? Should we try to excel ahead of them? By no means! For we have accused all Jews and Greeks to be under sin,

9  What then do we uphold that is superior? We have already decided concerning both Jews and Syrians, for they are all under sin.

10  Just as it is written: "There is none righteous, no not one,

10  as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one;

10  just as it was written: “There is no one who is just.

11  There is none who understands; there is none who seeks God.

11  There are none who understand, there are none who seek after God.

12  All [have ]turned aside; together they became unprofitable; there is not [one] doing kindness, there is not so much as one."

12  They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that doeth good, no, not, so much as one

12  They are all gone astray and they have been rejected: there are none who do good, no, not one.

13  "Their throat is an opened grave; with their tongues they deceived"; "[the ]poison of asps is under their lips";

13  Their throat is an open sepulchre; With their tongues they have used deceit: The poison of asps is under their lips

13  Their throats are like open sepulchres; their tongues are deceitful; the venom of asps is under their lips.

14  "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

15  Their feet are swift to shed blood;

15  They are over-quick to shed blood.

16  Ruin and misery are in their ways;

16  Destruction and misery are in their ways;

16  Grief and unhappiness are in their ways.

17  And the way of peace they did not know.

17  They have not known the way of peace.

18  There is no fear of God before their eyes."

19  Now we know that as many things as the law says, it speaks to those under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

19  Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it speaketh to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God

19  But we know that whatever the law speaks, it speaks to those who are in the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the entire world may be subject to God.

20  Therefore by works of the law no flesh shall be justified in His sight, for through the law [comes] [the] knowledge of sin.

21  But now the righteousness of God apart from the law has been revealed, being witnessed to by the Law and the Prophets,

21  But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

21  But now, without the law, the justice of God, to which the law and the prophets have testified, has been made manifest.

22  even the righteousness of God, through [the] faithfulness of Jesus Christ, to all and upon all those that believe. For there is no distinction;

22  And the justice of God, though the faith of Jesus Christ, is in all those and over all those who believe in him. For there is no distinction.

22  But the righteousness of God is by the faith of Jesus Christ to every one, also to every man who believes in him, for there is no discrimination

23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24  being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

24  For they are freely bestowed righteousness by the grace of God through the salvation which is in Jesus Christ,

25  whom God set forth as a propitiation through faith in His blood, for a demonstration of His righteousness through the passing over of the sins having previously committed, in the forbearance of God,

25  whom God has offered as a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to reveal his justice for the remission of the former offenses,

25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

26  for a demonstration of His righteousness in the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of he who has [the] faith of Jesus.

26  By the opportunity which God has given us through his forbearance, for the manifestation of his righteousness at the present time, that he might be declared righteous; and for the justification of righteousness to him who is in the faith of our LORD Jesus Christ.

27  Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. Through what law? Of works? No, but through the law of faith.

27  So then, where is your self-exaltation? It is excluded. Through what law? That of works? No, but rather through the law of faith.

27  Where is boasting then? It is worthless. By what law? of works? No: but by the law of faith.

28  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

28  For we judge a man to be justified by faith, without the works of the law.

29  Or is He the God of the Jews only? But is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also,

29  Is God of the Jews only and not also of the Gentiles? On the contrary, of the Gentiles also.

30  since there is one God who will justify [the ]circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcised through faith.

30  For One is the God who justifies circumcision by faith and uncircumcision through faith.

30  Because it is one God, who justifies the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision by the same faith.

31  Therefore do we nullify the law through faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold [the] law.

31  Do we then make the law of none effect through faith? God forbid: nay, we establish the law.

31  Are we then destroying the law through faith? Let it not be so! Instead, we are making the law stand.

4:1  What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?

1  So then, what shall we say that Abraham had achieved, who is our father according to the flesh?

1  WHAT then shall we say concerning Abraham, the chief of our forefathers, who lived according to the flesh before God called him?

4:2  For if Abraham was justified by works, he has [grounds for] boasting, but not before God.

4:3  For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

4:4  Now to him who works, his wage is not reckoned as a gift, but as his due.

4  But for he who works, wages are not accounted according to grace, but according to debt.

4:5  But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,

5  Yet truly, for he who does not work, but who believes in him who justifies the impious, his faith is reputed unto justice, according to the purpose of the grace of God.

5  And to him who works not, but only believes in him who justifies sinners, his faith is counted for righteousness.

4:6  just as David also speaks of the blessing of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works

6  Even as David also pronounceth blessing upon the man, unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works,

6  Similarly, David also declares the blessedness of a man, to whom God brings justice without works

4:7  "Blessed [are] [they] whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered;

7  [saying], Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered.

7  “Blessed are they whose iniquities have been forgiven and whose sins have been covered.

4:8  Blessed is the man to whom YHWH shall by no means impute sin."

4:9  Does this blessing then come upon the circumcision, or also upon the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.

9  Is this blessing then pronounced upon the circumcision, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say, To Abraham his faith was reckoned for righteousness.

9  Now, therefore, is this blessedness on account of circumcision, or on account of uncircumcision? for we say that AbrahamÆs faith was accounted to him for righteousness.

4:10  How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

10  But then how was it reputed? In circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

10  How then was it given to him? by means of circumcision, or in uncircumcision? It was not given in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

4:11  And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which [he had while ]in uncircumcision, so that he should be the father of all those that believe, although uncircumcised, so that righteousness should also be imputed to them,

11  For he received the sign of circumcision as a symbol of the justice of that faith which exists apart from circumcision, so that he might be the father of all those who believe while uncircumcised, so that it might also be reputed to them unto justice,

4:12  and the father of circumcision to those not only of circumcision, but also to those following in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham[ had while] in uncircumcision.

12  and he might be the father of circumcision, not only for those who are of circumcision, but even for those who follow the footsteps of that faith which is in the uncircumcision of our father Abraham.

12  So that the father of circumcision is not only to those who are of circumcision, but also to those who walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham while he was yet uncircumcised.

4:13  For the promise that he should be heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through [the] law, but through [the] righteousness of faith.

4:14  For if those who are of [the] law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise has been nullified,

14  For if they had become heirs by means of the law, then faith would have been empty and the promise made of no effect.

4:15  because the law produces wrath; for where there is no law neither is there transgression.

15  for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.

4:16  Therefore it is of faith that it may be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those[ ]of the law, but also to those of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

16  For this cause [it is] of faith, that [it may be] according to grace; to the end that the promise may 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

16  Because of this, it is from faith according to grace that the Promise is ensured for all posterity, not only for those who are of the law, but also for those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all before God,

4:17  (just as it is written, "I have appointed you a father of many nations") before God, whom he believed, the [One] who gives life to the dead and calls those things which are not as though they were;

17  in whom he believed, who revives the dead and who calls those things that do not exist into existence. For it is written: “I have established you as the father of many nations.”

4:18  who, contrary to hope, on hope believed, so that he should become a father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be."

18  Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, So shall thy seed be.

18  For he who was hopeless trusted in hope, that he might become the father of many peoples, as it is written, So shall your seed be.

4:19  And not weakening in faith, he did not consider his own body, already having been worn out (being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb,

19  And he was not weakened in faith, nor did he consider his own body to be dead (though he was then almost one hundred years old), nor the womb of Sarah to be dead.

19  His faith never weakened even when he examined his old body when he was a hundred years old, and the deadness of SarahÆs womb.

4:20  he did not waver at the promise of God in unbelief, but was empowered by faith, giving glory to God,

20  yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God,

20  And then, in the Promise of God, he did not hesitate out of distrust, but instead he was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

4:21  and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to do.

21  knowing most fully that whatever God has promised, he is also able to accomplish.

21  He felt assured that what God had promised him, God was able to fulfill.

4:22  And therefore "it was credited to him as righteousness."

22  Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.

22  And for this reason, it was reputed to him unto justice.

4:23  Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was credited to him,

23  Now this has been written, that it was reputed to him unto justice, not only for his sake,

23  That his faith was given for righteousness, was not written for his sake alone,

4:24  but for us also, to whom it was going to be credited, those believing on Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,

24  but also for our sake. For the same shall be reputed to us, if we believe in him who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead,

4:25  who was delivered up for our transgressions, and was raised for our justification.

25  who was handed over because of our offenses, and who rose again for our justification.