Romans 4
Expanded Bible
The Example of Abraham
4 So what can we say that Abraham, ·the father of our people [L our forefather according to the flesh; Gen. 12—25], ·learned about faith [discovered in this regard; L has found]? 2 If Abraham was ·made right [justified; declared righteous] by ·the things he did [L the works of the law], he had a reason to ·brag [boast]. ·But this is not God’s view [or …but he could not boast before God], 3 because the Scripture says, “Abraham believed God, and ·God accepted Abraham’s faith, and that faith made him right with God [L it was credited/counted to him for righteousness; Gen. 15:6].”
4 When people work, their ·pay [wage] is not ·given [credited; counted] as ·a gift [grace], but as something ·earned [due to them]. 5 ·But people cannot do any work that will make them right with God. So they must trust in him [L But for the one who does not work, but trusts in God], who ·makes even evil people right in his sight [justifies/makes righteous the ungodly]. Then God ·accepts their faith, and that makes them right with him [L credits/counts their faith for righteousness]. 6 David said the same thing. He said that people are ·truly blessed [happy; spiritually fulfilled] when God, ·without paying attention to their deeds [apart from works], ·makes people right with himself [L credits/counts righteousness to them].
7 “·Blessed [Happy; Spiritually fulfilled] are they
whose ·sins [lawless deeds] are forgiven,
whose ·wrongs [sins] are ·pardoned [covered; blotted out].
8 ·Blessed [Happy; Spiritually fulfilled] is the person
whom the Lord does not ·consider guilty [L count sin against; Ps. 32:1–2].”
9 Is this ·blessing [happiness; spiritual fulfillment] only for those who are circumcised or also for those who are not circumcised? We have already said that ·God accepted Abraham’s faith and that faith made him right with God [L faith was credited/counted to Abraham for righteousness; v. 3]. 10 So how did this happen? Did God accept Abraham before or after he was circumcised? It was not after, but before his circumcision. 11 Abraham ·was circumcised [L received the sign of circumcision; Gen. 17:9–14] ·to show that he was right with God [L as a seal/guarantee of the righteousness he had] through faith before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the father of all those who believe but are not circumcised, so that ·they too may be accepted as being right with God [righteousness may be credited/counted to them also]. 12 And Abraham is also the father of those who have been circumcised and who ·live following [L walk in the footsteps of] the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
God Keeps His Promise
13 [L For] The promise Abraham and his ·descendants [seed] received that they would inherit the ·whole world [L world] ·did not come through [was not based on his obedience to] the law, but through ·being right with God by his faith [the righteousness that comes by faith]. 14 [L For] If people ·could receive what God promised [L are heirs] by following the law, then faith is worthless. And ·God’s promise to Abraham [L the promise] is ·worthless [nullified; canceled], 15 because the law can only bring God’s ·anger [wrath]. But if there is no law, there is ·nothing to disobey [no transgression/violation; C the law points out sin (5:13), but it cannot save from sin].
16 So people receive God’s promise by having faith. This happens so the promise can be ·a free gift [by grace]. Then all of Abraham’s ·children [descendants; offspring; L seed] can ·have [be guaranteed; be certain to have] that promise. It is not only for those who live under the law of Moses but for anyone who lives with faith like that of Abraham, who is the father of us all. 17 As it is written in the Scriptures: “I ·am making [L have made] you a father of many nations [Gen. 17:5].” This is true ·before [in the presence of] God, the God Abraham believed, the God who gives life to the dead and who ·creates something out of nothing [L calls things that did not exist into existence].
18 ·Though there was no hope that Abraham would have children [or When all seemed hopeless; L Against hope…], Abraham believed God and continued hoping, and so he became the father of many nations [Gen. 17:5]. As God told him, “·Your descendants also will be too many to count [L So shall your seed/offspring be; Gen. 15:5].” 19 Abraham was almost a hundred years old, ·much past the age for having children [L his own body (as good as) dead], and ·Sarah could not have children [L Sarah’s womb was dead]. Abraham ·thought about all [considered; or acknowledged] this, but his faith in God did not become weak. 20 He never ·doubted or stopped believing [or wavered through unbelief] that God would keep his promise. He grew stronger in his faith and gave ·praise [glory] to God. 21 Abraham ·felt sure [was fully convinced] that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 So, “·God accepted Abraham’s faith, and that faith made him right with God [L it was credited/counted to him for righteousness; Gen. 15:6].” 23 Those words (“·God accepted Abraham’s faith [L it was credited/counted to him]”) were written not only for Abraham 24 but also for us. ·God will accept us also [L …to whom it will be credited/counted] because we believe in the One who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 Jesus was ·given to die [handed/delivered over; 8:32] ·for [because of] our ·sins [violations; transgressions], and he was raised from the dead ·to make us right with God [for our justification; or to confirm our justification].
Romanos 4
Reina Valera Contemporánea
El ejemplo de Abrahán
4 Entonces, ¿qué fue lo que obtuvo nuestro antepasado Abrahán? 2 Porque si Abrahán hubiera sido justificado por las obras, tendría de qué jactarse, pero no delante de Dios. 3 Pues ¿qué es lo que dice la Escritura? Que Abrahán le creyó a Dios, y esto se le tomó en cuenta como justicia.(A) 4 Ahora bien, para el que trabaja, su salario no es un regalo sino algo que tiene merecido; 5 pero al que no trabaja, sino que cree en aquel que justifica al pecador, su fe se le toma en cuenta como justicia. 6 David también se refiere a la felicidad del hombre a quien Dios atribuye justicia sin obras, 7 cuando dice:
«¡Dichoso aquel cuyas iniquidades son perdonadas,
Y cuyos pecados son cubiertos!
8 ¡Dichoso aquél a quien el Señor no culpa de pecado!»(B)
9 ¿Acaso esta dicha es solamente para los que están circuncidados, o es también para los que no lo están? Porque decimos que la fe de Abrahán se le tomó en cuenta como justicia. 10 ¿Cuándo se le tomó en cuenta? ¿Antes de ser circuncidado, o después? Antes, y no después. 11 Entonces Abrahán fue circuncidado(C) como señal, como sello de la justicia por la fe que tuvo antes de ser circuncidado. De esa manera, Abrahán es padre de todos los creyentes que no están circuncidados, a fin de que también a ellos la fe se les tome en cuenta como justicia. 12 Y también es padre de aquellos que, además de estar circuncidados, siguen las pisadas de la fe que tuvo nuestro padre Abrahán antes de ser circuncidado.
La promesa realizada mediante la fe
13 Porque la promesa dada a Abrahán y a su descendencia en cuanto a que recibiría el mundo como herencia,(D) no le fue dada por la ley sino por la justicia que se basa en la fe. 14 Pues si los que van a recibir la herencia se basan en la ley, la fe resulta vana y la promesa queda anulada.(E) 15 Porque la ley produce castigo, pero donde no hay ley, tampoco hay transgresión.
16 Por tanto, la promesa se recibe por fe, para que sea por gracia, a fin de que la promesa sea firme para toda su descendencia, tanto para los que son de la ley como para los que son de la fe de Abrahán, el cual es padre de todos nosotros.(F) 17 Como está escrito: «Te he puesto por padre de muchas naciones.»(G) Y lo es delante de Dios, a quien creyó, el cual da vida a los muertos, y llama las cosas que no existen, como si existieran. 18 Contra toda esperanza, Abrahán creyó para llegar a ser padre de muchas naciones, conforme a lo que se le había dicho: «Así será tu descendencia.»(H) 19 Además, su fe no flaqueó al considerar su cuerpo, que estaba ya como muerto (pues ya tenía casi cien años(I)), o la esterilidad de la matriz de Sara. 20 Tampoco dudó, por incredulidad, de la promesa de Dios, sino que se fortaleció en la fe y dio gloria a Dios, 21 plenamente convencido de que Dios era también poderoso para hacer todo lo que había prometido. 22 Por eso su fe se le tomó en cuenta como justicia. 23 Y no solamente con respecto a él se escribió que se le tomó en cuenta, 24 sino también con respecto a nosotros, pues Dios tomará en cuenta nuestra fe, si creemos en el que levantó de los muertos a Jesús, nuestro Señor, 25 el cual fue entregado por nuestros pecados, y resucitó para nuestra justificación.
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