¹³ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because some say to you, “You devour people^(A) and deprive your nation of its children,” ¹⁴ therefore you will no longer devour people or make your nation childless, declares the Sovereign Lord. ¹⁵ No longer will I make you hear the taunts of the nations, and no longer will you suffer the scorn of the peoples or cause your nation to fall, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(B)’”

Israel’s Restoration Assured

¹⁶ Again the word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁷ “Son of man, when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by their conduct and their actions. Their conduct was like a woman’s monthly uncleanness^(C) in my sight.^{(D) 18} So I poured out^(E) my wrath on them because they had shed blood in the land and because they had defiled it with their idols. ¹⁹ I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered^(F) through the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions.^{(G) 20} And wherever they went among the nations they profaned^(H) my holy name, for it was said of them, ‘These are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to leave his land.’^{(I) 21} I had concern for my holy name, which the people of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone.^(J)

²² “Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name,^(K) which you have profaned^(L) among the nations where you have gone.^{(M) 23} I will show the holiness of my great name,^(N) which has been profaned^(O) among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,^(P) declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy^(Q) through you before their eyes.^(R)

²⁴ “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.^{(S) 25} I will sprinkle^(T) clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse^(U) you from all your impurities^(V) and from all your idols.^{(W) 26} I will give you a new heart^(X) and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone^(Y) and give you a heart of flesh.^{(Z) 27} And I will put my Spirit^(AA) in you and move you to follow my decrees^(AB) and be careful to keep my laws.^{(AC) 28} Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people,^(AD) and I will be your God.^(AE)

Abraham Justified by Faith

4 What then shall we say^(A) that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh,^(B) discovered in this matter? ² If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.^{(C) 3} What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”^[a](D)

⁴ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift^(E) but as an obligation. ⁵ However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.^{(F) 6} David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

⁹ Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?^(H) We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.^{(I) 10} Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! ¹¹ And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.^(J) So then, he is the father^(K) of all who believe^(L) but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. ¹² And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

¹³ It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise^(M) that he would be heir of the world,^(N) but through the righteousness that comes by faith.^{(O) 14} For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless,^{(P) 15} because the law brings wrath.^(Q) And where there is no law there is no transgression.^(R)

¹⁶ Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace^(S) and may be guaranteed^(T) to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.^{(U) 17} As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”^[c](V) He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life^(W) to the dead and calls^(X) into being things that were not.^(Y)

¹⁸ Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations,^(Z) just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”^{[d](AA) 19} Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead^(AB)—since he was about a hundred years old^(AC)—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.^{(AD) 20} Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened^(AE) in his faith and gave glory to God,^{(AF) 21} being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.^{(AG) 22} This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”^{(AH) 23} The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, ²⁴ but also for us,^(AI) to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him^(AJ) who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.^{(AK) 25} He was delivered over to death for our sins^(AL) and was raised to life for our justification.^(AM)