¹⁷ This is what I mean: the law, which came ^(A)430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as ^(B)to make the promise void.

³⁹ And all these, ^(A)though commended through their faith, ^(B)did not receive what was promised, ⁴⁰ since God had provided something better for us, ^(C)that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

The Certainty of God's Promise

¹³ For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, ^(A)he swore by himself, ¹⁴ saying, ^(B)“Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” ¹⁵ And thus Abraham,^{[a] (C)}having patiently waited, obtained the promise. ¹⁶ For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes ^(D)an oath is final for confirmation. ¹⁷ So when God desired to show more convincingly to ^(E)the heirs of the promise ^(F)the unchangeable character of his purpose, ^(G)he guaranteed it with an oath, ¹⁸ so that by two unchangeable things, in which ^(H)it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope ^(I)set before us.

The Promise Realized Through Faith

¹³ For ^(A)the promise to Abraham and his offspring ^(B)that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ^14 (C)For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.

¹³ Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain ^(A)that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and ^(B)they will be afflicted for ^(C)four hundred years.