And to the one who does not work but (A)believes in[a] him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

(B)“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
    and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not (C)count his sin.”

Is this blessing then only for (D)the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? (E)For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11 (F)He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was (G)to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, 12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 4:5 Or but trusts; compare verse 24

However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.(A) David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

“Blessed are those
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”[a](B)

Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?(C) We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.(D) 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.(E) So then, he is the father(F) of all who believe(G) 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.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 4:8 Psalm 32:1,2