Romans 4
1 What then will we say to have discovered Abraham the (ancestor *N(K)O*) of us according to [the] flesh?
Abraham is the [revered] ancestor of us [Jews]. So think about what we can conclude [from what happened to Abraham about how God can erase the record of our sins]. [RHQ]
2 If for Abraham by works was justified, he has ground of boasting but not toward (*k*) God.
If it was because of Abraham’s doing [good] things that the record of his sins was erased {that [God] erased the record of his sins}, Abraham could then have been able to boast [about that to people], but he would not have [had any basis to] boast to God [about it].
3 What for the Scripture says? Believed then Abraham in God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.
[Remember that] in the Scriptures it is written {someone wrote} [PRS] that Abraham believed what God [promised] [RHQ], and as a result the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}.
4 To the [one] now working the reward not is reckoned according to grace but according to (*k*) debt;
If we receive wages for work that we do, those wages are not considered to be a gift. Instead, they [are considered] to be what we have earned. [Similarly, if God erases the record of our sins because we did things to earn God’s favor], we would not consider that [God’s erasing the record of our sin] was [a gift. Instead, we would consider it as what we had earned].
5 To the [one] however not working, believing however on the [One] justifying the ungodly, is reckoned the faith of him for righteousness.
But suppose that we do not do things [to gain God’s acceptance]. Suppose that we instead trust [in God], who erases the record of sins of wicked people. Then the erasing of the record of our sins because of our trusting [in Christ] is considered to be a gift to us, [not something that we earned].
6 just as also David declares the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
Similarly, it is as David wrote [in the Psalms] about people being happy whose record of sins God has erased even though they have not done things [to earn it. David wrote]:
7 Blessed [are] they of whom are forgiven the lawless deeds and of whom are covered the sins;
[God] is pleased with people whose sins have been {whose sins [he] has} forgiven, and whose sins he [has decided] to forget [DOU].
8 blessed [is] [the] man (of whom *N(k)O*) certainly not may reckon [the] Lord sin.
[God] causes to be happy the people whose sins he no longer keeps a record of.
9 [Is] the blessing then this on the circumcision or also on the uncircumcision? We are saying for (that: *k*) was credited to Abraham the faith as righteousness.
As for our being happy [because God has erased the record of our sins], (it is not something that [only] we Jews [can experience]./is it [MTY] something that [only] we Jews [can experience]?) [RHQ] [No, it is] also something that non-Jews [can experience] [MTY]. [What is written in the Scriptures], that it was because Abraham trusted [in God] that the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}, [also shows that this is true].
10 How then was it credited? In circumcision being or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision but in uncircumcision;
([Think about] when [God erased the record of Abraham’s sins]./When did [God erase the record of Abraham’s sins]?) [RHQ] (Consider whether [it happened] after someone circumcised [Abraham to mark him as one who belonged to God], or before someone circumcised him./[Did it happen] after [Abraham was] circumcised [to be marked as one who belonged to God], or before he was circumcised?) [RHQ] It happened before he was circumcised, not after he was circumcised.
11 And [the] sign he received of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith that [he had] [while] in the uncircumcision; for the to be him father of all those believing in uncircumcision, for to be credited also to them the righteousness,
[Many years later, God commanded that] Abraham [be] circumcised. Abraham’s accepting that ritual simply showed [that he knew that God had accepted him]. [He knew that God] had [erased the record of his sins] because he trusted [in God] while he was still, [in effect, a non-Jew because] he had not been circumcised. [So we can understand that] Abraham became (a spiritual ancestor/like an ancestor) to [all] of us whose record of sins has been erased {whose sins [God] has erased the record of} because we believe [in God’s promise, even though some of us] are not circumcised.
12 and father of circumcision to those not of circumcision only but also to those walking in the steps during (the *k*) uncircumcision (of the *k*) faith of the father of us Abraham.
Likewise, Abraham is the [spiritual] ancestor of all us Jews who are not merely circumcised but who, more importantly, [believe in God’s promise] as our ancestor Abraham did, even before he was circumcised.
13 Not for through [the] Law [was] the promise to Abraham or to the descendants of him that heir he being (of the *k*) world but through [the] righteousness of faith.
God promised Abraham and his descendants that they would receive [the blessings that he promised to give to the people in] the world. But when he promised that, it was not because Abraham [obeyed] the laws [that God later gave to Moses]. Instead, it was because Abraham believed [that God would do what he promised that he would do]. As a result, God erased the record of his sins.
14 If for those of [the] Law [are] heirs, has been made void faith and has been nullified the promise;
If [we think that] it is those who [obey God’s] laws who will receive [what he has promised], it is useless [for us to trust in him. And what he] promised is worthless. [Remember that] it is [stated] in God’s law [PRS] [that] he will punish [people who do not perfectly obey them], and remember that wherever [MTY] laws exist, [people] disobey them [LIT].
15 For law wrath brings; where (now *N(k)O*) no there is law, neither [is] transgression.
16 Therefore it [is] of faith, that [it may be] according to grace, for to be sure the promise to all the seed, not to that of the law only but also to that of [the] faith of Abraham, who is [the] father of all of us —
So it is because [we] trust [in God that we will receive the things that he has promised]. [It is not because we perfectly obey God’s laws. He wants] (to [erase the record of our sins/to declare us no longer guilty]) without our earning it. As a result, what God now promises, he guarantees to give to all people who are [Abraham’s spiritual] descendants. [He promises to do that not only for us Jewish believers], who [have] God’s laws [and trust in him as Abraham did], but also for those [non-Jews who do not have God’s laws but] who trust [in him] as Abraham did. Abraham is the [spiritual] ancestor of all of us [believers].
17 even as it has been written that A father of many nations I have made you, before whom he believed God, who is giving life to the dead and calling the [things] not [into] being as existing;
What is written {What [Moses] wrote} [in the Scriptures about what God promised Abraham shows that this is true]. [God said to him], “It is in order that you [(sg)] may be the ancestor of many ethnic groups that I have chosen you.” Romans 4:17b-22 God [guaranteed that he would give Abraham many descendants]. Abraham confidently believed that God [would do that],
18 who against hope in hope believed for to become him [the] father of many nations according to that spoken; So will be the offspring of you;
even though there was no physical reason for him to hope [that he would have descendants, because he and his wife were too old to bear children]. But God is the one who causes dead people to live again, and who talks about things that do not yet exist as already existing. [God said to Abraham], “You will have so many descendants that they will be [as impossible to count as the stars].” And Abraham believed that, and he believed that he would become the ancestor of many ethnic groups.
19 And not having become weak in the faith (not *K*) he considered his own body already expired, a hundred years old about being, and the lifelessness of the womb of Sarah,
He did not doubt [that God would do what he promised], even though he knew that his body was already [as incapable of begetting children as if he were] dead [MET] because he was about 100 years old. And [even though he realized that] Sarah had never been able to become pregnant [IDM],
20 About however the promise of God not he did waver through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, having given glory to God
he did not doubt at all that God [would do what he had] promised. Instead, he trusted [in God] more/very strongly, and he thanked God [for what God was going to do].
21 and having been fully assured that what He has promised able He is also to do;
He was also convinced {very sure} that the thing that God promised, God was able to do.
22 Therefore also it was credited to him unto righteousness.
And that is the reason that the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}.
23 Not it was written now on account of him alone that it was credited to him,
The words [in the Scriptures], “The record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins},” are not only about Abraham.
24 but also on account of us to whom it is about to be credited, to those believing on the [One] having raised Jesus the Lord of us out from [the] dead,
They were also written {[They] also wrote that} for us whose record of sins would be erased {[God] would erase}. They were written {[They] wrote it} for us who believe [God], the one who caused our Lord Jesus to become alive again after he died.
25 who was delivered over for the trespasses of us and was raised for the justification of us.
Jesus allowed [men] to execute [MTY] him so that [God could forgive] our evil deeds. And [God] caused Jesus to live again because [God wanted to show that because of the death of Jesus he was able to] erase the record of our sins.
