Romans 4
1 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]
What then shall we say—as touching Abraham our forefather?
2 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].
For, if Abraham by works was declared righteous, he hath whereof to boast; —nevertheless, not towards God, —
3 [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}.
For what doth the Scripture say? And Abraham believed in God, and it was reckoned unto him as righteousness.
4 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].
Now, unto him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned by way of favour but by way of obligation,
5 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].
Whereas, unto him that worketh not but believeth on him that declareth righteous the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.
6 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]:
Just as David also affirmeth the happiness of the man unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works: —
7 [God] is pleased with people whose sins have been {whose sins [he] has} forgiven, and whose sins he [has decided] to forget [DOU].
Happy, they whose lawlessnesses have been forgiven and whose sins have been covered,
8 [God] causes to be happy the people whose sins he no longer keeps a record of.
Happy, the man whose sin the Lord will in nowise reckon.
9 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].
This happiness, then, [is it] for the circumcision, or for the uncircumcision? for we say—His faith was reckoned unto Abraham as righteousness:
10 ([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.
How, then, was it reckoned? When he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision;
11 [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.
And, a sign, he received [namely] of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while yet uncircumcised; to the end he might be father of all that believe during uncircumcision, to the end [the same] righteousness might be reckoned unto them, —
12 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.
And father of circumcision—unto them who are not of circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of the faith, while yet uncircumcised, of our father Abraham.
13 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.
For, not through means of law, doth the promise belong unto Abraham or unto his seed, —that he should be heir of the world; but, through a righteousness by faith.
14 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].
For, if they who are of law are heirs, made void is faith and of no effect is the promise.
For, the law, worketh out anger, but, where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
16 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].
For this cause, it is by faith, in order that it may be by way of favour, so that the promise is firm unto all the seed, —not unto that by the law only, but unto that also [which is such] by the faith of Abraham; who is father of us all, —
17 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],
Even as it is written—Father of many nations, have I appointed thee: before him whom he believed—God, who causeth the dead to live, and calleth the things that are not as things that are: —
18 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.
Who, past hope, upon hope believed, so that he became father of many nations, —according to what had been said—So shall be thy seed; —
19 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],
And, without becoming weak in his faith, he attentively considered his own body, already deadened—he being a hundred years old, the deadening also of Sarah’s womb;
20 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].
In respect, however, of the promise of God, he was not led to hesitate by unbelief, but received power by his faith, giving glory unto God,
21 He was also convinced {very sure} that the thing that God promised, God was able to do.
And being fully persuaded (that), —what he hath promised, able is he also to perform:
22 And that is the reason that the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}.
Wherefore [also], it was reckoned unto him as righteousness.
23 The words [in the Scriptures], “The record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins},” are not only about Abraham.
Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was reckoned unto him,
24 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.
But for our sakes also—unto whom it is to be reckoned, —even unto them that believe upon him who raised Jesus our Lord from among the dead:
25 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.
Who was delivered up on account of our offences and was raised on account of the declaring us righteous.
