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Romans 4:3-11
New King James Version
Romans 4:3-11
New King James Version
3 For what does the Scripture say? (A)“Abraham believed God, and it was [a]accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now (B)to him who works, the wages are not counted [b]as grace but as debt.
David Celebrates the Same Truth
5 But to him who (C)does not work but believes on Him who justifies (D)the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also (E)describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed(F) are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”
Abraham Justified Before Circumcision
9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. 11 And (G)he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that (H)he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also,
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Romans 4:3 imputed, credited, reckoned, counted
- Romans 4:4 according to
Romans 4:3-11
New American Standard Bible
Romans 4:3-11
New American Standard Bible
3 For what does the Scripture say? “(A)Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who (B)works, the wages are not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but (C)believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “(D)Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven,
And whose sins have been covered.
8 (E)Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not (F)take into account.”
9 Is this blessing then on [a](G)the circumcised, or on [b]the uncircumcised also? For (H)we say, “(I)Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” 10 How then was it credited? While he was [c]circumcised, or [d]uncircumcised? Not while [e]circumcised, but while [f]uncircumcised; 11 and he (J)received the sign of circumcision, (K)a seal of the righteousness of the faith which [g]he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be (L)the father of (M)all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Romans 4:9 Lit circumcision
- Romans 4:9 Lit uncircumcision
- Romans 4:10 Lit in circumcision
- Romans 4:10 Lit in uncircumcision
- Romans 4:10 Lit in circumcision
- Romans 4:10 Lit in uncircumcision
- Romans 4:11 Lit was in uncircumcision
Romans 4:3-11
Amplified Bible
Romans 4:3-11
Amplified Bible
3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed in (trusted, relied on) God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness (right living, right standing with God).”(A) 4 Now to a laborer, his wages are not credited as a favor or a gift, but as an obligation [something owed to him]. 5 But to the one who does not work [that is, the one who does not try to earn his salvation by doing good], but believes and completely trusts in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is [a]credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God). 6 And in this same way David speaks of the blessing on the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7
“Blessed and happy and favored are those whose lawless acts have been forgiven,
And whose sins have been covered up and completely buried.
8
“Blessed and happy and favored is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account nor charge against him.”(B)
9 Is this blessing only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say, “Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” 10 How then was it credited [to him]? Was it after he had been circumcised, or before? Not after, but while [he was] uncircumcised. 11 He received the sign of circumcision, a seal or confirmation of the righteousness which he had by faith while [he was still] uncircumcised—this was so that he would be the [spiritual] father of all who believe without being circumcised—so that righteousness would be credited to them,
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Romans 4:5 Faith is not an equivalent or substitute for righteousness, but God graciously treats it as if it were the same. Otherwise, no one could be saved from sin and have eternal life.
Romans 4:3-11
New International Version
Romans 4:3-11
New International Version
3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[a](A)
4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift(B) 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.(C) 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed are those
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”[b](D)
9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?(E) We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.(F) 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.(G) So then, he is the father(H) of all who believe(I) but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
Footnotes
- Romans 4:3 Gen. 15:6; also in verse 22
- Romans 4:8 Psalm 32:1,2
Romans 4:3-11
King James Version
Romans 4:3-11
King James Version
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
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New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.