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¹ What then shall we say concerning Abraham the patriarch, that by the flesh he obtained?² But if Abraham was justified by works, he had [fn] glorying; yet not before God. ³ For what saith the scripture? That Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.⁴ But to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as a debt to him.⁵ Whereas, to him that worketh not, but only believeth in him that justifieth sinners, his faith is accounted to him for righteousness.⁶ As David also speaketh of the blessedness of the man, to whom God reckoneth righteousness without works,⁷ saying: Blessed are they, whose iniquity is forgiven, and whose sins are covered up:⁸ and, Blessed is the man, to whom God will not reckon his sin.

⁹ This blessedness, therefore, is it on the circumcision? or on the uncircumcision? For we say, that Abraham's faith was reckoned to him for righteousness.¹⁰ How then was it reckoned to him? In circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.¹¹ For he received circumcision, as the sign and the seal of the righteousness of his faith while in uncircumcision: that he might become the father of all them of the uncircumcision who believe; and that it might be reckoned to them also for righteousness:¹² and the father of the circumcision; not to them only who are of the circumcision, but to them also who fulfill the steps of the faith of our father Abraham in [fn] uncircumcision. ¹³ For the promise to Abraham and to his seed, that he should become the heir of the world, was not by the law, but by the righteousness of his faith.¹⁴ For if they who are of the law were heirs, faith would be made void, and the promise of no force.¹⁵ For the law is a worker of wrath; because where no law is, there is no transgression of law.¹⁶ Wherefore, it is by the faith which is by grace, that we are justified: so that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but also to that which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all:

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