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¹ What shall we say then? That our father Abraham hath found according to the flesh?² If Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory: but he hath not in the sight of God.³ For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness.⁴ Now to him that worketh, the reward is 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 imputed to him for righteousness.⁶ So David also describeth the happiness of the man, to whom God imputeth righteousness without works:⁷ Happy are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;⁸ Happy is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

⁹ Cometh this happiness then on the circumcision only, or on the uncircumcision also? For we say that faith was imputed to Abraham for righteousness.¹⁰ How was it then imputed? 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 in uncircumcision, that he might be the father of all who believe in uncircumcision, that righteousness may be imputed to them also,¹² And the father of the circumcision, to them who not only are of the circumcision, but also walk in the footsteps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had in uncircumcision.¹³ For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham or to his seed by the law, but by the righteousness of faith.¹⁴ For if they who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise of no effect.¹⁵ Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.¹⁶ Therefore it is of faith, that it might be of grace, that the promise might be firm to all the seed; not only to that which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (As it is written,

¹⁷ I have made thee a father of many nations) before God in whom he believed, as quickning the dead, and calling the things that are not, as though they were:¹⁸ Who against hope believed in hope, that he should be the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.¹⁹ And not being weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, being about an hundred years old, nor the deadness of Sarah's womb.²⁰ He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,²¹ And being fully assured, that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.²² And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

²³ Now it was not written on his account only, that it was imputed to him,²⁴ But on ours also, to whom it will be imputed, if we believe on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.²⁵ Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.