Romans · Bible in Basic English
Romans 4 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 What, then, may we say that Abraham, our father after the flesh, has got?
1 ¿QUÉ, pues, diremos que halló Abraham nuestro padre según la carne?
2 For if Abraham got righteousness by works, he has reason for pride; but not before God.
2 Que si Abraham fué justificado por la obras, tiene de qué gloriarse; mas no para con Dios.
3 But what does it say in the holy Writings? And Abraham had faith in God, and it was put to his account as righteousness.
3 Porque ¿qué dice la Escritura? Y creyó Abraham á Dios, y le fué atribuído á justicia.
4 Now, the reward is credited to him who does works, not as of grace but as a debt.
4 Empero al que obra, no se le cuenta el salario por merced, sino por deuda.
5 But to him who without working has faith in him who gives righteousness to the evil-doer, his faith is put to his account as righteousness.
5 Mas al que no obra, pero cree en aquél que justifica al impío, la fe le es contada por justicia.
6 As David says that there is a blessing on the man to whose account God puts righteousness without works, saying,
6 Como también David dice ser bienaventurado el hombre al cual Dios atribuye justicia sin obras,
7 Happy are those who have forgiveness for their wrongdoing, and whose sins are covered.
7 [Diciendo]: Bienaventurados aquellos cuyas iniquidades son perdonadas, y cuyos pecados son cubiertos.
8 Happy is the man against whom no sin is recorded by the Lord.
8 Bienaventurado el varón al cual el Señor no imputó pecado.
9 Is this blessing, then, for the circumcision only, or in the same way for those who have not circumcision? for we say that the faith of Abraham was put to his account as righteousness.
9 ¿Es pues esta bienaventuranza [solamente] en la circuncisión, ó también en la incircuncisión? porque decimos que á Abraham fué contada la fe por justicia.
10 How, then, was it judged? when he had circumcision, or when he had it not? Not when he had it, but when he did not have it:
10 ¿Cómo pues [le] fué contada? ¿en la circuncisión, ó en la incircuncisión? No en la circuncisión, sino en la incircuncisión.
11 And he was given the sign of circumcision as a witness of the faith which he had before he underwent circumcision: so that he might be the father of all those who have faith, though they have not circumcision, and so that righteousness might be put to their account;
11 Y recibió la circuncisión por señal, por sello de la justicia de la fe que tuvo en la incircuncisión: para que fuese padre de todos los creyentes no circuncidados, para que también á ellos les sea contado por justicia;
12 And the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who keep to the way of that faith which our father Abraham had before he underwent circumcision.
12 Y padre de la circuncisión, no solamente á los que son de la circuncisión, mas también á los que siguen las pisadas de la fe que fué en nuestro padre Abraham antes de ser circuncidado.
13 For God's word, that the earth would be his heritage, was given to Abraham, not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
13 Porque no por la ley fué [dada] la promesa á Abraham ó á su simiente, que sería heredero del mundo, sino por la justicia de la fe.
14 For if they who are of the law are the people who get the heritage, then faith is made of no use, and the word of God has no power;
14 Porque si los que son de la ley son los herederos, vana es la fe, y anulada es la promesa.
15 For the outcome of the law is wrath; but where there is no law it will not be broken.
15 Porque la ley obra ira; porque donde no hay ley, tampoco hay transgresión.
16 For this reason it is of faith, so that it may be through grace; and so that the word of God may be certain to all the seed; not only to that which is of the law, but to that which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
16 Por tanto [es] por la fe, para que [sea] por gracia; para que la promesa sea firme á toda simiente, no solamente al que es de la ley, mas también al que es de la fe de Abraham, el cual es padre de todos nosotros,
17 (As it is said in the holy Writings, I have made you a father of a number of nations) before him in whom he had faith, that is, God, who gives life to the dead, and to whom the things which are not are as if they were.
17 (Como está escrito: Que por padre de muchas gentes te he puesto) delante de Dios, al cual creyó; el cual da vida á los muertos, y llama las cosas que no son, como las que son.
18 Who without reason for hope, in faith went on hoping, so that he became the father of a number of nations, as it had been said, So will your seed be.
18 El creyó en esperanza contra esperanza, para venir á ser padre de muchas gentes, conforme á lo que [le] había sido dicho: Así será tu simiente.
19 And not being feeble in faith though his body seemed to him little better than dead (he being about a hundred years old) and Sarah was no longer able to have children:
19 Y no se enflaqueció en la fe, ni consideró su cuerpo ya muerto (siendo ya de casi cien años), ni la matriz muerta de Sara;
20 Still, he did not give up faith in the undertaking of God, but was made strong by faith, giving glory to God,
20 Tampoco en la promesa de Dios dudó con desconfianza: antes fué esforzado en fe, dando gloria á Dios,
21 And being certain that God was able to keep his word.
21 Plenamente convencido de que todo lo que había prometido, era también poderoso para hacerlo.
22 For which reason it was put to his account as righteousness.
22 Por lo cual también le fué atribuído á justicia.
23 Now, it was not because of him only that this was said,
23 Y no solamente por él fué escrito que le haya sido imputado;
24 But for us in addition, to whose account it will be put, if we have faith in him who made Jesus our Lord come back again from the dead,
24 Sino también por nosotros, á quienes será imputado, [esto es], á los que creemos en el que levantó de los muertos á Jesús Señor nuestro,
25 Who was put to death for our evil-doing, and came to life again so that we might have righteousness.
25 El cual fué entregado por nuestros delitos, y resucitado para nuestra justificación.
Cross references (25)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Isaiah 51:2; Romans 4:16; 2 Corinthians 11:22; John 8:56; Acts 13:26
- 2 1 Corinthians 1:31; 2 Corinthians 11:30; Philippians 3:9; Ephesians 2:9; Galatians 3:22
- 3 Genesis 15:6; James 2:23; Galatians 3:6–8; Romans 4:9; Romans 4:22–25
- 4 Romans 11:6; Romans 9:32; Romans 11:35; Matthew 20:1–16
- 5 Philippians 3:9; Romans 3:22; Titus 3:3–7; Romans 10:9–10; Galatians 3:8–14
- 6 Philippians 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 2:8–10; Galatians 3:8–9; 1 Corinthians 1:30
- 7 Psalm 32:1–2; Psalm 130:3–4; Luke 7:47–50; Psalm 85:2; Micah 7:18–20
- 8 Psalm 32:2; 1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:19–20; 1 Peter 3:18; Isaiah 53:10–12
- 9 Galatians 3:14; Colossians 3:11; Ephesians 3:8; Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:26–28
- 10 Galatians 6:15; Galatians 5:6; 1 Corinthians 7:18–19; Genesis 15:16; Genesis 15:5–6
- 11 Romans 3:22; Luke 19:9; Hebrews 11:7; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Galatians 6:16
- 12 Proverbs 2:20; Song of Songs 1:8; John 8:39–40; Galatians 4:22–31; 2 Corinthians 12:18
- 13 Galatians 3:29; Genesis 28:14; Romans 9:8; Genesis 22:17–18; Psalm 2:8
- 14 Galatians 3:18–24; Hebrews 7:19; Philippians 3:9; Romans 3:31; Isaiah 55:11
- 15 Romans 5:13; Galatians 3:10; Romans 3:19–20; 1 Corinthians 15:56; Romans 7:7–25
- 16 Romans 3:24–26; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 9:8; Galatians 3:22; Titus 3:7
- 17 1 Corinthians 1:28; Genesis 17:4–5; John 5:21; Romans 8:29–30; John 6:63
- 18 Romans 8:24; Genesis 15:5–6; Romans 5:5; Acts 27:25; Proverbs 13:12
- 19 Hebrews 11:11–19; Genesis 17:17; Romans 4:20–21; Matthew 14:31; Mark 9:23–24
- 20 Luke 1:45; 1 Corinthians 16:13; Daniel 10:19; 2 Corinthians 12:10; 2 Timothy 2:1
- 21 Luke 1:37; Jeremiah 32:27; Jeremiah 32:17; Hebrews 11:19; Luke 1:45
- 22 Romans 4:3; Romans 4:6
- 23 1 Corinthians 10:11; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:6; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 1 Corinthians 9:9–10
- 24 Acts 2:24; 1 Peter 1:21; Acts 13:30; Romans 10:9–10; Ephesians 1:18–20
- 25 1 John 4:9–10; Isaiah 53:5–6; 1 Peter 3:18; Galatians 1:4; 2 Corinthians 5:21
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
He had said (5 mss. eipen), that the world had become guilty before God, and that all had sinned, and that boasting was excluded, and that it was impossible to be saved otherwise than by faith.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
And Abram believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness." On account of his faith and hospitality, a son was given him in his old age; and in the exercise of obedience, he offered him as a sacrifice to God on one of the mountains which He showed him.
"Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness." In the first place, [he believed] that He was the maker of heaven and earth, the only God; and in the next place, that He would make his seed as the stars of heaven.
Here, indeed, is set down that sentence which the apostle quotes in order to commend the grace of God, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness;" lest the circumcision should glory, and be unwilling to receive the uncircumcised nations to the faith of Christ.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
God promises the old man a child, and Abraham without being weakened in faith, though he considered his own body now as good as dead, heeded not the weakness of his body, but the power of Him who promised, because he counted Him faithful who had promised, and so beyond all expectation gained the child from bodies as it …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)