Romans 4 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Let's take Abraham as an example. From a human viewpoint he is the father of our nation. Let's ask, “What was his experience?”
1 ¿QUÉ, pues, diremos que halló Abraham nuestro padre según la carne?
2 For if Abraham was set right by what he did, he would have had something to boast about—but not in God's eyes.
2 Que si Abraham fué justificado por la obras, tiene de qué gloriarse; mas no para con Dios.
3 However, what does Scripture say? “Abraham trusted God, and so he was considered as being a good person who did right.”
3 Porque ¿qué dice la Escritura? Y creyó Abraham á Dios, y le fué atribuído á justicia.
4 Whoever works gets paid—it's not considered as a gift, but because they've earned their wages.
4 Empero al que obra, no se le cuenta el salario por merced, sino por deuda.
5 But God, who makes sinners right, considers them as right not because they've worked for it but because they trust in him. This is why
5 Mas al que no obra, pero cree en aquél que justifica al impío, la fe le es contada por justicia.
6 David speaks of the happiness of those whom God considers as right, and not because they worked for it:
6 Como también David dice ser bienaventurado el hombre al cual Dios atribuye justicia sin obras,
7 “How happy are those whose wrongs are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
7 [Diciendo]: Bienaventurados aquellos cuyas iniquidades son perdonadas, y cuyos pecados son cubiertos.
8 How happy are those the Lord does not consider sinful.”
8 Bienaventurado el varón al cual el Señor no imputó pecado.
9 Now is this blessing just for the Jews, or is it for others too? We've just stated that Abraham was accepted as good and right because he trusted God.
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 But when did this happen? When Abraham was a Jew or before?
10 ¿Cómo pues [le] fué contada? ¿en la circuncisión, ó en la incircuncisión? No en la circuncisión, sino en la incircuncisión.
11 It was actually before he became a Jew by being circumcised, which was a confirmation of his trust in God to make him right. This happened before he was circumcised, so he is the father of everyone who trusts in God and are considered as right by God, even though they may not be circumcised Jews.
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 He is also the father of circumcised Jews not merely because they're circumcised, but because they follow the example of the trust in God our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
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 God's promise to Abraham and his descendants that the world would belong to him was not based on his keeping of the law, but because he was made right through his trust in God.
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 the promised inheritance is based on keeping the law, then the issue of trusting God is not necessary, and the promise is pointless.
14 Porque si los que son de la ley son los herederos, vana es la fe, y anulada es la promesa.
15 For the law results in punishment—but if there's no law then it cannot be broken.
15 Porque la ley obra ira; porque donde no hay ley, tampoco hay transgresión.
16 So the promise is based on trusting God. It is provided as a free gift, guaranteed to all the children of Abraham—not merely to those who follow the law, but also to those who trust like Abraham, 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 Scripture says, “I've made you the father of many nations.” For in the presence of God, Abraham trusted in the God who makes the dead alive and speaks into existence what didn't previously exist.
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 Against all hope Abraham in hope trusted God, so he could become the father of many peoples, just as God had promised him: “This is how many descendants you'll have!”
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 His trust in God didn't weaken even though he thought his body was practically dead (he was around a hundred years old), and knew that Sarah was too old 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 He held on to God's promise—he didn't doubt it. Instead his trust in God grew stronger, and he gave glory to God.
20 Tampoco en la promesa de Dios dudó con desconfianza: antes fué esforzado en fe, dando gloria á Dios,
21 He was totally convinced that what God had promised he had the power to deliver.
21 Plenamente convencido de que todo lo que había prometido, era también poderoso para hacerlo.
22 That's why Abraham was considered right by God.
22 Por lo cual también le fué atribuído á justicia.
23 The words “Abraham was considered right” weren't just written down for his benefit.
23 Y no solamente por él fué escrito que le haya sido imputado;
24 They were for us too, those of us who will be considered as right, since we trust in God who raised our Lord Jesus 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 Jesus was handed over to die because of our sins, and was raised to life to make us right.
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)