Romans 4

¹What thanne schulen we seie, that Abraham oure fadir aftir the flesch foond?

²For if Abraham is iustified of werkis of the lawe, he hath glorie, but not anentis God.

³For what seith the scripture? Abraham bileued to God, and it was arettid to him to riytwisnesse.

⁴And to hym that worchith mede is not arettid bi grace, but bi dette.

⁵Sotheli to hym that worchith not, but bileueth in to hym that iustefieth a wickid man, his feith is arettid to riytwisnesse, aftir the purpos of Goddis grace.

⁶As Dauid seith the blessidnesse of a man, whom God acceptith, he yyueth to hym riytwisnesse with outen werkis of the lawe,

⁷Blessid ben thei, whos wickidnessis ben foryouun, and whos synnes ben hid.

⁸Blessid is that man, to whom God arettide not synne.

⁹Thanne whether dwellith this blisfulnesse oneli in circumcisioun, or also in prepucie? For we seien, that the feith was arettid to Abraham to riytwisnesse.

¹⁰Hou thanne was it arettid? in circumcisioun, or in prepucie? Not in circumcisioun, but in prepucie.

¹¹And he took a signe of circumcisioun, a tokenyng of riytwisnesse of the feith which is in prepucie, that he be fadir of alle men bileuynge bi prepucie, that it be arettid also to hem to riytwisnesse;

¹²and that he be fadir of circumcisioun, not onely to hem that ben of circumcisioun, but also to hem that suen the steppis of the feith, which feith is in prepucie of oure fader Abraham.

¹³For not bi the lawe is biheest to Abraham, or to his seed, that he schulde be eir of the world, but bi the riytwisnesse of feith.

¹⁴For if thei that ben of the lawe, ben eiris, feith is distried, biheest is don awey.

¹⁵For the lawe worchith wraththe; for where is no lawe, there is no trespas, nethir is trespassyng.

¹⁶Therfor riytfulnesse is of the feith, that bi grace biheeste be stable to ech seed, not to that seed oneli that is of the lawe, but to that that is of the feith of Abraham, which is fadir of vs alle.

¹⁷As it is writun, For Y haue set thee fadir of many folkis, bifor God to whom thou hast bileued. Which God quykeneth deed men, and clepith tho thingis that ben not, as tho that ben.

¹⁸Which Abraham ayens hope bileuede in to hope, that he schulde be maad fader of many folkis, as it was seid to hym, Thus schal thi seed be, as the sterris of heuene, and as the grauel that is in the brenke of the see.

¹⁹And he was not maad vnstidfast in the bileue, nether he biheelde his bodi thanne nyy deed, whanne he was almost of an hundrid yeer, ne the wombe of Sare nyy deed.

²⁰Also in the biheeste of God he doutide not with vntrist; but he was coumfortid in bileue,

²¹yyuynge glorie to God, witynge moost fulli that what euere thingis God hath bihiyt, he is myyti also to do.

²²Therfor it was arettid to hym to riytwisnesse.

²³And it is not writun oneli for him, that it was arettid to hym to riytwisnesse,

²⁴but also for vs, to whiche it schal be arettid, that bileuen in him that reiside oure Lord Jhesu Crist fro deeth.

²⁵Which was bitakun for oure synnes, and roos ayen for oure iustefiyng.

Romans 4

¹What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

²For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

³For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

⁴Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

⁵But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

⁶Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

⁷Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

⁸Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

⁹Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

¹⁰How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

¹¹And 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:

¹²And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

¹³For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

¹⁴For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

¹⁵Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

¹⁶Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

¹⁷(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

¹⁸Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

¹⁹And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:

²⁰He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

²¹And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

²²And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

²³Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

²⁴But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

²⁵Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.