1 C he diremo dunque che il nostro antenato Abraamo abbia ottenuto secondo la carne?

if so, what shall we say about Abraham, our forefather humanly speaking— find out?

2 P oiché se Abraamo fosse stato giustificato per le opere, egli avrebbe di che vantarsi, ma non davanti a Dio;

For if Abraham was justified ( established as just by acquittal from guilt) by good works he has grounds for boasting. But not before God!

3 i nfatti, che dice la Scrittura? «Abraamo credette a Dio e ciò gli fu messo in conto come giustizia».

For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed in (trusted in) God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness (right living and right standing with God).

4 O ra a chi opera, il salario non è messo in conto come grazia, ma come debito;

Now to a laborer, his wages are not counted as a favor or a gift, but as an obligation (something owed to him).

5 m entre a chi non opera ma crede in colui che giustifica l’empio, la sua fede è messa in conto come giustizia.

But to one who, not working, trusts (believes fully) in Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (the standing acceptable to God).

6 C osì pure Davide proclama la beatitudine dell’uomo al quale Dio mette in conto la giustizia senza opere, dicendo:

Thus David congratulates the man and pronounces a blessing on him to whom God credits righteousness apart from the works he does:

7 « Beati quelli le cui iniquità sono perdonate e i cui peccati sono coperti.

Blessed and happy and to be envied are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered up and completely buried.

8 B eato l’uomo al quale il Signore non addebita affatto il peccato».

Blessed and happy and to be envied is the person of whose sin the Lord will take no account nor reckon it against him.

9 Q uesta beatitudine è soltanto per i circoncisi o anche per gli incirconcisi? Infatti diciamo che la fede fu messa in conto ad Abraamo come giustizia.

Is this blessing (happiness) then meant only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.

10 I n quale circostanza dunque gli fu messa in conto? Quando era circonciso, o quando era incirconciso? Non quando era circonciso, ma quando era incirconciso;

How then was it credited ? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.

11 p oi ricevette il segno della circoncisione, quale sigillo della giustizia ottenuta per la fede che aveva quando era incirconciso, affinché fosse padre di tutti gli incirconcisi che credono, in modo che {anche} a loro fosse messa in conto la giustizia,

He received the mark of circumcision as a token or an evidence seal of the righteousness which he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised— so that he was to be made the father of all who believe, though without circumcision, and who thus have righteousness (right standing with God) imputed to them and credited to their account,

12 e fosse padre anche dei circoncisi, di quelli che non solo sono circoncisi, ma seguono anche le orme della fede del nostro padre Abraamo quando era ancora incirconciso.

As well as the father of those circumcised persons who are not merely circumcised, but also walk in the way of that faith which our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

13 I nfatti la promessa di essere erede del mondo non fu fatta ad Abraamo o alla sua discendenza in base alla legge, ma in base alla giustizia che viene dalla fede.

For the promise to Abraham or his posterity, that he should inherit the world, did not come through the Law but through the righteousness of faith.

14 P erché, se diventano eredi quelli che si fondano sulla legge, la fede è resa vana e la promessa è annullata,

If it is the adherents of the Law who are to be the heirs, then faith is made futile and empty of all meaning and the promise is made void (is annulled and has no power).

15 p oiché la legge produce ira; ma dove non c’è legge, non c’è neppure trasgressione.

For the Law results in wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

16 P erciò l’eredità è per fede, affinché sia per grazia, in modo che la promessa sia sicura per tutta la discendenza: non soltanto per quella che è sotto la legge, ma anche per quella che discende dalla fede di Abraamo. Egli è padre di noi tutti

Therefore, the promise is the outcome of faith and depends on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace (unmerited favor), to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his descendants—not only to the devotees and adherents of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

17 ( com’è scritto: «Io ti ho costituito padre di molte nazioni» ) davanti a colui nel quale credette, Dio, che fa rivivere i morti e chiama all’esistenza le cose che non sono.

As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that as if they existed.

18 E gli, sperando contro speranza, credette, per diventare padre di molte nazioni, secondo quello che gli era stato detto: «Così sarà la tua discendenza».

hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So shall your descendants be.

19 S enza venir meno nella fede, egli vide che il suo corpo era svigorito (aveva quasi cent’anni) e che Sara non era più in grado di essere madre;

He did not weaken in faith when he considered the impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.

20 p erò, davanti alla promessa di Dio non vacillò per incredulità, ma fu fortificato nella fede e diede gloria a Dio,

No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God,

21 p ienamente convinto che quanto egli ha promesso, è anche in grado di compierlo.

Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.

22 P erciò gli fu messo in conto come giustizia.

That is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God).

23 O r non per lui soltanto sta scritto che questo gli fu messo in conto come giustizia,

But, It was credited to him, were written not for his sake alone,

24 m a anche per noi, ai quali sarà pure messo in conto; per noi che crediamo in colui che ha risuscitato dai morti Gesù, nostro Signore,

But for our sakes too. will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

25 i l quale è stato dato a causa delle nostre offese ed è stato risuscitato per la nostra giustificazione.

Who was betrayed and put to death because of our misdeeds and was raised to secure our justification (our acquittal),.