---
title: "Romans 4 – Catholic Bible (CPDV) & Latin Vulgate · Bless"
url: https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/4/
description: "Abraham was not justified by works done, as of himself, but by grace and by… Romans 4 in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin Vulgate."
---

# Romans 4

Romans 4 is chapter 4 of 16 in the Letter to the Romans. Here are all 25 verses in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin of the Clementine Vulgate beside them.

> Abraham was not justified by works done, as of himself, but by grace and by faith. And that before he was circumcised. Gentiles, by faith, are his children.
>
> — Bp. Richard Challoner, chapter summary

## Romans 4 (Catholic Public Domain Version)

1. So then, what shall we say that Abraham had achieved, who is our father according to the flesh?
2. For if Abraham was justified by works, he would have glory, but not with God.
3. For what does Scripture say? “Abram believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.”
4. But for he who works, wages are not accounted according to grace, but according to debt.
5. Yet truly, for he who does not work, but who believes in him who justifies the impious, his faith is reputed unto justice, according to the purpose of the grace of God.
6. Similarly, David also declares the blessedness of a man, to whom God brings justice without works:
7. “Blessed are they whose iniquities have been forgiven and whose sins have been covered.
8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord has not imputed sin.”
9. Does this blessedness, then, remain only in the circumcised, or is it even in the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was reputed to Abraham unto justice.
10. But then how was it reputed? In circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11. For he received the sign of circumcision as a symbol of the justice of that faith which exists apart from circumcision, so that he might be the father of all those who believe while uncircumcised, so that it might also be reputed to them unto justice,
12. and he might be the father of circumcision, not only for those who are of circumcision, but even for those who follow the footsteps of that faith which is in the uncircumcision of our father Abraham.
13. For the Promise to Abraham, and to his posterity, that he would inherit the world, was not through the law, but through the justice of faith.
14. For if those who are of the law are the heirs, then faith becomes empty and the Promise is abolished.
15. For the law works unto wrath. And where there is no law, there is no law-breaking.
16. Because of this, it is from faith according to grace that the Promise is ensured for all posterity, not only for those who are of the law, but also for those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all before God,
17. in whom he believed, who revives the dead and who calls those things that do not exist into existence. For it is written: “I have established you as the father of many nations.”
18. And he believed, with a hope beyond hope, so that he might become the father of many nations, according to what was said to him: “So shall your posterity be.”
19. And he was not weakened in faith, nor did he consider his own body to be dead (though he was then almost one hundred years old), nor the womb of Sarah to be dead.
20. And then, in the Promise of God, he did not hesitate out of distrust, but instead he was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,
21. knowing most fully that whatever God has promised, he is also able to accomplish.
22. And for this reason, it was reputed to him unto justice.
23. Now this has been written, that it was reputed to him unto justice, not only for his sake,
24. but also for our sake. For the same shall be reputed to us, if we believe in him who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead,
25. who was handed over because of our offenses, and who rose again for our justification.

## Romans 4 in Latin (Clementine Vulgate, 1592)

1. Quid ergo dicemus invenisse Abraham patrem nostrum secundum carnem?
2. Si enim Abraham ex operibus justificatus est, habet gloriam, sed non apud Deum.
3. Quid enim dicit Scriptura? Credidit Abraham Deo, et reputatum est illi ad justitiam.
4. Ei autem qui operatur, merces non imputatur secundum gratiam, sed secundum debitum.
5. Ei vero qui non operatur, credenti autem in eum, qui justificat impium, reputatur fides ejus ad justitiam secundum propositum gratiæ Dei.
6. Sicut et David dicit beatitudinem hominis, cui Deus accepto fert justitiam sine operibus:
7. Beati, quorum remissæ sunt iniquitates, et quorum tecta sunt peccata.
8. Beatus vir, cui non imputavit Dominus peccatum.
9. Beatitudo ergo hæc in circumcisione tantum manet, an etiam in præputio? Dicimus enim quia reputata est Abrahæ fides ad justitiam.
10. Quomodo ergo reputata est? in circumcisione, an in præputio? Non in circumcisione, sed in præputio.
11. Et signum accepit circumcisionis, signaculum justitiæ fidei, quæ est in præputio: ut sit pater omnium credentium per præputium, ut reputetur et illis ad justitiam:
12. et sit pater circumcisionis non iis tantum, qui sunt ex circumcisione, sed et iis qui sectantur vestigia fidei, quæ est in præputio patris nostri Abrahæ.
13. Non enim per legem promissio Abrahæ, aut semini ejus ut hæres esset mundi: sed per justitiam fidei.
14. Si enim qui ex lege, hæredes sunt: exinanita est fides, abolita est promissio.
15. Lex enim iram operatur. Ubi enim non est lex, nec prævaricatio.
16. Ideo ex fide, ut secundum gratiam firma sit promissio omni semini, non ei qui ex lege est solum, sed et ei qui ex fide est Abrahæ, qui pater est omnium nostrum
17. (sicut scriptum est: Quia patrem multarum gentium posui te) ante Deum, cui credidit, qui vivificat mortuos, et vocat ea quæ non sunt, tamquam ea quæ sunt:
18. qui contra spem in spem credidit, ut fieret pater multarum gentium secundum quod dictum est ei: Sic erit semen tuum.
19. Et non infirmatus est fide, nec consideravit corpus suum emortuum, cum jam fere centum esset annorum, et emortuam vulvam Saræ.
20. In repromissione etiam Dei non hæsitavit diffidentia, sed confortatus est fide, dans gloriam Deo:
21. plenissime sciens, quia quæcumque promisit, potens est et facere.
22. Ideo et reputatum est illi ad justitiam.
23. Non est autem scriptum tantum propter ipsum quia reputatum est illi ad justitiam:
24. sed et propter nos, quibus reputabitur credentibus in eum, qui suscitavit Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum a mortuis,
25. qui traditus est propter delicta nostra, et resurrexit propter justificationem nostram.

## Catechism of the Catholic Church

Paragraph numbers and the Catechism's own section headings (never quoted); text at vatican.va.
- CCC ¶ 146: The Obedience of Faith ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 298: The Creator ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 165: The Characteristics of Faith ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 723: The Spirit of Christ in the Fullness of Time ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 1819: The Theological Virtues ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 519: The Mysteries of Christ's Life ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 517: The Mysteries of Christ's Life ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 977: One Baptism for the Forgiveness of Sins ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))

## Bishop Challoner's notes

Bp. Richard Challoner, notes on the Douay-Rheims (1750); they comment on its older wording.
- Verse 2: “By works” … Done by his own strength, without the grace of God, and faith in him.
- Verse 2: Whatever glory or applause such works might procure from men, they would be of no value in the sight of God.
- Verse 3: “Reputed” … By God, who reputeth nothing otherwise than it is. However, we may gather from this word, that when we are justified, our justification proceedeth from God's free grace and bounty; and not from any efficacy which any act of ours could have of its own nature, abstracting from God's grace.
- Verse 4: Vis., as of his own fund, or by his own strength. Such a man, says the apostle, challenges his reward as a debt due to his own performances; whereas he who worketh not, that is, who presumeth not upon any works done by his own strength, but seeketh justice through faith and grace, is freely justified by God's grace.
- Verse 7: That is, blessed are those who, by doing penance, have obtained pardon and remission of their sins, and also are covered; that is, newly clothed with the habit of grace, and vested with the stole of charity.
- Verse 8: That is, blessed is the man who hath retained his baptismal innocence, that no grievous sin can be imputed to him. And, likewise, blessed is the man, who after fall into sin, hath done penance and leads a virtuous life, by frequenting the sacraments necessary for obtaining the grace to prevent a relapse, that sin is no more imputed to him.
- Verse 9: That is, is it only for the Jews that are circumcised? No, says the apostle, but also for the uncircumcised Gentiles: who, by faith and grace, may come to justice; as Abraham did before he was circumcised.
- Verse 14: That is, if they alone, who follow the ceremonies of the law, be heirs of the blessings promised to Abraham; then that faith which was so much praised in him, will be found to be of little value. And the very promise will be made void, by which he was promised to be the father, not of the Jews only, but of all nations of believers.
- Verse 15: The law, abstracting from faith and grace, worketh wrath occasionally, by being an occasion of many transgressions, which provoke God's wrath.

## Read at Mass (US)

- Fri, Mar 19, 2027: St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary — Second Reading, Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22
- Fri, Oct 15, 2027 (computed): St. Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church — First Reading, Romans 4:1-8
- Sat, Oct 16, 2027 (computed): Saturday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time — First Reading, Romans 4:13, 16-18
- Mon, Mar 20, 2028 (computed): St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary — Second Reading, Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22

Citations as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar (principal Mass, first option). Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.

Source: Catholic Public Domain Version (Ronald L. Conte Jr., 2009), public domain; Latin: Clementine Vulgate (1592).