Romans 3

1 What, then, is the advantage of being a Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?

What, then, is the preeminence of the Jew? Or what, the profit of his circumcision?

2 Much in every way. First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God.

Much, every way: —First, indeed, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

3 What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?

For what? If some distrusted, shall their distrust make, the trust of God, void?

4 Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.”

Far be it! But let, God, prove to be, true, albeit, every man, be false! Even as it is written—That thou mightest be declared righteous in thy words, and overcome when thou art in judgment.

5 But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? I am speaking in human terms.

But, if, our unrighteousness, commendeth, God’s righteousness, what shall we say? Surely, not unrighteous, is God who visiteth with his anger? After the manner of men, I am speaking, —

6 Certainly not! In that case, how could God judge the world?

Far be it! Else how shall God judge the world?

7 However, if my falsehood accentuates God’s truthfulness, to the increase of His glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?

But, if, the truth of God, by my falsehood, hath the more abounded unto his glory, why, any longer, am, even I, as a sinner, to be judged?

8 Why not say, as some slanderously claim that we say, “Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is deserved!

And why not, according as we are injuriously charged, [and] according as some affirm that we say, Let us do the bad things, that the good ones may come? whose sentence is, just.

9 What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin.

What then? do we screen ourselves? Not at all! For we have before accused both Jews and Greeks of being, all under sin;

10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one.

Even as it is written—there is none righteous, not even one,

11 There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.

There is none that discerneth, There is none that seeketh out God:

12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

All, have turned aside, together, have become useless, There is none that doeth kindness, not so much as one:

13 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.”

A sepulchre opened, is their throat, with their tongues, have they used deceit, the poison of asps, is under their lips,

14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

Whose mouth, of cursing and bitterness, is full,

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;

Swift, are their feet to shed blood;

16 ruin and misery lie in their wake,

Destruction and misery, are in their ways,

17 and the way of peace they have not known.”

And, the way of peace, have they not known:

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

Now we know that, whatsoever things the law saith, to them who are within the law, it speaketh, in order that, every mouth, may be stopped and all the world come, under penal sentence, unto God.

20 Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.

Inasmuch as, by works of law, shall no flesh be declared righteous before him, —through law, in fact, is discovery of sin.

21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.

But now, apart from law, a righteousness of God hath been manifested, borne witness to by the law and the prophets, —

22 And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,

A righteousness of God, through faith in [Jesus] Christ, unto all that have faith; for there is no distinction, —

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

For, all, have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

24 and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Being declared righteous freely by his favour through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: —

25 God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.

Whom God hath set forth as a propitiatory covering, through faith in his blood, for a showing forth of his righteousness, by reason of the passing-by of the previously committed sins,

26 He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

In the forbearance of God, —with a view to a showing forth of his righteousness in the present season, that he might be righteous even when declaring righteous him that hath faith in Jesus.

27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of works? No, but on that of faith.

Where, then, the boasting! It is excluded. Through what kind of law? Of works? Nay! but through a law of faith:

28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

For we reckon that a man is to be declared righteous by faith, apart from works of law.

29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,

Or, [is God] the God, of Jews only, and not of the nations also? Yea! of the nations also: —

30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.

If, at all events, God is one, who will declare righteous—the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through their faith.

31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Certainly not! Instead, we uphold the law.

Do we then make, law, void through means of our faith? Far be it! On the contrary, law, we do establish!