Romans 3

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

[Someone may object to this, saying], “[If being circumcised does not cause God to accept us Jews], (there is no advantage in being a Jew [over being a non-Jew]./is there any advantage in being a Jew [over being a non-Jew]?) [RHQ] Being circumcised does not benefit [us Jews at all]!”

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

[I would reply that being Jews] benefits [us] in many ways [HYP]. First of all, it benefits us because it was to [our ancestors] that God’s words, [words that contain his promises], were given {that [God] gave his words, [words that contain his promises]}.

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

Many [Jews did not obey God as they promised that they would. So someone might ask], “Does their not being faithful mean that God will not [bless us Jews] as he promised [that he would]?”

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.”

[I would reply], “No, it certainly does not mean that! God always does [what he has promised], even though [people do not]. All those who accuse God [of not keeping his promises to us Jews] are very mistaken.” [What King David wrote about God’s justly saying that he would punish him for his sins is also true of those who accuse God of not keeping his promises. What he said to God was], “So everyone must acknowledge that what you [(sg)] have said [about them] (OR, [their sin]) is true, and you will always win the case when you are accused {when [people] accuse you}.”

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.

So if we [Jews’] being wicked [PRS] shows that it is right that God [does not bless us], what shall we say/conclude? Shall we conclude that it is not right for God to be angry [and punish us Jews] [MTY]? I [should not be saying these things], [but] I am speaking as ordinary humans [speak].

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

We should certainly not [conclude that God should not judge us], because if God [did not judge us Jews], (it would not possibly be right for him to judge [anyone in] the world [MTY]!/how could he judge [anyone in] the world?) [MTY, RHQ]

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

But [someone might object and say to me], “The fact that God truly [keeps his promises] becomes very clear/evident because of my not doing [what God has commanded]. But the result is that people praise God! So (God should no longer say that I should be punished {that [he] should punish me} on account of my having sinned!/why should God still say that I should be punished {that [he] should punish me} on account of my having sinned?) [RHQ]

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

[If what you, Paul, say is true], then (we might as well/it is all right for us to) do evil things in order that good things [like that] will result! For example, [then people will praise God]!” Some people speak evil about me by their [falsely] saying that I say [such things. God] will fairly/justly punish [people who say such things about me]!

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.

[If someone would ask], “[Shall we conclude that God] will treat us [Jews] more favorably [and will treat] the non-Jews less [favorably] [RHQ]?” [I would reply that we can] certainly not [conclude that]! I have already shown you that all people, the Jews and also the non-Jews, have sinned and [so they deserve to be punished] {[that God will punish them]} [PRS].

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

[The following words] that are written {prophets have written} [in the Scriptures support this], No person is righteous. There is not even one righteous person!

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

There is no one who understands [how to live properly] (OR, [about God]). There is no one who seeks/desires [to know] God!

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

Absolutely everyone has turned away [MET] [from God]. God considers them depraved (OR, Everyone has become useless [to God]). There is no one who acts righteously; no, there is not even one!

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

What people say [MTY] [is foul/bad, like the smell that comes from] a grave that has been {that [people] have} opened [MET]. [By what people say] [MTY], they deceive people. [By what they say] [MTY] [they injure people, just like] the poison of snakes [injures people] [MET].

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

They are continually (cursing/asking God to do harmful things to) others and saying (cruel/harsh/hateful) things [MTY].

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;

They (go quickly/are eager) to murder people [MTY].

16 ruin and misery lie in their wake,

Wherever they go, they ruin everything and make [people] miserable [MTY].

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

They have not/never known how [to live] peacefully [with other people].

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

They absolutely refuse to fear/reverence God [SYN]!

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.

Furthermore, we know that it is to [Jewish] people, [who are] required to obey [God’s] laws, that Moses wrote those laws [PRS]. [We can infer from this that] there are no [Jews or non-Jews] [SYN] who are able to say anything [in reply to God’s saying that he will punish them for having sinned]. God has declared everyone in the world [MTY] guilty!

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

It is not because people have done the things that God’s laws [require] that [God] will (erase the record of their sins/declare them no longer guilty for sin), [because no one has done those things completely]. In fact, the result of [our knowing God’s] laws is that we know clearly that we have sinned (OR, are sinful).

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

But God’s (erasing the record of our sins/declaring us no longer guilty) does not depend on [our obeying] the laws [that he gave Moses]. It has now been {[God] has now} revealed [to us] how he erases the record of our sins [by a different way]. It was written about [by Moses] {[Moses] wrote about it} in the laws [PRS] [God gave] him, and it was also written about by the prophets {the prophets also wrote about it}.

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

God erases the record of our sins because we trust in [what] Jesus Christ [has done for us]. God does this for every person who trusts [in Christ], because [he considers] that there is no difference [between Jews and non-Jews].

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

All people have done evil, and all people have failed to accomplish the glorious [goals] that God [set for them].

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

Our record of sins has been erased {God erased the record of our sins} by God acting kindly [to forgive our sins], without our doing anything to earn it. Christ Jesus accomplished this [by dying for us].

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.

God showed that Christ was the one who would atone for (OR, forgive) our sins [with the] blood [that flowed from his body when he died. God redeems/forgives] us because of our trusting [in Christ’s having died for us. God wanted] to show that he acts justly. [He wanted to do that] because, before [Jesus came, God] did not punish [everyone who sinned. So it seemed as though he was not being just]. But he was overlooking people’s sins during [that time],

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.

because he is patient. [God arranged for Jesus to die for us]. By doing that, God now shows that he is just, and he shows that he is justly able to erase the record of sins for everyone who trusts/believes in Jesus.

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

It is not at all [RHQ] because of [our obeying the] laws [of Moses that God erases the record of our sins]. So, (there is no way that we can boast [that God does that because of our obeying those laws]./how can we boast [about God erasing the record of our sins because of our obeying those laws]?) [RHQ] Instead, [it is because of our] believing/trusting [in Christ that God erases the record of our sins].

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

[We cannot boast about that], because we conclude that the record of our sins is erased {God erases the record of our sins} because of our trusting [in Christ]. God does not erase the record of our sins because of our obeying the laws [that he gave to Moses, because it is impossible for us to completely obey them].

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

(You who are Jews certainly should not [think that you] are the only ones whom God [will accept]!/Do you Jews [think it is you] alone whom God [will accept]?) [RHQ] You certainly should [realize that he will accept] non-Jews, too. [RHQ] Of course, [he will accept] non-Jews also,

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

because, [as you firmly believe], there is only one God, who will erase the record of Jews’ [MTY] sins if they trust [in what Christ has done], and who will similarly erase the record of non-Jews’ [MTY] sins if they trust [in Christ].

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

So, [if someone should ask concerning the laws that God gave Moses], “By saying [that God erases the record of our sins because of our] trusting [in Christ], does that mean that those laws now are useless?”, [I would reply], “Certainly not. Instead, we truly fulfill the laws [that God gave Moses].”