Romans 3

1 What advantage then hath the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision?

What special privilege, then, has the Jew? Or what is the use of circumcision?

2 Much every way. First indeed, because the words of God were committed to them.

Much in every way. First of all, because to them were entrusted the oracles of God.

3 For what if some of them have not believed? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid.

Supposing some of them have proved faithless?

4 But God is true; and every man a liar, as it is written, That thou mayest be justified in thy words, and mayest overcome when thou art judged.

By no means! Be sure that God is ever true, though all mankind prove false. As it is written, That thou mayest be found just in thine argument, And gain thy cause when thou contendest.

5 But if our injustice commend the justice of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust, who executeth wrath?

But if our unrighteousness thus brings out God’s righteousness, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous - I speak after the manner of men - when he inflicts his anger on us?

6 (I speak according to man.) God forbid: otherwise how shall God judge this world?

Be it far from us; for in that case how could God judge the world?

7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie, unto his glory, why am I also yet judged as a sinner?

But if by a falsehood of mine the truthfulness of God has been made to redound to his glory, why am I still tried as a sinner?

8 And not rather (as we are slandered, and as some affirm that we say) let us do evil, that there may come good? whose damnation is just.

And why not say (as I myself am slanderously reported to say), "Let us do evil that good may come out of it"? Such arguments are rightly condemned.

9 What then? Do we excel them? No, not so. For we have charged both Jews, and Greeks, that they are all under sin.

What then? Are we Jews in a better position? Not at all, for I have already charged all, both Jews and Gentiles, with being under sin.

10 As it is written: There is not any man just.

As it is written. There is none righteous, no, not one;

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

There is none that understands, none that seeks for God!

12 All have turned out of the way; they are become unprofitable together: there is none that doth good, there is not so much as one.

All have swerved from the right path; Every one of them has become corrupt. There is none that practises good, no, not one.

13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have dealt deceitfully. The venom of asps is under their lips.

Their throat is an open grave; With their tongues they have used deceit. The venom of asps is under their lips.

14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

15 Their feet swift to shed blood:

Their feet are swift to shed blood.

16 Destruction and misery in their ways:

Destruction and ruin are in their paths;

17 And the way of peace they have not known:

And the path of peace they have not known.

18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Reverence for God is not before their eyes.

19 Now we know, that what things soever the law speaketh, it speaketh to them that are in the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be made subject to God.

Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law; so that every mouth may be shut, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.

20 Because by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before him. For by the law is the knowledge of sin.

For no man will be justified in God’s sight by works of the Law; for through the Law comes the consciousness of sin.

21 But now without the law the justice of God is made manifest, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.

But now, quite apart from any law, a righteousness coming from God has been fully brought to light, continually witnessed to by the Law and the Prophets.

22 Even the justice of God, by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe in him: for there is no distinction:

I mean a righteousness coming from God through faith in Jesus Christ, for all who believe. For there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile,

23 For all have sinned, and do need the glory of God.

since all have sinned and lack the glory which comes from God;

24 Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption, that is in Christ Jesus,

but they are now being justified by his free grace through the deliverance that is in Christ Jesus.

25 Whom God hath proposed to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to the shewing of his justice, for the remission of former sins,

For God openly set him forth for himself as an offering of atonement through faith, by means of his blood, in order to show forth his righteousness - since in his forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed - to show forth his righteousness,

26 Through the forbearance of God, for the shewing of his justice in this time; that he himself may be just, and the justifier of him, who is of the faith of Jesus Christ.

I say, at this present time; that he himself might be just, and yet the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.

27 Where is then thy boasting? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.

Then what becomes of boasting? It is shut out. What sort of law forbids it? A law of works? No, but a law of faith.

28 For we account a man to be justified by faith, without the works of the law.

For I conclude that a man is justified by faith, altogether apart from the deeds of the Law.

29 Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also.

Is God then the God of the Jews alone, and not of the Gentiles also? He is God of the Gentiles also,

30 For it is one God, that justifieth circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

since there is one God who will justify the circumcised through faith, and by their faith will he justify the uncircumcised.

31 Do we, then, destroy the law through faith? God forbid: but we establish the law.

Do we then render law invalid through faith? Certainly not; on the contrary we make it stand.