Romans 3

1 So does a Jew have any advantage? Does circumcision have any benefits?

Then what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the profit of circumcision?

2 Yes, there are many benefits! First of all, God's message was entrusted to them.

Much in every way. Because first of all, they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

3 What if some of them didn't trust in God? Does their lack of trust in God obliterate the trustworthiness of God?

For what if some were without faith? Will their lack of faith nullify the faithfulness of God?

4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is proved to be lying, God always tells the truth. As Scripture says, “What you say will be proved right, and you will win your case when you are judged.”

Absolutely not. Let God be found true, but every human being a liar. As it is written, "That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you judge."

5 But if the fact that we're wrong helps to show that God is right, what should we conclude? That God is wrong to pronounce judgment on us? (I'm talking from a human perspective here.)

But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what will we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? (I am speaking in human terms).

6 Of course not! How else could God judge the world?

Absolutely not. For then how will God judge the world?

7 Someone could say, “Why am I still condemned as a sinner if my lies make the truth of God and his glory more obvious in contrast?”

For if the truth of God through my lie abounded to his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

8 Is it a case of, “Let's sin to bring about good”? That's what some people have slanderously accused us of saying. They should be rightly condemned!

And why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), "Let us do evil, that good may come?" Their condemnation is just.

9 So then, are we Jews better than others? Definitely not! Remember that we've already argued that both Jews and foreigners are under the control of sin.

What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin.

10 As Scripture says, “No one does what is right, not even one.

As it is written, "There is no one righteous; no, not one."

11 No one understands; no one seeks God.

"There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God.

12 Everyone has turned their backs on him; everyone does what is totally wrong. No one does what is good, not a single one.

They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, there is not even one."

13 Their throats are like an open grave; their tongues spread deceit; their lips ooze with the venom of snakes.

"Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit." "Viper's poison is under their lips;"

14 Their mouths are full of bitterness and curses,

"Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness."

15 and they are quick to cause pain and death.

"Their feet are swift to shed blood.

16 Their way leads to disaster and misery;

Destruction and calamity are in their paths.

17 they don't know how to live in peace.

The way of peace, they have not known."

18 They don't care about respecting God at all.”

"There is no fear of God before their eyes."

19 It's clear that everything in the law applies to those who live under the law so that no one could have any excuses, and to make sure everyone in the whole world is answerable to God.

Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.

20 For no one is made right before God by doing what the law requires. The law only helps us recognize what sin really is.

Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

21 But now God's character of goodness and right has been demonstrated. It has nothing to do with law-keeping, even though it was spoken of by the law and the prophets.

But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the Law and the Prophets;

22 This character of God that is good and right comes to everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ, those who place their confidence in him. It doesn't matter who we are:

even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus (the) Messiah to all who believe. For there is no distinction,

23 We have all sinned, and we fall far short of God's glorious ideal.

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

24 Yet through the free gift of his grace God makes us right through Christ Jesus who sets us free.

being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Messiah Jesus;

25 God openly presented Jesus as the gift that brings peace to those trusting in him, the one who shed his blood. God did this to demonstrate he is truly good and right, for previously he would hold back and pass over sins,

whom God displayed publicly as a mercy seat, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness, because in God's forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed;

26 but now at this present time God proves he is fair and does what is right, and that he makes right those who trust in Jesus.

to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time, so that he would be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.

27 So do we have anything to boast about then? Absolutely not, there's no place for that! And why's that? Is it because we follow the law of observing requirements? No, we follow the law of trusting in God.

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

28 We conclude that people are made right with God through their trust in him, and not from legal observance.

For we maintain that one is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

29 Is God only the God of the Jews? Isn't he the God of other people as well? Of course he is!

Or is God for Jews only? Is he not the God of the non-Jews also? Yes, of the non-Jews also,

30 There is only one God, and he makes us morally right through our trust in him, whoever we are, Jew or foreigner.

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

31 Does that mean that by trusting in God we do away with the law? Of course not! In fact we affirm the importance of the law.

Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not. No, we establish the law.