Romans 3

1 [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]!”

Cawhtaw Juda thlang na awmnaak ing ikaw hawihkhangnaak a awm, am awhtaw chahhui qeetnaak awh a phu ikaw a awm?

2 [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]}.

Ik-oeih soepkep awh a leeknaak awm hy! Lamma cyk awh a leeknaak taw, Khawsa awi qoe qoe ce a mingmih a venawh khoem sak hy.

3 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]?”

Thlang a vang ing cangnaak a ma taak mai mantaw ikawmyihna a awm kaw? A mingmih ak cangnaak a zawi dawngawh Khawsa a ypawmnaak ce hqee thai nawh nu?

4 [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}.”

Am hqee qoe qoe hy! Thlanghqing ing a qaai kqawn seiawm Khawsa taw am qaai hy; “Nak awih kqawn ing cangnaak ni pe nawh awi na deng awh noeng hyk ti,” tinawh qee hyt amyihna.

5 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].

Cehlai ningnih am ni dyngnaak ing Khawsa a dyngnaak ce ak caih khqoet na ang dang sak mantaw ikaw nik kqawn kaw? Khawsa ing thlang a phep man Khawsa ve amak dyngna awm hly nawh nu? (A thlanghqing kqawn amyihna ni kak kqawn hy.)

6 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]

Cemyih amni! Cemyihna a awm mai mantaw, ikawmyihna nu Khawsa ing khawmdek ve awi a dengnaak kaw?

7 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]

U ingawm, Kai a thawlhnaak ing Khawsa a thymnaak ce ang dang sak khqoet awhtaw amah a boeimangnaak na awm khqoet kaw, kawtih thawlh dawk sak na ka awm bai kaw?” ti mai kaw.

8 [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]!

Ikawtih thlangkhqi ing kaimih ve nik kqawn seet unawh – “Ik-oeih leek a lawnaak aham ik-oeih che sai u sih,” tinawh am ka mik kqawn ce a mi nik kqawn sak uh? Cemyihna ak kqawnkhqi taw a mi dawk aham tyng qoe hy.

9 [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].

Cawhtaw ikaw ing ni dyt sak kaw? Ningmih ve nik leek bet uh nu? Am ni leek qoe qoe hy! Juda awm Gentel awm thawlhnaak ak khuiawh ni awm boeih uhy tice nik kqawn caih law pek khqi hawh nyng.

10 [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!

U awm thlak dyng am awm hy, pynoet ca awm am awm hy;

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

ak zasim thlang pynoet awm am awm hy, Khawsa ak sui thlang pynoet awm am awm hy.

12 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!

Thlang boeih lam hang unawh, hawnaak amak tlaak thlang na awm hawh uhy; them leek ak sai u pynoet awm am awm hy, pynoet ca awm am awm hy.

13 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].

A mik awiqawng ce phyi amyihna awng qu nawh; a mim lai ing thlang thai na uhy. A mi hui awh khqui ak chy ce awm hy.

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

A mim kha ce awi che ingkaw awi kha ing be uhy.

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

Thlang a thi lawng sak ham a mi khawkham ce ly sak uhy;

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

seetnaak ingkaw khuikhanaak ce a mingmih a cehnaak lam awh awm nawh,

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

ngaihdingnaak lam ce am sim uhy.

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

A mi mik awh Khawsa kqihnaak qoe qoe am awm hy,” tinawh qeena a awm amyihna.

19 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!

Kha boeih ing cyyp nawh khawmdek pum ve Khawsa ak awidengnaak khuiawh a awm thainaak aham, anaa awi ing ak kqawnkhqi boeih ce, anaa awi ak kaiawh ak awmkhqi ham ni ak kqawn hy, tice ni sim uhy.

20 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).

Cedawngawh u awm anaa awi hquutnaak ak caming a mik huh awh thlakdyng na awm hy; anaa awi ing ni thawlhnaak ce ni sim sak khqi hy.

21 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}.

Cehlai tuawh anaa awi ingkaw tawnghaakhqi a sim sak amyihna anaa awi kana Khawsa dyngnaak ce dang sak na awm hawh hy.

22 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].

Jesu Khrih awh cangnaak ak caming ak cangnaak thlang boeih a venawh dyngnaak ce Khawsa venna kawng law hy. A lawhanaak pynoet awm am awm hy,

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

thlang boeih ing thawlh nawh Khawsa a boeimangnaak am pang thai voel uhy,

24 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].

Cehlai Jesu Khrih a thaawngnaak qeennaak ak caming a zoena dyng sak hy.

25 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],

Khawsa ing a thi cangnaak ak caming anih ce hulnaak aham bulnaak na pehy. Ak dung na kawlung taaknaak ak caming ak cyk awhkaw thawlhnaak awh a toel kaana am hlynnaak awh amah a dyngnaak ce dang sak aham vemyihna sai hy;

26 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.

tuh ve amah a dyngnaak ce dang sak hy, amah taw thlak dyng na awm nawh Jesu awh cangnaak ak takhqi ce awm dyng sak hy.

27 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].

Cawhtaw oek qunaak ce hana nu a awm? Am awm voel hawh hy. I kawk caming nu oek qunaak ce a awm? Anaa awi hquutnaak ak caming ing nu? Am ni, cangnaak ak caming ni.

28 [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].

Thlang ing anaa awi hquutnaak ak caming am nawh cangnaak ak caming ni dyngnaak a huh tice nim tu khak hy.

29 (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,

Khawsa ve Judakhqi doeng a Khawsa nu? Gentelkhqi a Khawsa na awm am awm nawh nu? Oeih Gentelkhqi a Khawsa na awm awm hy,

30 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].

Khawsa pynoet doeng a awm dawngawh, Anih ing chahhui ak qeet awm amak qeet awm cawhkaw cangnaak caming dyng sak qawi haih hy.

31 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].”

Cawhtaw ve cangnaak ak caming anaa awi ce nik hqe nu? Am ni hqe hy! Anaa awi ce ni ni caksak hy.