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]!”
Quid ergo amplius Iudaeo est? aut quae utilitas circumcisionis?
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]}.
Multum per omnem modum. Primum quidem quia credita sunt illis eloquia Dei.
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]?”
quid enim si quidam illorum non crediderunt? Numquid incredulitas illorum fidem Dei evacuavit? Absit.
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}.”
Est autem Deus verax: omnis autem homo mendax, sicut scriptum est: Ut iustificeris in sermonibus tuis: et vincas cum iudicaris.
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].
Si autem iniquitas nostra iustitiam Dei commendat, quid dicemus? Numquid iniquus est Deus, qui infert iram?
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]
(secundum hominem dico.) Absit. alioquin quomodo iudicabit Deus hunc mundum?
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]
Si enim veritas Dei in meo mendacio abundavit in gloriam ipsius: quid adhuc et ego tamquam peccator iudicor?
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]!
et non (sicut blasphemamur, et sicut aiunt quidam nos dicere) faciamus mala ut veniant bona: quorum damnatio iusta est.
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].
Quid ergo? praecellimus eos? Nequaquam. Causati enim sumus Iudaeos, et Graecos omnes sub peccato esse,
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!
sicut scriptum est: Quia non est iustus quisquam:
11 There is no one who understands [how to live properly] (OR, [about God]). There is no one who seeks/desires [to know] God!
non est intelligens, non est requirens Deum.
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!
Omnes declinaverunt, simul inutiles facti sunt, non est qui faciat bonum, non est usque ad unum.
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].
Sepulchrum patens est guttur eorum, linguis suis dolose agebant: Venenum aspidum sub labiis eorum:
14 They are continually (cursing/asking God to do harmful things to) others and saying (cruel/harsh/hateful) things [MTY].
Quorum os maledictione, et amaritudine plenum est:
15 They (go quickly/are eager) to murder people [MTY].
Veloces pedes eorum ad effundendum sanguinem:
16 Wherever they go, they ruin everything and make [people] miserable [MTY].
Contritio, et infelicitas in viis eorum:
17 They have not/never known how [to live] peacefully [with other people].
et viam pacis non cognoverunt:
18 They absolutely refuse to fear/reverence God [SYN]!
Non est timor Dei ante oculos eorum.
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!
Scimus autem quoniam quaecumque lex loquitur, iis, qui in lege sunt, loquitur: ut omne os obstruatur, et subditus fiat omnis mundus Deo:
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).
quia ex operibus legis non iustificabitur omnis caro coram illo. Per legem enim cognitio peccati.
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}.
Nunc autem sine lege iustitia Dei manifestata est: testificata a lege et Prophetis.
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].
Iustitia autem Dei per fidem Iesu Christi in omnes, et super omnes, qui credunt in eum: non enim est distinctio:
23 All people have done evil, and all people have failed to accomplish the glorious [goals] that God [set for them].
Omnes enim peccaverunt, et egent gloria Dei.
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].
Iustificati gratis per gratiam ipsius, per redemptionem, quae est in Christo Iesu,
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],
quem proposuit Deus propitiatorem per fidem in sanguine ipsius, ad ostensionem iustitiae suae propter remissionem praecedentium delictorum
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.
in sustentatione Dei, ad ostensionem iustitiae eius in hoc tempore: ut sit ipse iustus, et iustificans eum, qui est ex fide Iesu Christi.
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].
Ubi est ergo gloriatio tua? Exclusa est. Per quam legem? Factorum? Non: sed per legem fidei.
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].
Arbitramur enim iustificari hominem per fidem sine operibus legis.
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,
An Iudaeorum Deus tantum? Nonne et Gentium? Immo et Gentium.
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].
Quoniam quidem unus est Deus, qui iustificat circumcisionem ex fide, et praeputium per fidem.
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].”
Legem ergo destruimus per fidem? Absit: sed legem statuimus.
