Romans 3
1 What thanne is more to a Jew, or what profit of circumcisioun?
What, then, is the advantage of being a Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?
2 Myche bi al wise; first, for the spekyngis of God `weren bitakun to hem.
Much in every way. First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God.
3 And what if summe of hem bileueden not? Whethir the vnbileue of hem hath auoidid the feith of God?
What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?
4 God forbede. For God is sothefast, but ech man a liere; as it is writun, That thou be iustified in thi wordis, and ouercome, whanne thou art demed.
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.”
5 But if oure wickidnesse comende the riytwisnesse of God, what shulen we seie? Whether God is wickid, that bryngith in wraththe?
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.
6 Aftir man Y seie. God forbede. Ellis hou schal God deme this world?
Certainly not! In that case, how could God judge the world?
7 For if the treuthe of God hath aboundid in my lessyng, in to the glorie of hym, what yit am Y demed as a synner?
However, if my falsehood accentuates God’s truthfulness, to the increase of His glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?
8 And not as we ben blasfemed, and as summen seien that we seien, Do we yuele thingis, that gode thingis come. Whos dampnacioun is iust.
Why not say, as some slanderously claim that we say, “Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is deserved!
9 What thanne? Passen we hem? Nay; for we han schewid bi skile, that alle bothe Jewis and Grekis ben vndur synne,
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.
10 as it is writun, For ther is no man iust;
As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one.
11 ther is no man vndurstondynge, nethir sekynge God.
There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
12 Alle bowiden a wey, togidere thei ben maad vnprofitable; ther is noon that doith good thing, there is noon `til to oon.
All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
13 The throte of hem is an opyn sepulcre; with her tungis thei diden gilefuli; the venym of snakis is vndur her lippis.
“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.”
14 The mouth of whiche is ful of cursyng and bitternesse;
“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 the feet of hem ben swifte to schede blood.
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Sorewe and cursidnesse ben in the weies of hem,
ruin and misery lie in their wake,
17 and thei knewen not the weie of pees;
and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 the drede of God is not bifor her iyen.
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 And we witen, that what euere thingis the lawe spekith, it spekith to hem that ben in the lawe, that ech mouth be stoppid, and ech world be maad suget to God.
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.
20 For of the werkis of the lawe ech fleisch schal not be iustified bifor hym; for bi the lawe ther is knowyng of synne.
Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.
21 But now with outen the lawe the riytwisnesse of God is schewid, that is witnessid of the lawe and the profetis.
But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.
22 And the riytwisnesse of God is bi the feith of Jhesu Crist in to alle men and on alle men that bileuen in hym; for ther is no departyng.
And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,
23 For alle men synneden, and han nede to the glorie of God;
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and ben iustified freli bi his grace, bi the ayenbiyng that is in `Crist Jhesu.
and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
25 Whom God ordeynede foryyuer, bi feith in his blood, to the schewyng of his riytwisnesse, for remyssioun of biforgoynge synnes,
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.
26 in the beryng up of God, to the schewyng of his riytwisnesse in this tyme, that he be iust, and iustifyynge hym that is of the feith of Jhesu Crist.
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.
27 Where thanne is thi gloriyng? It is excludid. Bi what lawe? Of dedis doyng? Nay, but by the lawe of feith.
Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of works? No, but on that of faith.
28 For we demen a man to be iustified bi the feith, with outen werkis of the lawe.
For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
29 Whethir of Jewis is God oneli? Whether he is not also of hethene men? Yhis, and of hethene men.
Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
30 For `oon God is, that iustefieth circumcisioun bi feith, and prepucie bi feith.
since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
31 Distruye we therfor the lawe bi the feith? God forbede; but we stablischen the lawe.
Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Certainly not! Instead, we uphold the law.
