< Romains 3 >

1 Quel est donc l’avantage du juif, ou quelle est l'utilité de la circoncision?
[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]!”
2 — Cet avantage est grand à tous égards: d'abord, parce que les oracles de Dieu leur ont été confiés?
[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]}.
3 Car, qu'est-ce à dire? Si quelques-uns n'ont pas cru, leur incrédulité annulera-t-elle la fidélité de Dieu?
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]?”
4 — Loin de nous cette pensée! mais plutôt que Dieu soit reconnu pour vrai — et tout homme pour menteur — «de sorte, comme il est écrit, que tu sois reconnu juste dans tes paroles, et que tu triomphes, quand on te juge.»
[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}.”
5 Mais si notre incrédulité fait éclater la justice de Dieu, que dirons-nous? Dieu n'est-il pas injuste en nous punissant? (Je parle comme font les hommes.) —
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].
6 Non, certes; autrement, comment Dieu jugerait-il le monde?
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]
7 Car, dirait-on, si la véracité de Dieu a été rehaussée, à sa gloire, par mon mensonge, pourquoi, moi aussi, suis-je encore jugé comme pécheur?
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]
8 et même (comme quelques personnes, qui nous calomnient, nous accusent de le dire) ne ferons-nous pas le mal, pour qu'il en arrive du bien? — La condamnation de ces gens est juste.
[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]!
9 Quoi donc? Avons-nous quelque supériorité? — Non, aucune; car nous avons prouvé que tous, tant Juifs que Grecs, sont sous l'empire du péché,
[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].
10 ainsi qu'il est écrit: «Il n'y a point de juste, pas même un seul;
[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!
11 il n'y a point d'homme qui ait de l’intelligence; il n'y en a point qui cherche Dieu.
There is no one who understands [how to live properly] (OR, [about God]). There is no one who seeks/desires [to know] God!
12 Tous se sont dévoyés, ils se sont tous ensemble corrompus. Il n'y en a point qui fasse le bien, pas même un seul.
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!
13 Leur gosier est un sépulcre béant, leur langue est trompeuse; le venin de l'aspic est sur leurs lèvres;
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].
14 leur bouche est pleine de malédiction et d'amertume.
They are continually (cursing/asking God to do harmful things to) others and saying (cruel/harsh/hateful) things [MTY].
15 Ils ont pied léger pour répandre le sang;
They (go quickly/are eager) to murder people [MTY].
16 la désolation et la misère sont dans leurs voies.
Wherever they go, they ruin everything and make [people] miserable [MTY].
17 Ils ne connaissent point le chemin de la paix.
They have not/never known how [to live] peacefully [with other people].
18 Ils n'ont point la crainte de Dieu devant les yeux.»
They absolutely refuse to fear/reverence God [SYN]!
19 Or nous savons que tout ce que la loi dit, elle l'adresse à ceux qui sont sous la loi, afin que toute bouche soit fermée, et que le monde entier soit sous le coup de la justice de Dieu;
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!
20 attendu que nul ne sera justifié devant lui par les oeuvres de la loi, car la loi ne fait que donner la connaissance du péché.
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).
21 Mais voici, la justice qui vient de Dieu a été manifestée indépendamment de toute loi (la Loi et les Prophètes lui rendent témoignage),
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}.
22 la justice, dis-je, qui vient de Dieu par la foi en Jésus-Christ, pour tous et sur tous ceux qui ont la foi, indistinctement,
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].
23 car tous ont péché et sont privés de la gloire de Dieu.
All people have done evil, and all people have failed to accomplish the glorious [goals] that God [set for them].
24 Puisque nous sommes justifiés gratuitement, par la grâce de Dieu, au moyen du pardon qui est en Jésus-Christ
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].
25 — qui devait être, d'après le conseil de Dieu, une victime propitiatoire, par la foi en son sang, pour faire voir la justice qui vient de Lui, parce qu'il avait passé aux hommes leurs péchés commis précédemment, au temps de sa patience,
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],
26 pour faire voir, dis-je, à cette époque-ci, la justice qui vient de Lui, en sorte qu'il est tout ensemble juste et justifiant celui qui a la foi —
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.
27 y a-t-il donc là sujet de se glorifier? Toute glorification est exclue. Par quel principe? celui des oeuvres? — Non, mais par le principe de la foi;
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].
28 car nous estimons que l'homme est justifié par la foi, indépendamment des oeuvres de la loi.
[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].
29 Dieu est-il seulement le Dieu des Juifs? N'est-il pas aussi le Dieu des Gentils? — Oui, il est aussi le Dieu des Gentils,
(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,
30 puisqu'il y a un seul Dieu, qui justifiera par la foi le circoncis et l'incirconcis.
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].
31 Annulons-nous donc la Loi par la foi?— Loin de là; nous la confirmons au contraire.
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].”

< Romains 3 >