Romans, 3

1. Is there any benefit, then, in being a Jew? Is there any advantage in being circumcised?

1. Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?

2. A great deal, in every way. First of all, it was to the Jews that the message of God was entrusted.

2. Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews are entrusted with the oracles of God.

3. What if some of them were unfaithful? Do you think their lack of faith could cancel God's faithfulness?

3. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?

4. Out of the question! God will always be true even if no human being can be relied on. As scripture says: That you may show your saving justice when you pass sentence and your victory may appear when you give judgement.

4. By no means! Let God be true though every man be false, as it is written, "That thou mayest be justified in thy words, and prevail when thou art judged."

5. But if our injustice serves to bring God's saving justice into view, can we say that God is unjust when -- to use human terms -- he brings his retribution down on us?

5. But if our wickedness serves to show the justice of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)

6. Out of the question! It would mean that God could not be the judge of the world.

6. By no means! For then how could God judge the world?

7. You might as well say that if my untruthfulness makes God demonstrate his truthfulness, to his greater glory, then I should not be judged to be a sinner at all.

7. But if through my falsehood God's truthfulness abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?

8. In this case, the slanderous report some people are spreading would be true, that we teach that one should do evil that good may come of it. In fact such people are justly condemned.

8. And why not do evil that good may come? -- as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

9. Well: are we any better off? Not at all: we have already indicted Jews and Greeks as being all alike under the dominion of sin.

9. What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all; for I have already charged that all men, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin,

10. As scripture says: Not one of them is upright, not a single one,

10. as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one;

11. not a single one is wise, not a single one seeks God.

11. no one understands, no one seeks for God.

12. All have turned away, all alike turned sour, not one of them does right, not a single one.

12. All have turned aside, together they have gone wrong; no one does good, not even one."

13. Their throats are wide -- open graves, their tongues seductive. Viper's venom behind their lips;

13. "Their throat is an open grave, they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips."

14. their speech is full of cursing and bitterness.

14. "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."

15. Their feet quick to shed innocent blood,

15. "Their feet are swift to shed blood,

16. wherever they go there is havoc and ruin.

16. in their paths are ruin and misery,

17. They do not know the way of peace,

17. and the way of peace they do not know."

18. there is no fear of God before their eyes.

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

19. Now we are well aware that whatever the Law says is said for those who are subject to the Law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world brought under the judgement of God.

19. Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

20. So then, no human being can be found upright at the tribunal of God by keeping the Law; all that the Law does is to tell us what is sinful.

20. For no human being will be justified in his sight by works of the law, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

21. God's saving justice was witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, but now it has been revealed altogether apart from law:

21. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it,

22. God's saving justice given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

22. the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction;

23. No distinction is made: all have sinned and lack God's glory,

23. since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24. and all are justified by the free gift of his grace through being set free in Christ Jesus.

24. they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus,

25. God appointed him as a sacrifice for reconciliation, through faith, by the shedding of his blood, and so showed his justness; first for the past, when sins went unpunished because he held his hand;

25. whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins;

26. and now again for the present age, to show how he is just and justifies everyone who has faith in Jesus.

26. it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.

27. So what becomes of our boasts? There is no room for them. On what principle- that only actions count? No; that faith is what counts,

27. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On the principle of works? No, but on the principle of faith.

28. since, as we see it, a person is justified by faith and not by doing what the Law tells him to do.

28. For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law.

29. Do you think God is the God only of the Jews, and not of gentiles too? Most certainly of gentiles too,

29. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,

30. since there is only one God; he will justify the circumcised by their faith, and he will justify the uncircumcised through their faith.

30. since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of their faith and the uncircumcised through their faith.

31. Are we saying that the Law has been made pointless by faith? Out of the question; we are placing the Law on its true footing.

31. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.