There Is None Righteous

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

²Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

³What then? If some did not believe, does their unbelief abolish the faithfulness of God?[#3:3 Or were unfaithful; #3:3 Or unfaithfulness]

⁴May it never be! Rather, let God be true and every man a liar, as it is written,

“That You may be justified in Your words ,

And overcome when You are judged .”

⁵But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is the God who inflicts wrath unrighteous? (I am speaking in human terms.)[#3:5 Or commends]

⁶May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?

⁷But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?

⁸And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just.[#3:8 Lit Whose]

⁹What then? Are we better? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;[#3:9 Or worse]

¹⁰as it is written,

“There is none righteous , not even one ;

¹¹There is none who understands ,

There is none who seeks for God ;

¹²All have turned aside , together they have become worthless ;

There is none who does good ,

There is not even one .”

¹³“Their throat is an open tomb ,

With their tongues they keep deceiving ,”

“The poison of asps is under their lips ”;

¹⁴“Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness ”;

¹⁵“Their feet are swift to shed blood ,

¹⁶Destruction and misery are in their paths ,

¹⁷And the path of peace they have not known .”

¹⁸“There is no fear of God before their eyes .”

¹⁹Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are in the Law, so that every mouth may be shut and all the world may become accountable to God;

²⁰because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight , for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.[#3:20 Or of law; #3:20 Or through law]

The Righteousness of God through Faith

²¹But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,[#3:21 Or from law]

²²even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;[#3:22 Or who believe. For there is no distinction, since they all have sinned...and are being justified]

²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,[#3:23 Or sinned]

²⁴being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

²⁵whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith, for a demonstration of His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;[#3:25 Or propitiatory sacrifice; #3:25 Or by; #3:25 Lit because of the passing over of the sins previously committed in the forbearance of God]

²⁶for the demonstration of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.[#3:26 Lit is of the faith of Jesus]

²⁷Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.

²⁸For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.[#3:28 One early ms Therefore; #3:28 Or of law]

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

³⁰since indeed God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that faith, is one.[#3:30 Lit circumcision; #3:30 Lit out of; #3:30 Lit uncircumcision]

³¹Do we then abolish the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.[#3:31 Or law]