All the World Guilty

1Then what [a]advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2Great in every respect. First, that they were entrusted with the actual words of God. 3What then? If some [b]did not believe, their [c]unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4[d]Far from it! Rather, God must prove to be true, though every person be found a liar, as it is written:

“SO THAT YOU ARE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS,

AND PREVAIL [e]WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.” 5But if our unrighteousness [f]demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking from a human viewpoint.) 6Far from it! 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 (just as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let’s do evil that good may come of it”? [g]Their condemnation is deserved.

9What then? [h]Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10as it is written:

“THERE IS NO RIGHTEOUS PERSON, NOT EVEN ONE;

11THERE IS NO ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,

THERE IS NO ONE WHO SEEKS OUT GOD;

12THEY HAVE ALL TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME [i]CORRUPT;

THERE IS NO ONE WHO DOES GOOD,

THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”

13“THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,

WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,”

“THE VENOM OF [j]ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;

14“THEIR MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”;

15“THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,

16DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,

17AND THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THE WAY OF PEACE.”

18“THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”

19Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are [k]under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20because by the works [l]of the Law [m]none of mankind will be justified in His sight; for [n]through the Law comes [o]knowledge of sin.

Justification by Faith

21But now apart [p]from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed, being witnessed by the [q]Law and the Prophets, 22but it is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [r]who believe; for there is no distinction, 23for all [s]have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God displayed publicly as a [t]propitiation [u]in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, [v]because in God’s merciful restraint He let the sins previously committed go unpunished; 26for the demonstration, that is, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who [w]has faith in Jesus.

27Where then is boasting? It has been excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28[x]For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from works [y]of the 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 [z]circumcised [aa]by faith and the [ab]uncircumcised through faith is one.

31Do we then nullify [ac]the Law through faith? Far from it! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

[a] 1 Lit is the advantage of the Jew
[b] 3 Or were unfaithful
[c] 3 Or unfaithfulness
[d] 4 Lit May it never happen! And so throughout the ch
[e] 4 Or in Your judging
[f] 5 I.e., by requiring His judgment
[g] 8 Lit Whose
[h] 9 Or Are we worse
[i] 12 Or depraved
[j] 13 I.e., venomous snakes
[k] 19 Lit in
[l] 20 Or of law
[m] 20 Lit no flesh
[n] 20 Or through law
[o] 20 Or recognition
[p] 21 Or from law
[q] 21 I.e., the Old Testament
[r] 22 Or who believe. For there is
[s] 23 Or sinned
[t] 25 I.e., a means of reconciliation between God and mankind by paying the penalty for sin
[u] 25 Or by
[v] 25 Lit because of the passing over of the sins previously committed, in the restraint of God
[w] 26 Lit is of the faith of Jesus
[x] 28 One early ms Therefore
[y] 28 Or of law
[z] 30 Lit circumcision
[aa] 30 Lit out of
[ab] 30 Lit uncircumcision
[ac] 31 Or law