Romans 3

Modern

Literal

God Remains Faithful

¹What, then, is the advantage of being a Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?

¹What then is the superiority of the Jew? Or what is the profit of the circumcision?

²Much in every way. First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words^a of God.

²Much in every way. For first indeed, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

³What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?

³For what If some disbelieved? Will their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God?

⁴Certainly 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.”^a

⁴Never may it be! But let God be true and every man a liar, as it has been written: “So that You may be justified in Your words, and you will be victorious in Your judging.”

⁵But 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.

⁵But if our unrighteousness proves God’s righteousness, what will we say? God, inflicting the wrath, is unrighteous? I speak according to man.

⁶Certainly not! In that case, how could God judge the world?

⁶Never may it be! Otherwise, how will God judge the world?

⁷However, if my falsehood accentuates God’s truthfulness, to the increase of His glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?

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

⁸Why not say, as some slanderously claim that we say, “Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is deserved!

⁸And is it not, as we are slandered and as some affirm us to say, “Let us do evil so that the good may come”? Their judgment is just.

There Is No One Righteous

⁹What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin.

⁹What then? Are we better? Not at all. For we charged before both Jews and Greeks with being all under sin.

¹⁰As it is written:

“There is no one righteous,

not even one.

¹⁰As it has been written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;

¹¹There is no one who understands,

no one who seeks God.

¹¹there is no one understanding; there is no one seeking out God.

¹²All have turned away,

they have together become worthless;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.”^a

¹²All turned away; together they became worthless; there is none who is doing kindness, there is not even one.”

¹³“Their throats are open graves;

their tongues practice deceit.”^a

“The venom of vipers is on their lips.”^b

¹³“Their throat is a grave having been opened; they keep practicing deceit with their tongues;” “the poison of vipers is under their lips,”

¹⁴“Their mouths are full

of cursing and bitterness.”^a

¹⁴“of whom the mouth is full of cursing and of bitterness;”

¹⁵“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

¹⁵“their feet are swift to shed blood;

¹⁶ruin and misery lie in their wake,

¹⁶ruin and misery are in their paths;

¹⁷and the way of peace they have not known.”^a

¹⁷and a way of peace they did not know.”

¹⁸“There is no fear of God

before their eyes.”^a

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

¹⁹Now 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.

¹⁹Now we know that as much as the law says, it speaks to those in the law, so that every mouth may be shut, and all the world may be under judgment to God.

²⁰Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.

²⁰Therefore by works of the law, not any flesh will be justified before Him; for through the law is knowledge of sin.

Righteousness through Faith in Christ

²¹But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.

²¹But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified to by the Law and the Prophets.

²²And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,

²²And the righteousness of God is through faith from Jesus Christ toward all those believing. For there is no distinction,

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

²⁴and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

²⁴being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

²⁵God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice^a in His blood through faith, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.

²⁵whom God set forth as a propitiation through faith in His blood, for a demonstration of His righteousness, because of the passing over of the sins having taken place beforehand in the forbearance of God,

²⁶He 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.

²⁶for the demonstration of His righteousness in the present time, for Him to be just and justifying the one of the faith from Jesus.

²⁷Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of works? No, but on that of faith.

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

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

²⁸For we reckon a man to be justified by faith apart from works of law.

²⁹Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,

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

³⁰since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.

³⁰since indeed God is one, who will justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through the same faith.

³¹Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Certainly not! Instead, we uphold the law.

³¹Do we, then, nullify the law through faith? Never may it be! Rather, we uphold the law.