Romans 2:17-3:20

English Standard Version

¹⁷But if you call yourself a Jew and ^(A)rely on the law and boast in God ¹⁸and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; ¹⁹and if you are sure that you yourself are ^(B)a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law ^(C)the embodiment of ^(D)knowledge and truth— ²¹^(E)you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? ²²You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you ^(F)rob temples? ²³You who ^(G)boast in the law ^(H)dishonor God by breaking the law. ²⁴For, ^(I)as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed ^(J)among the Gentiles because of you.”

²⁵For circumcision indeed is of value ^(K)if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. ²⁶So, if ^(L)a man who is uncircumcised keeps ^(M)the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded^[a] as circumcision? ²⁷Then he who is physically^[b] uncircumcised but keeps the law ^(N)will condemn you who have ^(O)the written code^[c] and circumcision but break the law. ²⁸For ^(P)no one is a Jew ^(Q)who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. ²⁹But a Jew is one ^(R)inwardly, and ^(S)circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. ^(T)His praise is not from man but from God.

God's Righteousness Upheld

3 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? ²Much in every way. To begin with, ^(U)the Jews were entrusted with ^(V)the oracles of God. ³^(W)What if some were unfaithful? ^(X)Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? ⁴By no means! ^(Y)Let God be true though ^(Z)every one were a liar, as it is written,

^(AA)“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you ^(AB)are judged.”

⁵But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict ^(AC)wrath on us? (^(AD)I speak in a human way.) ⁶By no means! For then how could ^(AE)God judge the world? ⁷But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, ^(AF)why am I still being condemned as a sinner? ⁸And why not ^(AG)do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

No One Is Righteous

⁹What then? Are we Jews^[d] any better off?^[e] No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both ^(AH)Jews and ^(AI)Greeks, are ^(AJ)under sin, ¹⁰as it is written:

^(AK)“None is righteous, no, not one;
¹¹    no one understands;
    no one seeks for God.
¹²All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
    no one does good,
    not even one.”
¹³^(AL)“Their throat is ^(AM)an open grave;
    they use their tongues to deceive.”
^(AN)“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
¹⁴    ^(AO)“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
¹⁵^(AP)“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶    in their paths are ruin and misery,
¹⁷and ^(AQ)the way of peace they have not known.”
¹⁸    ^(AR)“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

¹⁹Now we know that whatever ^(AS)the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, ^(AT)so that every mouth may be stopped, and ^(AU)the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰For ^(AV)by works of the law no human being^[f] will be justified in his sight, since ^(AW)through the law comes knowledge of sin.