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Romans 3
Worldwide English (New Testament)
Romans 3
Worldwide English (New Testament)
3 Then what does a Jew have that others do not have? Or what good is it if a person has been circumcised?
2 It is much better in every way. First, God's law was given to the Jews.
3 But some Jews did not keep his law. Does that mean that God cannot be trusted?
4 No, it does not mean that. God must be true, even if every man is not true. The holy writings say this about God: `People will see that you are right in what you say. You will be without fault when you are judged.'
5 When we do wrong things, we show that God is right. What shall we say about that? Does God do wrong when he punishes us? (I speak the way people would think about it.)
6 No, he does not. If he did wrong, how could he judge the world?
7 Maybe I say what is not true. And that makes people praise God more because he is true. Then why does God still judge me and say I have done wrong?
8 Some people say wrong things about us. They say that we say, `Let us do wrong things so that good things will happen.' People who say such things should be punished.
9 So what shall we say? Are we Jews any better than other people? No, we are not! I have already shown that all men, both Jews and people who are not Jews have done wrong things.
10 The holy writings say, `No one is good. No, not one person.
11 No one is wise. No one wants to know God.
12 They all have turned away from the straight road. Together they have gone the wrong way. No one does good, not even one person!
13 Their mouth is like an open grave. They have used their tongues to fool people. The poison of bad snakes is under their lips.
14 Their mouths are full of cursing and saying bad words to people.
15 Their feet run quickly to kill people.
16 Death and trouble are on the ways they go.
17 They do not know the way of peace.
18 They do not fear God.'
19 We know that everything the law says, it says to the people who have the law. Then no one can say a word for themselves. All the people in the world will be brought to God to be judged.
20 No one will be put right with God because he has tried to obey the law. The law only makes people know what they have done wrong.
21 So now God has shown how people can be put right with him without the law. The law and the prophets said he would do it.
22 God puts people right with himself when they believe in Jesus Christ. He does this for all who believe. They are all alike.
23 All have done wrong and all are far from being as good as God.
24 But God is kind and makes them right with himself. It is a gift. He does it because Christ Jesus paid the price to set them free.
25 God gave him as a sacrifice. When people believe in him, his blood pays for the wrong things they have done. This shows that God is good and right. He was right when he forgave the wrong things that people did long ago.
26 God also shows that he is right now. He does this when he makes right any person who believes in Jesus.
27 Then what have we to be proud of? Nothing at all. Why not? Does God put us right with himself because of anything we have done? No. He does it because we believe.
28 We know that if a person believes in Christ, God makes him right again. It is not because that person has obeyed the law.
29 Is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of other people also? Yes, he is. There is only one God of all peoples.
30 He will put right people who have been circumcised [the Jews] because they believe. And he will also put right people who are not circumcised when they believe.
31 When we believe, does that make the law no good to us? No. That is not so. When we believe, we show that the law is right.
Romans 3
New International Version
Romans 3
New International Version
God’s Faithfulness
3 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way!(A) First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.(B)
3 What if some were unfaithful?(C) Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?(D) 4 Not at all! Let God be true,(E) and every human being a liar.(F) As it is written:
5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly,(H) what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)(I) 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?(J) 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory,(K) why am I still condemned as a sinner?”(L) 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”?(M) Their condemnation is just!
No One Is Righteous
9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage?(N) Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.(O) 10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”[b](P)
13 “Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”[c](Q)
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[d](R)
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[e](S)
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[f](T)
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[g](U)
19 Now we know that whatever the law says,(V) it says to those who are under the law,(W) so that every mouth may be silenced(X) and the whole world held accountable to God.(Y) 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;(Z) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.(AA)
Righteousness Through Faith
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God(AB) has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.(AC) 22 This righteousness(AD) is given through faith(AE) in[h] Jesus Christ(AF) to all who believe.(AG) There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,(AH) 23 for all have sinned(AI) and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified(AJ) freely by his grace(AK) through the redemption(AL) that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i](AM) through the shedding of his blood(AN)—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished(AO)— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27 Where, then, is boasting?(AP) It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.(AQ) 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,(AR) 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.(AS) 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
Footnotes
- Romans 3:4 Psalm 51:4
- Romans 3:12 Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccles. 7:20
- Romans 3:13 Psalm 5:9
- Romans 3:13 Psalm 140:3
- Romans 3:14 Psalm 10:7 (see Septuagint)
- Romans 3:17 Isaiah 59:7,8
- Romans 3:18 Psalm 36:1
- Romans 3:22 Or through the faithfulness of
- Romans 3:25 The Greek for sacrifice of atonement refers to the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant (see Lev. 16:15,16).
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