1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, tthe Jews were entrusted with the uoracles of God. 3 vWhat if some were unfaithful? wDoes their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,
x“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you are judged.”
5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, ywhat shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could zGod judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And awhy not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
9 What then? Are we Jews1 any better off?2 No, not at all. For we have already charged that ball, both cJews and dGreeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:
e“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
13 f“Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
g“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 h“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 i“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 j“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are kunder the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For lby works of the law no human being3 will be justified in his sight, since mthrough the law comes knowledge of sin.
21 But now the nrighteousness of God has been omanifested apart from the law, palthough the Law and the Prophets qbear witness to it— 22 the rrighteousness of God through sfaith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is tno distinction: 23 for uall have vsinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are wjustified xby his grace as a ygift, through the zredemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a apropitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine bforbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of cthe one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Then what becomes of our dboasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the elaw of faith. 28 For fwe hold that one is gjustified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 hOr is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since iGod is one—jwho will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 kDo we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
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