| New International Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? | 1So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? |
| 2Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God. | 2Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted with the spoken words of God. |
| 3What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God's faithfulness? | 3What then? If some did not believe, will their unbelief cancel God's faithfulness? |
| 4Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge." | 4Absolutely not! God must be true, even if everyone is a liar, as it is written: That You may be justified in Your words and triumph when You judge. |
| 5But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) | 5But if our unrighteousness highlights God's righteousness, what are we to say? I use a human argument: Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath? |
| 6Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? | 6Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world? |
| 7Someone might argue, "If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?" | 7But if by my lie God's truth is amplified 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 just! | 8And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, "Let us do what is evil so that good may come"? Their condemnation is deserved! |
| 9What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. | 9What then? Are we any better? Not at all! For we have previously charged that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, |
| 10As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; | 10as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. |
| 11there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. | 11There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. |
| 12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." | 12All have turned away; all alike have become useless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one. |
| 13"Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips." | 13Their throat is an open grave; they deceive with their tongues. Vipers' venom is under their lips. |
| 14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." | 14Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. |
| 15"Their feet are swift to shed blood; | 15Their feet are swift to shed blood; |
| 16ruin and misery mark their ways, | 16ruin and wretchedness are in their paths, |
| 17and the way of peace they do not know." | 17and the path of peace they have not known. |
| 18"There is no fear of God before their eyes." | 18There 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 whatever the law says speaks to those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God's judgment. |
| 20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. | 20For no one will be justified in His sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law. |
| 21But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. | 21But now, apart from the law, God's righteousness has been revealed--attested by the Law and the Prophets |
| 22This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, | 22--that is, God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction. |
| 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, | 23For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. |
| 24and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. | 24They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. |
| 25God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood--to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- | 25God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. |
| 26he 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. | 26God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus. |
| 27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. | 27Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law of faith. |
| 28For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. | 28For we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. |
| 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, | 29Or is God for Jews only? Is He not also for Gentiles? Yes, for Gentiles too, |
| 30since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. | 30since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. |
| 31Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. | 31Do we then cancel the law through faith? Absolutely not! On the contrary, we uphold the law. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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