| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? | 1Therefore what advantage does the Jew have, or what is the value of circumcision? |
| 2Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God. | 2Actually, there are many advantages. First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. |
| 3What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God's faithfulness? | 3What then? If some did not believe, does their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God? |
| 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! Let God be proven true, and every human being shown up as a liar, just as it is written: "so that you will be justified in your words and will prevail when you are judged." |
| 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 demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is he? (I am speaking in human terms.) |
| 6Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? | 6Absolutely not! For otherwise how could 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?" | 7For if by my lie the truth of God enhances his glory, why am I still actually being 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, "Let us do evil so that good may come of it"?--as some who slander us allege that we say. (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 better off? Certainly not, for we have already charged that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin, |
| 10As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; | 10just as 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, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one." |
| 13"Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips." | 13"Their throats are open graves, they deceive with their tongues, the poison of asps is under their lips." |
| 14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." | 14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." |
| 15"Their feet are swift to shed blood; | 15"Their feet are swift to shed blood, |
| 16ruin and misery mark their ways, | 16ruin and misery are in their paths, |
| 17and the way of peace they do not know." | 17and the way of peace they have not known." |
| 18"There is no fear of God before their eyes." | 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 whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God. |
| 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 is declared righteous before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. |
| 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 the righteousness of God (which is attested by the law and the prophets) has been disclosed-- |
| 22This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, | 22namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For 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. | 24But they 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 publicly displayed him at his death as the mercy seat accessible through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because God in his forbearance had 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. | 26This was also to demonstrate his righteousness in the present time, so that he would be just and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus' faithfulness. |
| 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 principle? Of works? No, but by the principle of faith! |
| 28For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. | 28For we consider that a person is declared righteous 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 the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of the Gentiles too? Yes, of the Gentiles too! |
| 30since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. | 30Since God is one, he 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 nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not! Instead we uphold the law. |
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