Romans 3

1 What, then, [is] the superiority of the Jew? or what the profit of the circumcision?

What is the advantage, then, of being a Jew? Or what is the good of circumcision?

2 much in every way; for first, indeed, that they were intrusted with the oracles of God;

Great in every way. First of all, because the Jews were entrusted with God’s utterances.

3 for what, if certain were faithless? shall their faithlessness the faithfulness of god make useless?

What follows then? Some, no doubt, showed a want of faith; but will their want of faith make God break faith? Heaven forbid!

4 let it not be! and let God become true, and every man false, according as it hath been written, 'That Thou mayest be declared righteous in Thy words, and mayest overcome in Thy being judged.'

God must prove true, though everyone prove a liar! As scripture says of God – “That you may be pronounced righteous in what you say, and gain your cause when people would judge you.”

5 And, if our unrighteousness God's righteousness doth establish, what shall we say? is God unrighteous who is inflicting the wrath? (after the manner of a man I speak)

But what if our wrongdoing makes God’s righteousness all the clearer? Will God be wrong in inflicting punishment? (I can but speak as a person.) Heaven forbid!

6 let it not be! since how shall God judge the world?

Otherwise how can God judge the world?

7 for if the truth of God in my falsehood did more abound to His glory, why yet am I also as a sinner judged?

But, if my falsehood redounds to the glory of God, by making his truthfulness more apparent, why am I like others, still condemned as a sinner?

8 and not, as we are evil spoken of, and as certain affirm us to say — 'We may do the evil things, that the good ones may come?' whose judgment is righteous.

Why should we not say – as some people slanderously assert that we do say – “Let us do evil that good may come”? The condemnation of such people is indeed just!

9 What, then? are we better? not at all! for we did before charge both Jews and Greeks with being all under sin,

What follows, then? Are we Jews in any way superior to others? Not at all. Our indictment against both Jews and Greeks was that all alike were in subjection to sin.

10 according as it hath been written — 'There is none righteous, not even one;

As scripture says – “There is not even one who is righteous,

11 There is none who is understanding, there is none who is seeking after God.

not one who understands, not one who is searching for God!

12 All did go out of the way, together they became unprofitable, there is none doing good, there is not even one.

They have all gone astray; they have one and all become depraved; there is no one who is doing good – no, not one!”

13 A sepulchre opened [is] their throat; with their tongues they used deceit; poison of asps [is] under their lips.

“Their throats are like opened graves; they deceive with their tongues.” “The venom of snakes lies behind their lips,”

14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

“And their mouths are full of bitter curses.”

15 Swift [are] their feet to shed blood.

“Swift are their feet to shed blood.

16 Ruin and misery [are] in their ways.

Distress and trouble dog their steps,

17 And a way of peace they did not know.

and the path of peace they do not know.”

18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.'

“The fear of God is not before their eyes.”

19 And we have known that as many things as the law saith, to those in the law it doth speak, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may come under judgment to God;

Now we know that everything said in the Law is addressed to those who are under its authority, in order that every mouth may be closed, and to bring the whole world under God’s judgment.

20 wherefore by works of law shall no flesh be declared righteous before Him, for through law is a knowledge of sin.

For no human being will be pronounced righteous before God as the result of obedience to Law; for it is Law that shows what sin is.

21 And now apart from law hath the righteousness of God been manifested, testified to by the law and the prophets,

But now, quite apart from Law, the divine righteousness stands revealed, and to it the Law and the prophets bear witness –

22 and the righteousness of God [is] through the faith of Jesus Christ to all, and upon all those believing, — for there is no difference,

the divine righteousness which is bestowed, through faith in Jesus Christ, on all, without distinction, who believe in him.

23 for all did sin, and are come short of the glory of God —

For all have sinned, and all fall short of God’s glorious ideal,

24 being declared righteous freely by His grace through the redemption that [is] in Christ Jesus,

but, in his loving kindness, are being freely pronounced righteous through the deliverance found in Christ Jesus.

25 whom God did set forth a mercy seat, through the faith in his blood, for the shewing forth of His righteousness, because of the passing over of the bygone sins in the forbearance of God —

For God set him before the world, to be, by the shedding of his blood, a means of reconciliation through faith. And this God did to prove his righteousness, and because, in his forbearance, he had passed over the sins that people had previously committed;

26 for the shewing forth of His righteousness in the present time, for His being righteous, and declaring him righteous who [is] of the faith of Jesus.

as a proof, I repeat, at the present time, of his own righteousness, that he might be righteous in our eyes, and might pronounce righteous the person who takes their stand on faith in Jesus.

27 Where then [is] the boasting? it was excluded; by what law? of works? no, but by a law of faith:

What, then, becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what sort of Law? A Law requiring obedience? No, a Law requiring faith.

28 therefore do we reckon a man to be declared righteous by faith, apart from works of law.

For we conclude that a person is pronounced righteous on the ground of faith, quite apart from obedience to Law.

29 The God of Jews only [is He], and not also of nations?

Or can it be that God is the God only of the Jews? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles?

30 yes, also of nations; since one [is] God who shall declare righteous the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through the faith.

Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is only one God, and he will pronounce those who are circumcised righteous as the result of faith, and also those who are uncircumcised on their showing the same faith.

31 Law then do we make useless through the faith? let it not be! yea, we do establish law.

Do we, then, use this faith to abolish Law? Heaven forbid! No, we establish Law.