| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New International Version |
| 1Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? | 1What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? |
| 2Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. | 2Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God. |
| 3What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? | 3What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God's faithfulness? |
| 4May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, "THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED." | 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." |
| 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.) | 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.) |
| 6May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? | 6Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? |
| 7But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? | 7Someone might argue, "If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?" |
| 8And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), "Let us do evil that good may come "? Their condemnation is just. | 8Why not say--as some slanderously claim that we say--"Let us do evil that good may result"? Their condemnation is just! |
| 9What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; | 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. |
| 10as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; | 10As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; |
| 11THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; | 11there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. |
| 12ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." | 12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." |
| 13"THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS"; | 13"Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips." |
| 14"WHOSE MOUTH IS 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; |
| 16DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, | 16ruin and misery mark their ways, |
| 17AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN." | 17and the way of peace they do not know." |
| 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 speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become 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 held accountable to God. |
| 20because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. | 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. |
| 21But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, | 21But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. |
| 22even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; | 22This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, |
| 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, | 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, |
| 24being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; | 24and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. |
| 25whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; | 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-- |
| 26for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. | 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. |
| 27Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. | 27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. |
| 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. | 28For we maintain that a person 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 also? Yes, of Gentiles also, | 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, |
| 30since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. | 30since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. |
| 31Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. | 31Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | 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. |
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