| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1What advantage, then, does the Jew have, or what value is there in circumcision? | 1Therefore what advantage does the Jew have, or what is the value of circumcision? |
| 2There are all kinds of advantages! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the utterances of God. | 2Actually, there are many advantages. First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. |
| 3What if some of the Jews were unfaithful? Their unfaithfulness cannot cancel God's faithfulness, can it? | 3What then? If some did not believe, does their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God? |
| 4Of course not! God is true, even if everyone else is a liar. As it is written, "You are right when you speak, and win your case when you go into court." | 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 serves to confirm God's righteousness, what can we say? God is not unrighteous when he vents his wrath on us, is he? (I am talking in human terms.) | 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.) |
| 6Of course not! Otherwise, how could God judge the world? | 6Absolutely not! For otherwise how could God judge the world? |
| 7For if through my falsehood God's truthfulness glorifies him even more, why am I still being 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? |
| 8Or can we say—as some people slander us by claiming that we say—"Let's do evil that good may result"? They deserve to be condemned! | 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, then, does this mean? Are we Jews any better off? Not at all! For we have already accused everyone, both Jews and Greeks, of being 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, "Not even one person is righteous. | 10just as it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one, |
| 11No one understands. No one searches for God. | 11there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. |
| 12All have turned away. They have become completely worthless. No one shows kindness, not even one person! | 12All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one." |
| 13Their throats are open graves. With their tongues they deceive. The venom of poisonous snakes is under their lips. | 13"Their throats are open graves, they deceive with their tongues, the poison of asps is under their lips." |
| 14Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. | 14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." |
| 15They run swiftly to shed blood. | 15"Their feet are swift to shed blood, |
| 16Ruin and misery characterize their lives. | 16ruin and misery are in their paths, |
| 17They have not learned the path to peace. | 17and the way of peace they have not known." |
| 18They don't fear God. | 18"There is no fear of God before their eyes." |
| 19Now we know that whatever the Law says applies 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, God will not justify any human being by means of the actions prescribed by the Law, for through the Law comes the full knowledge of 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, God's righteousness is revealed and is attested by the Law and the Prophets— | 21But now apart from the law the righteousness of God (which is attested by the law and the prophets) has been disclosed-- |
| 22God's righteousness through the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah — for all who believe. For there is no distinction among people, | 22namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, |
| 23since all have sinned and continue to fall short of God's glory. | 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. |
| 24By his grace they are justified freely through the redemption that is in the Messiah Jesus, | 24But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. |
| 25whom God offered as a place where atonement by the Messiah's blood would occur through faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because he had waited patiently to deal with sins committed in the past. | 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 wanted to demonstrate at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies anyone who has the faithfulness of 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. |
| 27What, then, is there to boast about? That has been eliminated. On what principle? On that of actions? No, but on the principle of 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 actions prescribed by the Law. | 28For we consider that a person is declared righteous by faith apart from the works of the law. |
| 29Is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of the gentiles, too? Yes, of the 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 on the basis of faith and the uncircumcised by that same faith. | 30Since God is one, he will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. |
| 31Do we, then, abolish the Law by this faith? Of course not! Instead, we uphold the Law. | 31Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not! Instead we uphold the law. |
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