| NET Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Therefore what advantage does the Jew have, or what is the value of circumcision? | 1So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? |
| 2Actually, there are many advantages. First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. | 2Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted with the spoken words of God. |
| 3What then? If some did not believe, does their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God? | 3What then? If some did not believe, will their unbelief cancel God's faithfulness? |
| 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." | 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 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 highlights God's righteousness, what are we to say? I use a human argument: Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath? |
| 6Absolutely not! For otherwise how could God judge the world? | 6Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world? |
| 7For if by my lie the truth of God enhances his glory, why am I still actually being judged 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? |
| 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!) | 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 then? Are we better off? Certainly not, for we have already charged that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin, | 9What then? Are we any better? Not at all! For we have previously charged that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, |
| 10just as 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, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, 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, they deceive with their tongues, the poison of asps is under 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 are in their paths, | 16ruin and wretchedness are in their paths, |
| 17and the way of peace they have not known." | 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 may be 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. |
| 20For no one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of 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 (which is attested by the law and the prophets) has been disclosed-- | 21But now, apart from the law, God's righteousness has been revealed--attested by the Law and the Prophets |
| 22namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, | 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. |
| 24But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. | 24They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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! By what principle? Of works? No, but by the principle of 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 consider that a person is declared righteous 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 the Jews only? Is he not the God of the Gentiles too? Yes, of the Gentiles too! | 29Or is God for Jews only? Is He not also for Gentiles? Yes, for Gentiles too, |
| 30Since God is one, he will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. | 30since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. |
| 31Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not! Instead we uphold the law. | 31Do we then cancel the law through faith? Absolutely not! On the contrary, we uphold the law. |
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