Romans 3:1-18 ▼

1 What advantage, then, does the Jew have, or what value is there in circumcision?

2 There are all kinds of advantages! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the utterances of God.

3 What if some of the Jews were unfaithful? Their unfaithfulness cannot cancel God's faithfulness, can it?

4 Of 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.|

5 But 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.)

6 Of course not! Otherwise, how could God judge the world?

7 For if through my falsehood God's truthfulness glorifies him even more, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?

8 Or 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!

9 What, 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.

10 As it is written, |Not even one person is righteous.

11 No one understands. No one searches for God.

12 All have turned away. They have become completely worthless. No one shows kindness, not even one person!

13 Their throats are open graves. With their tongues they deceive. The venom of poisonous snakes is under their lips.

14 Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.

15 They run swiftly to shed blood.

16 Ruin and misery characterize their lives.

17 They have not learned the path to peace.

18 They don't fear God.