What then? [a](A)Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both (B)Jews and (C)Greeks are (D)all under sin; 10 as it is written:

(E)There is no righteous person, not even one;
11 There is no one who understands,
There is no one who seeks out God;
12 They have all turned aside, together they have become [b]corrupt;
There is no one who does good,
There is not even one.”
13 (F)Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
(G)The venom of [c]asps is under their lips”;
14 (H)Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
15 (I)Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,
17 And they have not known the way of peace.”
18 (J)There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever the (K)Law says, it speaks to (L)those who are [d]under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and (M)all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because (N)by the works [e]of the Law [f]none of mankind will be justified in His sight; for [g](O)through the Law comes [h]knowledge of sin.

Justification by Faith

21 But now apart [i]from the Law (P)the righteousness of God has been revealed, being (Q)witnessed by the [j]Law and the Prophets, 22 but it is the (R)righteousness of God through (S)faith (T)in Jesus Christ for (U)all those [k]who believe; for (V)there is no distinction, 23 for all [l](W)have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift (X)by His grace through (Y)the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God displayed publicly as (Z)a [m]propitiation [n](AA)in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, [o]because in God’s merciful (AB)restraint He (AC)let the sins previously committed go unpunished; 26 for the demonstration, that is, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who [p]has faith in Jesus.

27 Where then is (AD)boasting? It has been excluded. By (AE)what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 [q]For (AF)we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from works [r]of the Law. 29 Or (AG)is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed (AH)God (AI)who will justify the [s]circumcised [t]by faith and the [u]uncircumcised through faith (AJ)is one.

31 Do we then nullify [v]the Law through faith? (AK)Far from it! On the contrary, we (AL)establish the Law.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 3:9 Or Are we worse
  2. Romans 3:12 Or depraved
  3. Romans 3:13 I.e., venomous snakes
  4. Romans 3:19 Lit in
  5. Romans 3:20 Or of law
  6. Romans 3:20 Lit no flesh
  7. Romans 3:20 Or through law
  8. Romans 3:20 Or recognition
  9. Romans 3:21 Or from law
  10. Romans 3:21 I.e., the Old Testament
  11. Romans 3:22 Or who believe. For there is
  12. Romans 3:23 Or sinned
  13. Romans 3:25 I.e., a means of reconciliation between God and mankind by paying the penalty for sin
  14. Romans 3:25 Or by
  15. Romans 3:25 Lit because of the passing over of the sins previously committed, in the restraint of God
  16. Romans 3:26 Lit is of the faith of Jesus
  17. Romans 3:28 One early ms Therefore
  18. Romans 3:28 Or of law
  19. Romans 3:30 Lit circumcision
  20. Romans 3:30 Lit out of
  21. Romans 3:30 Lit uncircumcision
  22. Romans 3:31 Or law

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