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Romans 3
Expanded Bible

3 So what advantage does a Jew have? [L Or] Is there ·anything special [any benefit/advantage] about being circumcised? 2 Yes, there are great benefits in ·every way [or all different ways]. ·The most important thing is this [L First]: God ·trusted [entrusted] the Jews with his ·teachings [revelation; oracles]. 3 ·If [L What if] some Jews were not faithful to him, will their unfaithfulness ·stop God from doing what he promised [L nullify God’s faithfulness]? 4 ·No [Absolutely not; May it never be]! ·God will continue to be true even when every person is false [L Let God be true and every person a liar]. As the Scriptures say:

“So you will be ·shown to be right [justified] ·when you speak [L in your words],
    and you will ·win your case in court [L prevail when you are judged; or prevail when you judge (sin); Ps. 51:4].”

5 But if ·what we do wrong [our unrighteousness] ·shows more clearly [highlights] ·that God is right [God’s righteousness], ·how can we say [L what shall we say?] that God is ·wrong [unrighteous; unjust] to ·punish [L inflict wrath on] us? (I am talking ·as people might talk [or in limited human terms].) 6 ·No [Absolutely not; May it never be; v. 4]! If God could not punish us, ·he could not [L how could he…?] judge the world.

7 A person might say, “When I lie, it really ·gives him [L increases his] glory, because my lie shows God’s truth. So why am I ·judged [condemned as] a sinner?” 8 It would be the same to say, “We should do evil so that good will come.” Some people ·find fault with [slander] us and say we teach this, but ·they are wrong and deserve the punishment they will receive [L their condemnation is just].

All People Are Guilty

9 ·So [L What then?] ·are we Jews [or are we Christians; L are we] ·better than others [or making excuses for ourselves]? ·No [L Not at all]! We have already ·said [charged; made the accusation] that Jews and Gentiles alike are all ·guilty of [or under the power of; L under] sin. 10 As the Scriptures say:

“There is no one who ·always does what is right [L is righteous],
    not even one.
11 There is no one who understands.
    There is no one who ·looks to God for help [L seeks God].
12 All have turned away.
    Together, everyone has become ·useless [worthless].
There is no one who ·does anything good [or shows kindness];
    there is not even one [Ps. 14:1–3].”
13 “Their throats are like open graves [C either their words are like rotting corpses, or their speech is murderous];
    they use their tongues ·for telling lies [to deceive; Ps. 5:9].”
“·Their words are like snake poison [L Asp/Viper venom is on their lips; Ps. 140:3].”
14     “Their mouths are full of cursing and ·hate [bitterness; Ps. 10:7].”
15 “·They [L Their feet] are ·always ready [eager; quick] to ·kill people [L shed blood].
16     ·Everywhere they go [L Along their paths/ways] they cause ·ruin [destruction; havoc] and misery.
17 They don’t know ·how to live in [L the way of] peace [Is. 59:7–8].”
18     “They have no fear of God [Ps. 36:1].”

19 We know that ·the law’s commands [L what the law says] are for those who ·have [are under/subject to; L are in] the law. This ·stops all excuses [L silences every mouth] and brings the whole world under God’s judgment, 20 because no one can be ·made right [justfied; declared righteous] with God [Ps. 143:2] ·by following [L through the works of] the law. [L For] The law only ·shows us our [brings awareness of] sin.

How God Makes People Right

21 But now ·God’s way to make people right with him [L the righteousness of God] ·without [apart from] the law has been ·shown to us [revealed; made known], a way ·told to us [testified to; attested] by the law and the prophets. 22 ·God makes people right with himself [L This righteousness comes] through ·their faith in [or the faithfulness of] Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ, because ·all people are the same [there is no distinction/difference; C between Jews and Gentiles]: 23 [L For; Because] Everyone has sinned and ·fallen short [or is not worthy] of God’s ·glorious standard [or glorious presence; L glory], 24 and all need to be ·made right with God [justfied; declared righteous] as a free gift by his grace, ·by being set free from sin [L through the redemption that is] ·through [or in] Jesus Christ. 25 God ·sent [or appointed; or presented] him ·to die in our place to take away our sins [as a sacrifice of atonement; or as the mercy seat; T as a propitiation; C the Greek term could mean the place where sacrificial blood was dripped (the mercy seat) or the sacrifice itself; it implies an atoning sacrifice that turns away divine wrath]. We receive forgiveness through faith in ·the blood of Jesus’ death [L his blood]. This showed ·that God always does what is right and fair [L his righteousness], as in the past when he was patient and ·did not punish people for their sins [L passed over/delayed punishment for previously committed sins]. 26 And God gave Jesus to show ·today [or at this present time (of salvation)] ·that he does what is right [L his righteousness/justice]. God did this so he could ·judge rightly [or be shown to be just/righteous] and so he could ·make right [declare righteous; justify] any person ·who has faith in Jesus [or on the basis of Jesus’ faithfulness; see v. 22]. [C Christ’s sacrificial death shows that God is both just (sin is justly punished) and merciful (God saves undeserving sinners).]

27 ·So do we have a reason to brag about ourselves? No! [L Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded.] ·And why not [L By what law/principle]? It is the ·way [law; principle] of faith that stops all ·bragging [boasting], not the ·way [law; principle] of ·trying to obey the law [L works]. 28 For we ·conclude [maintain; assert] a person is ·made right with God [justified; declared righteous] through faith, not through ·obeying [L the works of] the law. 29 [L Or] Is God only the God of the Jews? Is he not also the God of the Gentiles? 30 Of course he is, because ·there is only one God [or God is one; Deut. 6:4]. He will ·make Jews right with him [L justify/make righteous the circumcised] by their faith, and he will also ·make Gentiles right with him [L justify/declare righteous the uncircumcised] through their faith. 31 So do we ·destroy [nullify; annul] the law by ·following the way of faith [L faith]? ·No [Absolutely not; May it never be; v. 6]! ·Faith causes us to be what the law truly wants [L We uphold/establish/support the law; C living by faith captures the true spirit and purpose of the law; the law pointed out sin and the need for grace, thereby pointing to Christ].

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Romerne 3
Bibelen på hverdagsdansk

Gud er retfærdig og vil dømme al ondskab

3 „Jamen, er omskærelsen da til ingen nytte? Har vi jøder da slet ingen fortrin?” er der måske nogle af jer, der vil spørge. 2 Jo, vi har mange fortrin. Først og fremmest var det os, der fik Guds ord betroet. 3 Ganske vist var mange jøder ikke lydige mod det, Gud sagde til dem, men deres manglende trofasthed betyder ikke, at Gud holder op med at være trofast. 4 Gud står ved sit ord, om så alle andre svigter. Som David sagde til Gud: „Du anklager mig med rette, din dom er retfærdig.”[a]

5 „Jamen, hvis nu vores synder får folk til at kunne se Guds godhed, er det så ikke uretfærdigt af ham at straffe os?” Sikke noget sludder! 6 Selvfølgelig ikke! Hvordan skulle Gud kunne være en retfærdig dommer, hvis han ikke straffer alt det onde? 7 „Jamen, hvis nu mine små løgne sætter Guds sandhed i relief og dermed ophøjer ham, så burde han vel ikke se på mig som en synder?” 8 Hvis det var rigtigt, kunne man lige så godt sige: „Lad os gøre det onde, for så kan folk lettere se det gode.” Der er ligefrem nogle, der ondskabsfuldt påstår, at vi siger sådan. De vil få deres velfortjente straf.

Også jøderne er under Guds dom

9 „Hvad så?” spørger du måske. „Er vi jøder da ikke bedre end andre mennesker?” Nej, for jeg har jo allerede gjort rede for, at alle mennesker, både jøder og ikke-jøder, er under syndens magt. 10 Det fremgår også af følgende citater fra Skrifterne:[b]

„Ingen gør Guds vilje,
    ikke en eneste.
11 Ingen er forstandig,
    ingen søger Gud.
12 Alle er kommet på afveje,
    fordærvede af synd.
Ingen gør det gode,
    ikke én eneste.”
13 „Deres strube stinker som en åben grav,
    deres tunge er belagt med smiger.”
„Deres ord dræber som slangegift.”
14 „De har munden fuld af forbandelser og trusler.”
15 „De kommer hurtigt ind i slagsmål og vold.
16     Der er ødelæggelse og elendighed i deres kølvand.
17         De kender ikke fredens vej.”
18 „De har ingen respekt for Gud.”

19 Vi ved, at Skriften[c] henvender sig til dem, der tror på den. Når Skriften på den måde udtaler dom over jøderne, forstår vi, at hele verden er under Guds dom, også jøderne. Ingen kan undskylde sig. 20 Der er nemlig ingen mennesker, der kan blive accepteret af Gud ved at prøve at overholde Guds lov. Den afslører kun, at vi ikke kan overholde den.

Hvordan bliver man accepteret af Gud?

21-22 Gud har nu åbenbaret en ny måde, hvorpå vi kan blive accepteret af ham, og den er allerede omtalt i Toraen[d] og de Profetiske Bøger. Det sker ikke ved at overholde den jødiske lov, men ved at tro på Jesus Kristus, og det gælder alle mennesker, uanset deres baggrund. 23 Alle har jo svigtet og lever ikke op til Guds ideal.[e] 24 Men vi bliver erklæret skyldfri på grund af Guds nåde. Det er en gave til os. Gaven består i, at Jesus Kristus påtog sig den straf, vi skulle have haft. 25-26 Gud sendte Kristus, for at han ved sin død skulle tage straffen for alle menneskers synder. Før Kristus døde, var Gud på grund af sin barmhjertighed villig til at udskyde straffen for de synder, som blev begået i fortiden. Nu, da Kristus er kommet, bliver alle, som tror på ham, erklæret skyldfri på trods af deres synd.[f] Det er ikke i strid med Guds retfærdighed at gøre sådan, for Kristus har taget straffen for alle menneskers oprør og synd.

27 Hvad har vi så at rose os af? Ingenting, for Gud accepterer os ikke på grund af vores gode gerninger, men på grund af vores tro. 28 Et menneske bliver accepteret af Gud ved at tro på Kristus og ikke ved at skulle leve op til det, som den jødiske lov forlanger.

29 Eller er Gud måske kun Gud for os jøder? Er han ikke også Gud for alle de andre folkeslag? Jo, det er han. 30 For der er kun én Gud, og han accepterer alle mennesker som skyldfri, hvis de tror på Jesus, hvad enten de er jøder eller ej.

31 Betyder vores tro så, at vi bare skal smide Guds lov væk? Nej, bestemt ikke, vi skal opfylde[g] den.

Footnotes

  1. 3,4 Sl. 51,6 LXX.
  2. 3,10 Henviser til Sl. 14,1-3 (= 53,2-4); Sl. 5,10b; Sl. 140,4b; Sl. 10,7a; Es. 59,7-8 og Sl. 36,2.
  3. 3,19 Ordret: „Loven”. Det græske ord svarer til det hebraiske Torah, som nogle gange henviser til de fem første bøger i Bibelen, kaldet Mosebøgerne, nogle gange som her til hele den jødiske Skrift, vores Gamle Testamente.
  4. 3,21-22 På græsk „loven”, som er den almindelige oversættelse af det hebraiske Torah. Det henviser her til de fem Mosebøger.
  5. 3,23 Eller: Guds herlighed.
  6. 3,25-26 „Synd” betyder manglende tillid til Guds godhed og kærlighed med deraf følgende oprør imod ham.
  7. 3,31 Eller: „give den sin rette plads”. Det græske ords betydning er omstridt. Oversættelsen her bygger på, at det samme ord bruges i Es. 44,26 (LXX), og det ser ud til at være den samme tanke, som findes i Matt. 5,17. Desuden må teksten sammenlignes med, hvad Paulus skriver i Rom. 8,4; 13,8-10 og Ef. 2,15. Det er også muligt at oversætte: „Men den skal bestå” eller „Men den skal fortsat eksistere.” Derimod er det næppe korrekt at oversætte med „vi hævder loven” (1907), „vi stadfæster loven” (1948) eller „vi gør loven gældende” (1992).
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Romans 3
New International Version

God’s Faithfulness

3 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way!(A) First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.(B)

3 What if some were unfaithful?(C) Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?(D) 4 Not at all! Let God be true,(E) and every human being a liar.(F) As it is written:

“So that you may be proved right when you speak
    and prevail when you judge.”[a](G)

5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly,(H) what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)(I) 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?(J) 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory,(K) why am I still condemned as a sinner?”(L) 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”?(M) Their condemnation is just!

No One Is Righteous

9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage?(N) Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.(O) 10 As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11     there is no one who understands;
    there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
    they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
    not even one.”[b](P)
13 “Their throats are open graves;
    their tongues practice deceit.”[c](Q)
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[d](R)
14     “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[e](S)
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16     ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[f](T)
18     “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[g](U)

19 Now we know that whatever the law says,(V) it says to those who are under the law,(W) so that every mouth may be silenced(X) and the whole world held accountable to God.(Y) 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;(Z) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.(AA)

Righteousness Through Faith

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God(AB) has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.(AC) 22 This righteousness(AD) is given through faith(AE) in[h] Jesus Christ(AF) to all who believe.(AG) There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,(AH) 23 for all have sinned(AI) and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified(AJ) freely by his grace(AK) through the redemption(AL) that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i](AM) through the shedding of his blood(AN)—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished(AO)— 26 he 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.

27 Where, then, is boasting?(AP) It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.(AQ) 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,(AR) 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.(AS) 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 3:4 Psalm 51:4
  2. Romans 3:12 Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccles. 7:20
  3. Romans 3:13 Psalm 5:9
  4. Romans 3:13 Psalm 140:3
  5. Romans 3:14 Psalm 10:7 (see Septuagint)
  6. Romans 3:17 Isaiah 59:7,8
  7. Romans 3:18 Psalm 36:1
  8. Romans 3:22 Or through the faithfulness of
  9. Romans 3:25 The Greek for sacrifice of atonement refers to the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant (see Lev. 16:15,16).
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