Romans 3
Legacy Standard Bible
There Is None Righteous
3 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that (A)they were entrusted with the (B)oracles of God. 3 What then? If (C)some [a]did not believe, does their [b]unbelief abolish the faithfulness of God? 4 (D)May it never be! Rather, let God be true and every man (E)a liar, as it is written,
5 But if our unrighteousness [d](G)demonstrates the righteousness of God, (H)what shall we say? Is the God who inflicts wrath unrighteous? ((I)I am speaking in human terms.) 6 (J)May it never be! For otherwise, how will (K)God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie (L)the truth of God abounded to His glory, (M)why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “(N)Let us do evil that good may come”? [e]Their condemnation is just.
9 What then? (O)Are we [f]better? Not at all; for we have already charged that both (P)Jews and (Q)Greeks are (R)all under sin; 10 as it is written,
“(S)There is none righteous, not even one;
11 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
12 All have turned aside, together they have become worthless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.”
13 “(T)Their throat is an open tomb,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“(U)The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “(V)Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
15 “(W)Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,
17 And the path of peace they have not known.”
18 “(X)There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever the (Y)Law says, it speaks to (Z)those who are in the Law, so that every mouth may be shut and (AA)all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because (AB)by the works [g]of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for [h](AC)through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
The Righteousness of God through Faith
21 But now apart [i]from the Law (AD)the righteousness of God has been manifested, being (AE)witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the (AF)righteousness of God through (AG)faith (AH)in Jesus Christ for (AI)all those [j]who believe; for (AJ)there is no distinction; 23 for all [k](AK)have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift (AL)by His grace through (AM)the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as (AN)a [l]propitiation [m](AO)in His blood through faith, for a demonstration of His righteousness, [n]because in the (AP)forbearance of God He (AQ)passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who [o]has faith in Jesus.
27 Where then is (AR)boasting? It is excluded. By (AS)what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 [p]For (AT)we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works [q]of the Law. 29 Or (AU)is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed (AV)God, (AW)who will justify the [r]circumcised [s]by faith and the [t]uncircumcised through that faith, (AX)is one.
31 Do we then abolish [u]the Law through faith? (AY)May it never be! On the contrary, we (AZ)establish the Law.
Footnotes
- Romans 3:3 Or were unfaithful
- Romans 3:3 Or unfaithfulness
- Romans 3:4 Lit in Your judging
- Romans 3:5 Or commends
- Romans 3:8 Lit Whose
- Romans 3:9 Or worse
- Romans 3:20 Or of law
- Romans 3:20 Or through law
- Romans 3:21 Or from law
- Romans 3:22 Or who believe. For there is no distinction, since they all have sinned...and are being justified
- Romans 3:23 Or sinned
- Romans 3:25 Or propitiatory sacrifice
- Romans 3:25 Or by
- Romans 3:25 Lit because of the passing over of the sins previously committed in the forbearance of God
- Romans 3:26 Lit is of the faith of Jesus
- Romans 3:28 One early ms Therefore
- Romans 3:28 Or of law
- Romans 3:30 Lit circumcision
- Romans 3:30 Lit out of
- Romans 3:30 Lit uncircumcision
- Romans 3:31 Or law
Romans 3
New King James Version
God’s Judgment Defended
3 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because (A)to them were committed the [a]oracles of God. 3 For what if (B)some did not believe? (C)Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 (D)Certainly not! Indeed, let (E)God be [b]true but (F)every man a liar. As it is written:
(G)“That You may be justified in Your words,
And may overcome when You are judged.”
5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (H)(I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then (I)how will God judge the world?
7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, (J)“Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their [c]condemnation is just.
All Have Sinned(K)
9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that (L)they are all under sin.
10 As it is written:
(M)“There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
13 “Their(N) throat is an open [d]tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
(O)“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Whose(P) mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their(Q) feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There(R) is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever (S)the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that (T)every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become [e]guilty before God. 20 Therefore (U)by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
God’s Righteousness Through Faith
21 But now (V)the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, (W)being witnessed by the Law (X)and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all [f]and on all who believe. For (Y)there is no difference; 23 for (Z)all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified [g]freely (AA)by His grace (AB)through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth (AC)as a [h]propitiation (AD)by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over (AE)the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Boasting Excluded
27 (AF)Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude (AG)that a man is [i]justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since (AH)there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
Footnotes
- Romans 3:2 sayings, Scriptures
- Romans 3:4 Found true
- Romans 3:8 Lit. judgment
- Romans 3:13 grave
- Romans 3:19 accountable
- Romans 3:22 NU omits and on all
- Romans 3:24 without any cost
- Romans 3:25 mercy seat
- Romans 3:28 declared righteous
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
