Romans 3
International Children’s Bible
3 So, do Jews have anything that other people do not have? Is there anything special about being circumcised? 2 Yes, of course, there is in every way. The most important thing is this: God trusted the Jews with his teachings. 3 It is true that some Jews were not faithful to God. But will that stop God from doing what he promised? 4 No! God will continue to be true even when every person is false. As the Scriptures say:
“So your words may be shown to be right.
You are fair when you judge me.” Psalm 51:4
5 When we do wrong, that shows more clearly that God is right. So can we say that God is wrong to punish us? (I am talking as men might talk.) 6 No! If God could not punish us, then God could not judge the world.
7 A person might say, “When I lie, it really gives God glory, because my lie shows God’s truth. So why am I judged a sinner?” 8 It would be the same to say, “We should do evil so that good will come.” Some people find fault with us and say that we teach this. Those who say such things about us are wrong, and they should be punished.
All People Are Guilty
9 So are we Jews better than others? No! We have already said that Jews and non-Jews are the same. They are all guilty of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say:
“There is no one without sin. None!
11 There is no one who understands.
There is no one who looks to God for help.
12 All have turned away.
Together, everyone has become evil.
None of them does anything good.” Psalm 14:1-3
13 “Their throats are like open graves.
They use their tongues for telling lies.” Psalm 5:9
“Their words are like snake’s poison.” Psalm 140:3
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and hate.” Psalm 10:7
15 “They are always ready to kill people.
16 Everywhere they go they cause ruin and misery.
17 They don’t know how to live in peace.” Isaiah 59:7-8
18 “They have no fear of or respect for God.” Psalm 36:1
19 The law commands many things. We know that those commands are for those who are under the law. This stops all excuses and brings the whole world under God’s judgment, 20 because no one can be made right with God by following the law. The law only shows us our sin.
How God Makes People Right
21 But God has a way to make people right with him without the law. And God has now shown us that way which the law and the prophets told us about. 22 God makes people right with himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ, because all are the same. 23 All people have sinned and are not good enough for God’s glory. 24 People are made right with God by his grace, which is a free gift. They are made right with God by being made free from sin through Jesus Christ. 25 God sent him to die in our place to take away our sins. We receive forgiveness through faith. And all of this is because of the blood of Jesus’ death. This showed that God always does what is right and fair. God was right in the past when he was patient and did not punish people for their sins. 26 And God gave Jesus to show today that God does what is right. God did this so that he could judge rightly and also make right any person who has faith in Jesus.
27 So do we have a reason to brag about ourselves? No! And why not? It is the way of faith that stops all bragging, not the way of following the law. 28 A person is made right with God through faith, not through what he does to follow the law. 29 Is God only the God of the Jews? Is he not also the God of the non-Jews? 30 Of course he is, for there is only one God. He will make Jews right with him by their faith. And he will also make non-Jews right with him through their faith. 31 So do we destroy the law by following the way of faith? No! Faith causes us to be what the law truly wants.
Romans 3
Good News Translation
3 Do the Jews then have any advantage over the Gentiles? Or is there any value in being circumcised? 2 Much, indeed, in every way! In the first place, God trusted his message to the Jews. 3 But what if some of them were not faithful? Does this mean that God will not be faithful? 4 (A)Certainly not! God must be true, even though all human beings are liars. As the scripture says,
“You must be shown to be right when you speak;
you must win your case when you are being tried.”
5 But what if our doing wrong serves to show up more clearly God's doing right? Can we say that God does wrong when he punishes us? (This would be the natural question to ask.) 6 By no means! If God is not just, how can he judge the world?
7 But what if my untruth serves God's glory by making his truth stand out more clearly? Why should I still be condemned as a sinner? 8 Why not say, then, “Let us do evil so that good may come”? Some people, indeed, have insulted me by accusing me of saying this very thing! They will be condemned, as they should be.
No One Is Righteous
9 Well then, are we Jews in any better condition than the Gentiles? Not at all![a] I have already shown that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 (B)As the Scriptures say:
“There is no one who is righteous,
11 no one who is wise
or who worships God.
12 All have turned away from God;
they have all gone wrong;
no one does what is right, not even one.
13 (C)Their words are full of deadly deceit;
wicked lies roll off their tongues,
and dangerous threats, like snake's poison, from their lips;
14 (D)their speech is filled with bitter curses.
15 (E)They are quick to hurt and kill;
16 they leave ruin and destruction wherever they go.
17 They have not known the path of peace,
18 (F)nor have they learned reverence for God.”
19 Now we know that everything in the Law applies to those who live under the Law, in order to stop all human excuses and bring the whole world under God's judgment. 20 (G)For no one is put right in God's sight by doing what the Law requires; what the Law does is to make us know that we have sinned.
How We Are Put Right with God
21 But now God's way of putting people right with himself has been revealed. It has nothing to do with law, even though the Law of Moses and the prophets gave their witness to it. 22 (H)God puts people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. God does this to all who believe in Christ, because there is no difference at all: 23 everyone has sinned and is far away from God's saving presence. 24 But by the free gift of God's grace all are put right with him through Christ Jesus, who sets them free. 25-26 God offered him, so that by his blood[b] he should become the means by which people's sins are forgiven through their faith in him. God did this in order to demonstrate that he is righteous. In the past he was patient and overlooked people's sins; but in the present time he deals with their sins, in order to demonstrate his righteousness. In this way God shows that he himself is righteous and that he puts right everyone who believes in Jesus.
27 What, then, can we boast about? Nothing! And what is the reason for this? Is it that we obey the Law? No, but that we believe. 28 For we conclude that a person is put right with God only through faith, and not by doing what the Law commands. 29 Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of the Gentiles also? Of course he is. 30 (I)God is one, and he will put the Jews right with himself on the basis of their faith, and will put the Gentiles right through their faith. 31 Does this mean that by this faith we do away with the Law? No, not at all; instead, we uphold the Law.
Footnotes
- Romans 3:9 any better condition than the Gentiles? Not at all!; or any worse condition than the Gentiles? Not altogether.
- Romans 3:25 by his blood; or by his sacrificial death.
罗马书 3
Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified)
犹太人的长处
3 这样说来，犹太人有什么长处，割礼有什么益处呢？ 2 凡事大有好处，第一是神的圣言交托他们。 3 即便有不信的，这有何妨呢？难道他们的不信就废掉神的信吗？ 4 断乎不能！不如说，神是真实的，人都是虚谎的。如经上所记：“你责备人的时候显为公义，被人议论的时候可以得胜。” 5 我且照着人的常话说，我们的不义若显出神的义来，我们可以怎么说呢？神降怒是他不义吗？ 6 断乎不是！若是这样，神怎能审判世界呢？ 7 若神的真实因我的虚谎越发显出他的荣耀，为什么我还受审判，好像罪人呢？ 8 为什么不说“我们可以作恶以成善”呢？这是毁谤我们的人说我们有这话。这等人定罪是该当的。
引证犹太和外邦都在罪恶之下
9 这却怎么样呢？我们比他们强吗？决不是的！因我们已经证明：犹太人和希腊人都在罪恶之下。 10 就如经上所记：“没有义人，连一个也没有。 11 没有明白的，没有寻求神的。 12 都是偏离正路，一同变为无用；没有行善的，连一个也没有。 13 他们的喉咙是敞开的坟墓，他们用舌头弄诡诈，嘴唇里有虺蛇的毒气， 14 满口是咒骂苦毒。 15 杀人流血，他们的脚飞跑； 16 所经过的路，便行残害暴虐的事； 17 平安的路，他们未曾知道。 18 他们眼中不怕神。” 19 我们晓得律法上的话都是对律法以下之人说的，好塞住各人的口，叫普世的人都伏在神审判之下。 20 所以凡有血气的，没有一个因行律法能在神面前称义，因为律法本是叫人知罪。
信靠耶稣乃得称义
21 但如今，神的义在律法以外已经显明出来，有律法和先知为证， 22 就是神的义因信耶稣基督加给一切相信的人，并没有分别。 23 因为世人都犯了罪，亏缺了神的荣耀， 24 如今却蒙神的恩典，因基督耶稣的救赎，就白白地称义。 25 神设立耶稣做挽回祭，是凭着耶稣的血，借着人的信，要显明神的义。因为他用忍耐的心宽容人先时所犯的罪， 26 好在今时显明他的义，使人知道他自己为义，也称信耶稣的人为义。 27 既是这样，哪里能夸口呢？没有可夸的了。用何法没有的呢？是用立功之法吗？不是，乃用信主之法。 28 所以[a]我们看定了，人称义是因着信，不在乎遵行律法。 29 难道神只做犹太人的神吗？不也是做外邦人的神吗？是的，也做外邦人的神。 30 神既是一位，他就要因信称那受割礼的为义，也要因信称那未受割礼的为义。 31 这样，我们因信废了律法吗？断乎不是，更是坚固律法。
Footnotes
- 罗马书 3:28 有古卷作：因为。
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