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:

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:

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.

Bezalel and Oholiab^(A)

31 Then the Lord said to Moses, ² “See, I have chosen Bezalel^(B) son of Uri, the son of Hur,^(C) of the tribe of Judah, ³ and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge^(D) and with all kinds of skills^(E)— ⁴ to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, ⁵ to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. ⁶ Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab^(F) son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan,^(G) to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers^(H) to make everything I have commanded you: ⁷ the tent of meeting,^(I) the ark of the covenant law^(J) with the atonement cover^(K) on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent— ⁸ the table^(L) and its articles, the pure gold lampstand^(M) and all its accessories, the altar of incense,^{(N) 9} the altar of burnt offering^(O) and all its utensils, the basin^(P) with its stand— ¹⁰ and also the woven garments^(Q), both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, ¹¹ and the anointing oil^(R) and fragrant incense^(S) for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded^(T) you.”

The Sabbath

¹² Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹³ “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths.^(U) This will be a sign^(V) between me and you for the generations to come,^(W) so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.^(X)

¹⁴ “‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death;^(Y) those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. ¹⁵ For six days work^(Z) is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest,^(AA) holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. ¹⁶ The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath,^(AB) celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. ¹⁷ It will be a sign^(AC) between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.^(AD)’”^(AE)

¹⁸ When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai,^(AF) he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone^(AG) inscribed by the finger of God.^(AH)

The Golden Calf

32 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain,^(AI) they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods^[a] who will go before^(AJ) us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”^(AK)

² Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings^(AL) that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” ³ So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. ⁴ He took what they handed him and made it into an idol^(AM) cast in the shape of a calf,^(AN) fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,^[b](AO) Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”^(AP)

⁵ When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival^(AQ) to the Lord.” ⁶ So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings.^(AR) Afterward they sat down to eat and drink^(AS) and got up to indulge in revelry.^(AT)

⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt,^(AU) have become corrupt.^{(AV) 8} They have been quick to turn away^(AW) from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol^(AX) cast in the shape of a calf.^(AY) They have bowed down to it and sacrificed^(AZ) to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’^(BA)

⁹ “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked^(BB) people. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone^(BC) so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy^(BD) them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”^(BE)

¹¹ But Moses sought the favor^(BF) of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?^{(BG) 12} Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’?^(BH) Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster^(BI) on your people. ¹³ Remember^(BJ) your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self:^(BK) ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars^(BL) in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land^(BM) I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” ¹⁴ Then the Lord relented^(BN) and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

¹⁵ Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law^(BO) in his hands.^(BP) They were inscribed^(BQ) on both sides, front and back. ¹⁶ The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.^(BR)

¹⁷ When Joshua^(BS) heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “There is the sound of war in the camp.”

¹⁸ Moses replied:

¹⁹ When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf^(BT) and the dancing,^(BU) his anger burned^(BV) and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces^(BW) at the foot of the mountain. ²⁰ And he took the calf the people had made and burned^(BX) it in the fire; then he ground it to powder,^(BY) scattered it on the water^(BZ) and made the Israelites drink it.

²¹ He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?”

²² “Do not be angry,^(CA) my lord,” Aaron answered. “You know how prone these people are to evil.^{(CB) 23} They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’^{(CC) 24} So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”^(CD)

²⁵ Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock^(CE) to their enemies. ²⁶ So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him.

²⁷ Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’”^{(CF) 28} The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. ²⁹ Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”

³⁰ The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin.^(CG) But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement^(CH) for your sin.”

³¹ So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed!^(CI) They have made themselves gods of gold.^{(CJ) 32} But now, please forgive their sin^(CK)—but if not, then blot me^(CL) out of the book^(CM) you have written.”

³³ The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out^(CN) of my book. ³⁴ Now go, lead^(CO) the people to the place^(CP) I spoke of, and my angel^(CQ) will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish,^(CR) I will punish them for their sin.”

³⁵ And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf^(CS) Aaron had made.