Romans 3
New Living Translation
God Remains Faithful
3 Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? 2 Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.[a]
3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? 4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,
“You will be proved right in what you say,
and you will win your case in court.”[b]
5 “But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) 6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? 7 “But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?” 8 And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.
All People Are Sinners
9 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles,[c] are under the power of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say,
“No one is righteous—
not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.”[d]
13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”[e]
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[f]
15 “They rush to commit murder.
16 Destruction and misery always follow them.
17 They don’t know where to find peace.”[g]
18 “They have no fear of God at all.”[h]
19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
Christ Took Our Punishment
21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses[i] and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. 30 There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.[j] 31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.
Footnotes
- 3:2 Greek the oracles of God.
- 3:4 Ps 51:4 (Greek version).
- 3:9 Greek or Greeks.
- 3:10-12 Pss 14:1-3; 53:1-3 (Greek version).
- 3:13 Pss 5:9 (Greek version); 140:3.
- 3:14 Ps 10:7 (Greek version).
- 3:15-17 Isa 59:7-8.
- 3:18 Ps 36:1.
- 3:21 Greek in the law.
- 3:30 Greek whether they are circumcised or uncircumcised.
Romans 3
New American Standard Bible
All the World Guilty
3 Then what [a]advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First, that (A)they were entrusted with the (B)actual words of God. 3 What then? If (C)some [b]did not believe, their [c]unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4 [d](D)Far from it! Rather, God must prove to be true, though every person be found (E)a liar, as it is written:
5 But if our unrighteousness [f](G)demonstrates the righteousness of God, (H)what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? ((I)I am speaking from a human viewpoint.) 6 (J)Far from it! 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 (just as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “(N)Let’s do evil that good may come of it”? [g]Their condemnation is deserved.
9 What then? [h](O)Are we better than they? 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 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 [i]corrupt;
There is no one who does good,
There is not even one.”
13 “(T)Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“(U)The venom of [j]asps is under their lips”;
14 “(V)Their 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 they have not known the way of peace.”
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 [k]under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and (AA)all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because (AB)by the works [l]of the Law [m]none of mankind will be justified in His sight; for [n](AC)through the Law comes [o]knowledge of sin.
Justification by Faith
21 But now apart [p]from the Law (AD)the righteousness of God has been revealed, being (AE)witnessed by the [q]Law and the Prophets, 22 but it is the (AF)righteousness of God through (AG)faith (AH)in Jesus Christ for (AI)all those [r]who believe; for (AJ)there is no distinction, 23 for all [s](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 [t]propitiation [u](AO)in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, [v]because in God’s merciful (AP)restraint He (AQ)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 [w]has faith in Jesus.
27 Where then is (AR)boasting? It has been excluded. By (AS)what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 [x]For (AT)we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from works [y]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 [z]circumcised [aa]by faith and the [ab]uncircumcised through faith (AX)is one.
31 Do we then nullify [ac]the Law through faith? (AY)Far from it! On the contrary, we (AZ)establish the Law.
Footnotes
- Romans 3:1 Lit is the advantage of the Jew
- Romans 3:3 Or were unfaithful
- Romans 3:3 Or unfaithfulness
- Romans 3:4 Lit May it never happen! And so throughout the ch
- Romans 3:4 Or in Your judging
- Romans 3:5 I.e., by requiring His judgment
- Romans 3:8 Lit Whose
- Romans 3:9 Or Are we worse
- Romans 3:12 Or depraved
- Romans 3:13 I.e., venomous snakes
- Romans 3:19 Lit in
- Romans 3:20 Or of law
- Romans 3:20 Lit no flesh
- Romans 3:20 Or through law
- Romans 3:20 Or recognition
- Romans 3:21 Or from law
- Romans 3:21 I.e., the Old Testament
- Romans 3:22 Or who believe. For there is
- Romans 3:23 Or sinned
- Romans 3:25 I.e., a means of reconciliation between God and mankind by paying the penalty for sin
- Romans 3:25 Or by
- Romans 3:25 Lit because of the passing over of the sins previously committed, in the restraint 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
Romanos 3
La Biblia de las Américas
¿Qué ventaja tiene el judío?
3 ¿Cuál es, entonces, la ventaja del judío? ¿O cuál el beneficio de la circuncisión? 2 Grande, en todo sentido. En primer lugar, porque a ellos les han sido confiados los oráculos de Dios(A). 3 Entonces ¿qué? Si algunos fueron infieles[a](B), ¿acaso su infidelidad[b] anulará la fidelidad de Dios? 4 ¡De ningún modo(C)! Antes bien, sea hallado Dios veraz, aunque todo hombre sea hallado mentiroso(D); como está escrito:
5 Y si nuestra injusticia hace resaltar la justicia de Dios(F), ¿qué diremos(G)? ¿Acaso es injusto el Dios que expresa[d] su ira? (Hablo en términos humanos(H)). 6 ¡De ningún modo(I)! Pues de otra manera, ¿cómo juzgaría Dios al mundo(J)? 7 Pero si por mi mentira la verdad de Dios(K) abundó para su gloria, ¿por qué también soy yo aún juzgado como pecador(L)? 8 ¿Y por qué no decir (como se nos calumnia, y como algunos afirman que nosotros decimos): Hagamos el mal para que venga el bien(M)? La condenación de los tales es justa.
Todos han pecado
9 ¿Entonces qué? ¿Somos nosotros mejores[e] que ellos(N)? De ninguna manera; porque ya hemos denunciado que tanto judíos como griegos están todos bajo pecado(O); 10 como está escrito:
(P)No hay justo, ni aun uno;
11 no hay quien entienda,
no hay quien busque a Dios;
12 todos se han desviado, a una se hicieron inútiles;
no hay quien haga lo bueno,
no hay ni siquiera uno.
13 Sepulcro abierto es su garganta,
engañan de continuo con su lengua(Q),
veneno de serpientes[f] hay bajo sus labios(R);
14 llena está su boca de maldición y amargura(S);
15 (T)sus pies son veloces para derramar sangre;
16 destrucción y miseria hay en sus caminos,
17 y la senda de paz no han conocido.
18 No hay temor de Dios delante de sus ojos(U).
Justificación por medio de la fe
19 Ahora bien, sabemos que cuanto dice la ley(V), lo dice a los que están bajo[g] la ley(W), para que toda boca se calle[h] y todo el mundo sea hecho responsable ante Dios(X); 20 porque por las obras de la ley[i] ningún ser humano[j] será justificado delante de Él(Y); pues por medio de la ley[k] viene el conocimiento del pecado(Z).
21 Pero ahora, aparte de la ley[l], la justicia de Dios ha sido manifestada(AA), atestiguada por la ley y los profetas(AB); 22 es decir, la justicia de Dios por medio de la fe(AC) en Jesucristo, para todos los que creen(AD); porque no hay distinción(AE); 23 por cuanto todos pecaron[m](AF) y no alcanzan la gloria de Dios, 24 siendo justificados gratuitamente por su gracia por medio de la redención que es en Cristo Jesús(AG), 25 a quien Dios exhibió públicamente como propiciación[n](AH) por su sangre(AI) a través de la fe, como demostración de su justicia, porque en su tolerancia, Dios(AJ) pasó por alto los pecados cometidos anteriormente[o](AK), 26 para demostrar[p] en este tiempo su justicia, a fin de que Él sea justo y sea el que justifica al que tiene fe en Jesús[q]. 27 ¿Dónde está, pues, la jactancia(AL)? Queda excluida. ¿Por cuál ley? ¿La de las obras(AM)? No, sino por la ley de la fe. 28 Porque[r] concluimos que el hombre es justificado por la fe aparte de las obras de la ley[s](AN). 29 ¿O es Dios el Dios de los judíos solamente? ¿No es también el Dios de los gentiles? Sí, también de los gentiles(AO), 30 porque en verdad Dios es uno(AP), el cual justificará en virtud de la fe a los circuncisos[t](AQ) y por medio de la fe a los incircuncisos[u](AR).
31 ¿Anulamos entonces la ley por medio de la fe? ¡De ningún modo(AS)! Al contrario, confirmamos la ley(AT).
Footnotes
- Romanos 3:3 O, incrédulos
- Romanos 3:3 O, incredulidad
- Romanos 3:4 O, entres en juicio
- Romanos 3:5 O, inflige
- Romanos 3:9 O, posiblemente, peores
- Romanos 3:13 Lit., áspides
- Romanos 3:19 Lit., en
- Romanos 3:19 Lit., cierre
- Romanos 3:20 O, de ley
- Romanos 3:20 Lit., ninguna carne
- Romanos 3:20 O, por medio de ley
- Romanos 3:21 O, de ley
- Romanos 3:23 O, han pecado
- Romanos 3:25 O, sacrificio propiciatorio
- Romanos 3:25 Lit., por causa de haber pasado por alto, en la paciencia de Dios, los pecados previamente cometidos
- Romanos 3:26 Lit., demostración
- Romanos 3:26 Lit., es de la fe de Jesús
- Romanos 3:28 Algunos mss. antiguos dicen: Por tanto
- Romanos 3:28 Lit., O, de ley
- Romanos 3:30 Lit., la circuncisión
- Romanos 3:30 Lit., la incircuncisión
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
