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Romans 1:18-3:23
New American Standard Bible 1995

Unbelief and Its Consequences

18 For (A)the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who (B)suppress the truth [a]in unrighteousness, 19 because (C)that which is known about God is evident [b]within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For (D)since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, (E)being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not [c]honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became (F)futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 (G)Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and (H)exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and [d]crawling creatures.

24 Therefore (I)God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be (J)dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for [e]a (K)lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, (L)who is blessed [f]forever. Amen.

26 For this reason (M)God gave them over to (N)degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is [g]unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, (O)men with men committing [h]indecent acts and receiving in [i]their own persons the due penalty of their error.

28 And just as they did not see fit [j]to acknowledge God any longer, (P)God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are (Q)gossips, 30 slanderers, [k](R)haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, (S)disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, (T)unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of (U)death, they not only do the same, but also (V)give hearty approval to those who practice them.

The Impartiality of God

2 Therefore you have (W)no excuse, [l](X)everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which (Y)you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 And we know that the judgment of God [m]rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 But do you suppose this, (Z)O man, [n]when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of (AA)the riches of His (AB)kindness and (AC)tolerance and (AD)patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But [o]because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart (AE)you are storing up wrath for yourself (AF)in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 (AG)who will render to each person according to his deeds: 7 to those who by (AH)perseverance in doing good seek for (AI)glory and honor and (AJ)immortality, (AK)eternal life; 8 but to those who are (AL)selfishly ambitious and (AM)do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 9 There will be (AN)tribulation and distress [p]for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew (AO)first and also of the Greek, 10 but (AP)glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew (AQ)first and also to the Greek. 11 For (AR)there is no partiality with God.

12 For all who have sinned [q](AS)without the Law will also perish [r]without the Law, and all who have sinned [s]under the Law will be judged [t]by the Law; 13 for it is (AT)not the hearers [u]of the Law who are [v]just before God, but the doers [w]of the Law will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have [x]the Law do [y](AU)instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having [z]the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show (AV)the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, (AW)according to my gospel, (AX)God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

The Jew Is Condemned by the Law

17 But if you bear the name “Jew” and (AY)rely [aa]upon the Law and boast in God, 18 and know His will and [ab](AZ)approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 a [ac]corrector of the foolish, a teacher of [ad]the immature, having in the Law (BA)the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, 21 you, therefore, (BB)who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who [ae]preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? 22 You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you (BC)rob temples? 23 You who (BD)boast [af]in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? 24 For “(BE)the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles (BF)because of you,” just as it is written.

25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you (BG)practice [ag]the Law; but if you are a transgressor [ah]of the Law, (BH)your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 (BI)So if (BJ)the [ai]uncircumcised man (BK)keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 And (BL)he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not (BM)judge you who [aj]though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor [ak]of the Law? 28 For (BN)he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But (BO)he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and (BP)circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the (BQ)Spirit, not by the letter; (BR)and his praise is not from men, but from God.

All the World Guilty

3 Then what [al]advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that (BS)they were entrusted with the (BT)oracles of God. 3 What then? If (BU)some [am]did not believe, their [an]unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4 (BV)May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found (BW)a liar, as it is written,

“(BX)That You may be justified in Your words,
And prevail when You [ao]are judged.”

5 But if our unrighteousness [ap](BY)demonstrates the righteousness of God, (BZ)what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? ((CA)I am speaking in human terms.) 6 (CB)May it never be! For otherwise, how will (CC)God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie (CD)the truth of God abounded to His glory, (CE)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), “(CF)Let us do evil that good may come”? [aq]Their condemnation is just.

9 What then? [ar](CG)Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both (CH)Jews and (CI)Greeks are (CJ)all under sin; 10 as it is written,

“(CK)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 useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.”
13 “(CL)Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“(CM)The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “(CN)Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
15 “(CO)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 “(CP)There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever the (CQ)Law says, it speaks to (CR)those who are [as]under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and (CS)all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because (CT)by the works [at]of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for [au](CU)through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Justification by Faith

21 But now apart [av]from the Law (CV)the righteousness of God has been manifested, being (CW)witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the (CX)righteousness of God through (CY)faith (CZ)in Jesus Christ for (DA)all those [aw]who believe; for (DB)there is no distinction; 23 for all [ax](DC)have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Footnotes

  1. Romans 1:18 Or by
  2. Romans 1:19 Or among
  3. Romans 1:21 Lit glorify
  4. Romans 1:23 Or reptiles
  5. Romans 1:25 Lit the lie
  6. Romans 1:25 Lit unto the ages
  7. Romans 1:26 Lit against nature
  8. Romans 1:27 Lit the shameless deed
  9. Romans 1:27 Lit themselves
  10. Romans 1:28 Lit to have God in knowledge
  11. Romans 1:30 Or hateful to God
  12. Romans 2:1 Lit O man, everyone who
  13. Romans 2:2 Lit is according to truth against
  14. Romans 2:3 Lit who passes judgment
  15. Romans 2:5 Or in accordance with
  16. Romans 2:9 Lit upon
  17. Romans 2:12 Or without law
  18. Romans 2:12 Or without law
  19. Romans 2:12 Or under law
  20. Romans 2:12 Or by law
  21. Romans 2:13 Or of law
  22. Romans 2:13 Or righteous
  23. Romans 2:13 Or of law
  24. Romans 2:14 Or law
  25. Romans 2:14 Lit by nature
  26. Romans 2:14 Or law
  27. Romans 2:17 Or upon law
  28. Romans 2:18 Or distinguish between the things which differ
  29. Romans 2:20 Or instructor
  30. Romans 2:20 Lit infants
  31. Romans 2:21 Or proclaim
  32. Romans 2:23 Or in law
  33. Romans 2:25 Or law
  34. Romans 2:25 Or of law
  35. Romans 2:26 Lit uncircumcision
  36. Romans 2:27 Lit through the letter
  37. Romans 2:27 Or of law
  38. Romans 3:1 Lit is the advantage of the Jew
  39. Romans 3:3 Or were unfaithful
  40. Romans 3:3 Or unfaithfulness
  41. Romans 3:4 Lit in Your judging
  42. Romans 3:5 Or commends
  43. Romans 3:8 Lit Whose
  44. Romans 3:9 Or Are we worse
  45. Romans 3:19 Lit in
  46. Romans 3:20 Or of law
  47. Romans 3:20 Or through law
  48. Romans 3:21 Or from law
  49. Romans 3:22 Or who believe. For there is no distinction, since they all have sinned...and are being justified
  50. Romans 3:23 Or sinned
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New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995)

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible is made available by The Lockman Foundation