Romans 3:7-25

English Standard Version

⁷But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, ^(A)why am I still being condemned as a sinner? ⁸And why not ^(B)do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

No One Is Righteous

⁹What then? Are we Jews^[a] any better off?^[b] No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both ^(C)Jews and ^(D)Greeks, are ^(E)under sin, ¹⁰as it is written:

^(F)“None is righteous, no, not one;
¹¹    no one understands;
    no one seeks for God.
¹²All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
    no one does good,
    not even one.”
¹³^(G)“Their throat is ^(H)an open grave;
    they use their tongues to deceive.”
^(I)“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
¹⁴    ^(J)“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
¹⁵^(K)“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶    in their paths are ruin and misery,
¹⁷and ^(L)the way of peace they have not known.”
¹⁸    ^(M)“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

¹⁹Now we know that whatever ^(N)the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, ^(O)so that every mouth may be stopped, and ^(P)the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰For ^(Q)by works of the law no human being^[c] will be justified in his sight, since ^(R)through the law comes knowledge of sin.

The Righteousness of God Through Faith

²¹But now ^(S)the righteousness of God ^(T)has been manifested apart from the law, although ^(U)the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²²the righteousness of God ^(V)through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. ^(W)For there is no distinction: ²³for ^(X)all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴^(Y)and are justified ^(Z)by his grace as a gift, ^(AA)through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵whom God ^(AB)put forward as ^(AC)a propitiation ^(AD)by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in ^(AE)his divine forbearance he had passed over ^(AF)former sins.