The Whole World Guilty before God

What then? Are we any better off?[a] Not at all! For we have already charged that both Jews(A) and Greeks(B) are all under sin,[b](C) 10 as it is written:

There is no one righteous, not even one.
11 There is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away;
all alike have become worthless.
There is no one who does what is good,
not even one.[c](D)
13 Their throat is an open grave;
they deceive with their tongues.[d](E)
Vipers’ venom is under their lips.[e](F)
14 Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.[f](G)
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,
17 and the path of peace they have not known.[g](H)
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.[h](I)

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Footnotes

  1. 3:9 Are we Jews any better than the Gentiles?
  2. 3:9 Under sin’s power or dominion
  3. 3:10–12 Ps 14:1–3; 53:1–3; Ec 7:20
  4. 3:13 Ps 5:9
  5. 3:13 Ps 140:3
  6. 3:14 Ps 10:7
  7. 3:15–17 Is 59:7–8
  8. 3:18 Ps 36:1

All are under the power of sin

So what are we saying? Are we better off? Not at all. We have already stated the charge: both Jews and Greeks are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written,

There is no righteous person, not even one.
11 There is no one who understands.
    There is no one who looks for God.
12 They all turned away.
    They have become worthless together.
There is no one who shows kindness.
    There is not even one.[a]
13 Their throat is a grave that has been opened.
    They are deceitful with their tongues,
        and the poison of vipers is under their lips.[b]
14     Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.[c]
15 Their feet are quick to shed blood;
16         destruction and misery are in their ways;
17         and they don’t know the way of peace.[d]
18 There is no fear of God in their view of the world.[e]

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