But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly,(A) what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)(B) Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?(C) Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory,(D) why am I still condemned as a sinner?”(E) Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”?(F) Their condemnation is just!

No One Is Righteous

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage?(G) Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.(H) 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,
    they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
    not even one.”[a](I)
13 “Their throats are open graves;
    their tongues practice deceit.”[b](J)
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[c](K)
14     “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[d](L)
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16     ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[e](M)
18     “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[f](N)

19 Now we know that whatever the law says,(O) it says to those who are under the law,(P) so that every mouth may be silenced(Q) and the whole world held accountable to God.(R) 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;(S) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.(T)

Righteousness Through Faith

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God(U) has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.(V) 22 This righteousness(W) is given through faith(X) in[g] Jesus Christ(Y) to all who believe.(Z) There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,(AA) 23 for all have sinned(AB) and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified(AC) freely by his grace(AD) through the redemption(AE) that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[h](AF) through the shedding of his blood(AG)—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished(AH) 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?(AI) 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.(AJ) 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,(AK) 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.(AL) 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Abraham Justified by Faith

What then shall we say(AM) that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh,(AN) discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.(AO) What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[i](AP)

Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift(AQ) but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.(AR) David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

“Blessed are those
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”[j](AS)

Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?(AT) We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.(AU) 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.(AV) So then, he is the father(AW) of all who believe(AX) but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise(AY) that he would be heir of the world,(AZ) but through the righteousness that comes by faith.(BA) 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless,(BB) 15 because the law brings wrath.(BC) And where there is no law there is no transgression.(BD)

16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace(BE) and may be guaranteed(BF) to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.(BG) 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”[k](BH) He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life(BI) to the dead and calls(BJ) into being things that were not.(BK)

18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations,(BL) just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”[l](BM) 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead(BN)—since he was about a hundred years old(BO)—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.(BP) 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened(BQ) in his faith and gave glory to God,(BR) 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.(BS) 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”(BT) 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us,(BU) to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him(BV) who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.(BW) 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins(BX) and was raised to life for our justification.(BY)

Footnotes

  1. Romans 3:12 Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccles. 7:20
  2. Romans 3:13 Psalm 5:9
  3. Romans 3:13 Psalm 140:3
  4. Romans 3:14 Psalm 10:7 (see Septuagint)
  5. Romans 3:17 Isaiah 59:7,8
  6. Romans 3:18 Psalm 36:1
  7. Romans 3:22 Or through the faithfulness of
  8. Romans 3:25 The Greek for sacrifice of atonement refers to the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant (see Lev. 16:15,16).
  9. Romans 4:3 Gen. 15:6; also in verse 22
  10. Romans 4:8 Psalm 32:1,2
  11. Romans 4:17 Gen. 17:5
  12. Romans 4:18 Gen. 15:5

But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)

God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?

And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:

16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:

17 And the way of peace have they not known:

18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:

30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:

20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.