Romans 3:9-4:12

English Standard Version

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 ^(A)Jews and ^(B)Greeks, are ^(C)under sin, ¹⁰as it is written:

^(D)“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^(E)“Their throat is ^(F)an open grave;
    they use their tongues to deceive.”
^(G)“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
¹⁴    ^(H)“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
¹⁵^(I)“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶    in their paths are ruin and misery,
¹⁷and ^(J)the way of peace they have not known.”
¹⁸    ^(K)“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

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

The Righteousness of God Through Faith

²¹But now ^(Q)the righteousness of God ^(R)has been manifested apart from the law, although ^(S)the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²²the righteousness of God ^(T)through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. ^(U)For there is no distinction: ²³for ^(V)all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴^(W)and are justified ^(X)by his grace as a gift, ^(Y)through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵whom God ^(Z)put forward as ^(AA)a propitiation ^(AB)by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in ^(AC)his divine forbearance he had passed over ^(AD)former sins. ²⁶It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

²⁷^(AE)Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸For we hold that one is justified by faith ^(AF)apart from works of the law. ²⁹Or ^(AG)is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, ³⁰since ^(AH)God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and ^(AI)the uncircumcised through faith. ³¹Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Abraham Justified by Faith

4 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, ^(AJ)our forefather according to the flesh? ²For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but ^(AK)not before God. ³For what does the Scripture say? ^(AL)“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” ⁴Now ^(AM)to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. ⁵And to the one who does not work but ^(AN)believes in^[d] him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, ⁶just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

⁷^(AO)“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
⁸blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not ^(AP)count his sin.”

⁹Is this blessing then only for ^(AQ)the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? ^(AR)For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. ¹⁰How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. ¹¹^(AS)He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was ^(AT)to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, ¹²and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Footnotes

Romans 3:9 Greek Are we
Romans 3:9 Or at any disadvantage?
Romans 3:20 Greek flesh
Romans 4:5 Or but trusts; compare verse 24

Galatians 3:1-14

English Standard Version

By Faith, or by Works of the Law?

3 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? ^(A)It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly ^(B)portrayed as crucified. ²Let me ask you only this: ^(C)Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by ^(D)hearing with faith? ³Are you so foolish? ^(E)Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by^[a] the flesh? ⁴^(F)Did you suffer^[b] so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? ⁵Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and ^(G)works miracles among you do so ^(H)by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— ⁶just as ^(I)Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

⁷Know then that it is ^(J)those of faith who are ^(K)the sons of Abraham. ⁸And the Scripture, foreseeing that ^(L)God would justify^[c] the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ^(M)“In you shall all the nations be blessed.” ⁹So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

¹⁰For all who rely on works of the law are ^(N)under a curse; for it is written, ^(O)“Cursed be everyone who does not ^(P)abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” ¹¹Now it is evident that ^(Q)no one is justified before God by the law, for ^(R)“The righteous shall live by faith.”^[d] ¹²But the law is not of faith, rather ^(S)“The one who does them shall live by them.” ¹³Christ ^(T)redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ^(U)“Cursed is everyone who is hanged ^(V)on a tree”— ¹⁴so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might ^(W)come to the Gentiles, so that ^(X)we might receive ^(Y)the promised Spirit^[e] through faith.