Revised
Standard Version of the Holy Bible
Romans
Chapter 3 (Revised Standard Version)
Romans 3
1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of
circumcision?
2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews are entrusted with the
oracles of God.
3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the
faithfulness of God?
4 By no means! Let God be true though every man be false, as it is
written, "That thou mayest be justified in thy words, and prevail
when thou art judged."
5 But if our wickedness serves to show the justice of God, what shall
we say? That God is unjust to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human
way.)
6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world?
7 But if through my falsehood God's truthfulness abounds to his
glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?
8 And why not do evil that good may come? -- as some people
slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all; for I have
already charged that all men, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of
sin,
10 as it is written "None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands, no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside, together they have gone wrong; no one does
good, not even one."
13 "Their throat is an open grave, they use their tongues to
deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips."
14 "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."
15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they do not know."
18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are
under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may
be held accountable to God.
20 For no human being will be justified in his sight by works of the
law, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from
law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it,
22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who
believe. For there is no distinction;
23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption
which is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received
by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine
forbearance he had passed over former sins;
26 it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous
and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.
27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. On what
principle? On the principle of works? No, but on the principle of faith.
28 For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of
law.
29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles
also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
30 since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the
ground of their faith and the uncircumcised through their faith.
31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the
contrary, we uphold the law.
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