1 T hen what advantage remains to the Jew? Or what is the value or benefit of circumcision?

2 M uch in every way. To begin with, to the Jews were entrusted the oracles (the brief communications, the intentions, the utterances) of God.

3 W hat if some did not believe and were without faith? Does their lack of faith and their faithlessness nullify and make ineffective and void the faithfulness of God and His fidelity ?

4 B y no means! Let God be found true though every human being is false and a liar, as it is written, That You may be justified and shown to be upright in what You say, and prevail when You are judged.

5 B ut if our unrighteousness thus establishes and exhibits the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust and wrong to inflict His wrath upon us ? I speak in a human way.

6 B y no means! Otherwise, how could God judge the world?

7 B ut if through my falsehood God’s integrity is magnified and advertised and abounds to His glory, why am I still being judged as a sinner?

8 A nd why should we not do evil that good may come?—as some slanderously charge us with teaching. Such is justly condemned by them.

9 W ell then, are we superior and better off than they? No, not at all. We have already charged that all men, both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles), are under sin.

10 A s it is written, None is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no, not one.

11 N o one understands; no one seeks out God.

12 A ll have turned aside; together they have gone wrong and have become unprofitable and worthless; no one does right, not even one!

13 T heir throat is a yawning grave; they use their tongues to deceive (to mislead and to deal treacherously). The venom of asps is beneath their lips.

14 T heir mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

15 T heir feet are swift to shed blood.

16 D estruction and misery mark their ways.

17 A nd they have no experience of the way of peace.

18 T here is no fear of God before their eyes.

19 N ow we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be hushed and all the world may be held accountable to God.

20 F or no person will be justified (made righteous, acquitted, and judged acceptable) in His sight by observing the works prescribed by the Law. For the Law is to make men recognize and be conscious of sin '> not mere perception, but an acquaintance with sin which works toward repentance, faith, and holy character].

21 B ut now the righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from the Law, although actually it is attested by the Law and the Prophets,

22 N amely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). for all who believe. For there is no distinction,

23 S ince all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives.

24 a re justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus,

25 W hom God put forward '> before the eyes of all] as a mercy seat and propitiation by His blood through faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment.

26 I t was to demonstrate and prove at the present time ( in the now season) that He Himself is righteous and that He justifies and accepts as righteous him who has faith in Jesus.

27 T hen what becomes of pride and boasting? It is excluded (banished, ruled out entirely). On what principle? of doing good deeds? No, but on the principle of faith.

28 F or we hold that a man is justified and made upright by faith independent of and distinctly apart from good deeds (works of the Law).

29 O r is God merely of Jews? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,

30 S ince it is one and the same God Who will justify the circumcised by faith '> which germinated from Abraham] and the uncircumcised through their faith..

31 D o we then by faith make the Law of no effect, overthrow it or make it a dead letter? Certainly not! On the contrary, we confirm and establish and uphold the Law.