1 W hat advantage then hath the Jew? or what is the profit of circumcision?

Then what advantage remains to the Jew? Or what is the value or benefit of circumcision?

2 M uch every way: first of all, that they were intrusted with the oracles of God.

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

3 F or what if some were without faith? shall their want of faith make of none effect the faithfulness of God?

What 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 G od forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy words, And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment.

By 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 righteousness commendeth the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who visiteth with wrath? (I speak after the manner of men.)

But 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 G od forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

By no means! Otherwise, how could God judge the world?

7 B ut if the truth of God through my lie abounded unto his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

But 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 not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), Let us do evil, that good may come? whose condemnation is just.

And 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 hat then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we before laid to the charge both of Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin;

Well 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, There is none righteous, no, not one;

As it is written, None is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no, not one.

11 T here is none that understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God;

No one understands; no one seeks out God.

12 T hey have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that doeth good, no, not, so much as one:

All 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 an open sepulchre; With their tongues they have used deceit: The poison of asps is under their lips:

Their 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 W hose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

15 T heir feet are swift to shed blood;

Their feet are swift to shed blood.

16 D estruction and misery are in their ways;

Destruction and misery mark their ways.

17 A nd the way of peace have they not known:

And they have no experience of the way of peace.

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

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

19 N ow we know that what things soever the law saith, it speaketh to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God:

Now 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 b ecause by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin.

For 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 apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

But 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 e ven the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe; for there is no distinction;

Namely, 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 f or all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;

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

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

are 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 set forth to be a propitiation, through faith, in his blood, to show his righteousness because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God;

Whom 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 f or the showing, I say, of his righteousness at this present season: that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus.

It 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 W here then is the glorying? It is excluded. By what manner of law? of works? Nay: but by a law of faith.

Then 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 W e reckon therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

For 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 the God of Jews only? is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yea, of Gentiles also:

Or is God merely of Jews? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,

30 i f so be that God is one, and he shall justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith.

Since 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 make the law of none effect through faith? God forbid: nay, we establish the law.

Do 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.