King James New American Standard Bible
  • 1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
  • 2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
  • 3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
  • 4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
  • 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)
  • 6 God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
  • 7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?
  • 8 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.
  • 9 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.
  • 1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?
  • 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.
  • 3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?
  • 4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.”
  • 5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.)
  • 6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?
  • 7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?
  • 8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just.
  • 9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;
  • 10 as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
  • 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
  • 12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
  • 13 “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” “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 PATHS,
  • 17 AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.”
  • 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 closed and all the world may become accountable to God;
  • 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
  • 21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
  • 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;
  • 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
  • 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
  • 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;
  • 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
  • 27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.
  • 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
  • 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
  • 30 since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.
  • 31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission.