ROMANS 3 [†]Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2[†]Much in every way. To begin with,  x the Jews were entrusted with  y the oracles of God. 3[†] z What if some were unfaithful?  a Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4By no means!  b Let God be true though  c every one were a liar, as it is written,

 d “That you may be justified in your words,

and prevail when you  e are judged.”

5[†]But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict  f wrath on us? ( g I speak in a human way.) 6[†]By no means! For then how could  h God judge the world? 7[†]But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory,  i why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8And why not  j do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

9[†]What then? Are we Jews [1] any better off? [2] No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both  k Jews and  l Greeks, are  m under sin, 10[†]as it is written:

 n “None is righteous, no, not one;

11 no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.”

13[†]  o “Their throat is  p an open grave;

they use their tongues to deceive.”

 q “The venom of asps is under their lips.”

14  r “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”

15[†]  s “Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16 in their paths are ruin and misery,

17 and  t the way of peace they have not known.”

18[†]  u “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19[†]Now we know that whatever  v the law says it speaks to those who are under the law,  w so that every mouth may be stopped, and  x the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20[†]For  y by works of the law no human being [3] will be justified in his sight, since  z through the law comes knowledge of sin.

21[†]But now  a the righteousness of God  b has been manifested apart from the law, although  c the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22[†]the righteousness of God  d through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.  e For there is no distinction: 23[†]for  f all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24[†] g and are justified  h by his grace as a gift,  i through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25[†]whom God  j put forward as  k a propitiation  l by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in  m his divine forbearance he had passed over  n former sins. 26[†]It 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[†] o 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. 28[†]For we hold that one is justified by faith  p apart from works of the law. 29[†]Or  q is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since  r God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and  s the uncircumcised through faith. 31[†]Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.