1What then is the advantage of the Jew? or what the benefit of circumcision?
2Great, every way. In the first place, because they were entrusted with the oracles of God.
3For what? If some were unfaithful, shall their unfaithfulness make God unfaithful?
4Far be it! yea, let God be true, and every man a liar; as it is written, “That thou mayst be justified in thy words, and mayst overcome when thou art arraigned.”
5But if our unrighteousness serve to display the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicteth punishment? (I am speaking as men do.)
6Far be it! For then how shall God judge the world?
7For if, through my being false, the truth of God hath been more abundantly manifested to his glory, why am I still judged as a sinner?
8And why do you not say, as some slanderously charge us with saying, Let us do evil, that good may come? The condemnation of such men is just.
9What then? Are we better than others? By no means! For we have already brought a charge both against Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin.
10As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;
11there is none that hath understanding, there is none that diligently seeketh God;
12they have all turned aside from the right way, they have become worthless together; there is none that doeth good, not even one.
13Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have practised deceit. The poison of asps is under their lips.
14Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
15Swift are their feet to shed blood;
16destruction and misery are in their ways;
17and the way of peace they know not.
18There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19Now we know that whatever the Law saith, it saith to those who are under the Law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become subject to condemnation before God.
20Because by works of the Law no flesh shall be accepted as righteous: for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.
21But now, apart from the Law, the righteousness which is of God, to which the Law and the Prophets bear testimony,
22even the righteousness which is of God through faith in Jesus Christ, hath been made manifest to all and for all believers. For there is no distinction.
23For all have sinned, and fail of obtaining the glory which cometh from God;
24being accepted as righteous freely, by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25whom, in his blood, through faith, God hath set forth as a propitiatory sacrifice, in order to manifest his righteousness, on account of his passing by, in his forbearance, the sins committed in former times;
26in order to manifest his righteousness at the present time, so that he may be righteous, and accept as righteous him who hath faith.
27Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay; but by the law of faith.
28We conclude therefore, that a man is accepted as righteous through faith, without the works of the Law.
29Or is God [[the God]] of Jews alone? Is he not also the God of gentiles? Yea, of gentiles also.
30Seeing there is but one God, who will accept the circumcised as righteous by faith, and the uncircumcised through faith.
31Do we then make void the Law through faith? Far be it! On the contrary, we establish the Law.