1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, *Deut. 4:8;Ps. 147:19,20;See John 4:22the Jews were entrusted with *See Acts 7:38the oracles of God. 3 *ch. 10:16;Heb. 4:2What if some were unfaithful? *[ch. 9:6;2 Tim. 2:13]Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! *See John 8:26Let God be true though *Ps. 62:9;116:11;[ver. 7] every one were a liar, as it is written,

*Cited from Ps. 51:4(Gk.)"That you may be justified in your words,

and prevail when you *[Job 9:32]are judged."

5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict *[ch. 2:5] wrath on us? (*ch. 6:19;1 Cor. 9:8;Gal. 3:15;[1 Cor. 15:32]I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could *[Gen. 18:25;Job 8:3]; See ch. 2:16God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, *[ch. 9:19]why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not *[ch. 6:1,15]do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

9 What then? Are we Jews*3:9 Greek Are we any better off?*3:9 Or at any disadvantage? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both *ch. 2:1-29Jews and *ch. 1:18-32Greeks, are *Gal. 3:22;[ver. 19, 23;ch. 11:32; Prov. 20:9]under sin, 10 as it is written:

*ver. 10-12,cited from Ps. 14:1-3;53:1-3"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 *Cited from Ps. 5:9"Their throat is *Jer. 5:16an open grave;

they use their tongues to deceive."

*Cited from Ps. 140:3"The venom of asps is under their lips."

14 *Cited from Ps. 10:7(Gk.)"Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."

15 *Cited from Prov. 1:16;ver. 15-17,cited from Isa. 59:7,8"Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16 in their paths are ruin and misery,

17 and *Luke 1:79the way of peace they have not known."

18 *Cited from Ps. 36:1"There is no fear of God before their eyes."

19 Now we know that whatever *John 10:34;15:25the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, *Job 5:16;Ps. 63:11;107:42;Ezek. 16:63;[ch. 1:20;2:1] so that every mouth may be stopped, and *See ver. 9the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For *Gal. 2:16;[Ps. 143:2;Acts 13:39] by works of the law no human being*3:20 Greek flesh will be justified in his sight, since *ch. 7:7;[ch. 4:15;5:13,20]through the law comes knowledge of sin.

21 But now *See ch. 1:17the righteousness of God *ch. 16:26;2 Tim. 1:10has been manifested apart from the law, although *Acts 10:43;[ch. 1:2;John 5:46]the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God *ch. 4:5;[2 Tim. 3:15] through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. *ch. 10:12;[Gal. 3:28;Col. 3:11]For there is no distinction: 23 for *See ver. 9all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 *Titus 3:7and are justified *ch. 4:4,5,16;See Acts 15:11by his grace as a gift, *Eph. 1:7;Col. 1:14;Heb. 9:15;[1 Cor. 1:30]through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God *Eph. 1:9put forward as *See 1 John 2:2a propitiation *ch. 5:9;Eph. 2:13by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in *ch. 2:4his divine forbearance he had passed over *[Acts 17:30]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 *ch. 2:17,23;4:2;1 Cor. 1:29-31;Eph. 2:9;2 Tim. 1:9;See Acts 13:39Then 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 *See James 2:18apart from works of the law. 29 Or *ch. 9:24;10:12;15:9is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since *Gal. 3:20;[ch. 10:12] God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and *Gal. 3:8;[ch. 4:9]; See ch. 2:26the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.