1 Then what advantage has the Jew, or what is the value of circumcision?

2 Much in every way! To begin with, they are entrusted with the oracles of God.

3 What if some did not have faith? Will their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?

4 Certainly not! Let God be true, though every man a liar. As it is written: »That you may be justified in your wordsand prevail when you are judged.«

5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)

6 Certainly not! For then how could God judge the world?

7 But if through my falsehood God's truthfulness abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?

8 Why not say – as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say—»Let us do evil that good may come«? Their condemnation is just.

9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? Certainly not; for we have already charged that all men, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin.

10 As it is written: »There is none righteous, no, not one;

11 there is no one who understands,no one who seeks for God.

12 All have turned aside, together they have become worthless;there is no one who does good,not even one.«

13 »Their throat is an open grave;they use their tongues to practice deceit.«»The poison of asps is under their lips.«

14 »Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.«

15 »Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16 in their ways are ruin and misery,

17 and the way of peace they do not know.«

18 »There is no fear of God before their eyes.«

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

20 Therefore no flesh will be justified in his sight by works of the law, for through the law comes knowledge of sin.

21 But now the righteousness of God has been revealed apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it,

22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. For there is no difference,

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

25 whom God put forward as an atoning sacrifice by his blood, to be received through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over sins committed beforehand;

26 and it was to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

27 Where then is our boasting? It is excluded. On what law? On the law of works? No, but on the law of faith.

28 For we hold 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 there is one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through their faith.

31 Do we then nullify the law by this faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we uphold the law.