Darby Bible Translation

New Living Translation

God Remains Faithful

What then [is] the superiority of the Jew? or what the profit of circumcision?

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God Remains Faithful

Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision?

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Much every way: and first, indeed, that to them were entrusted the oracles of God.

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Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.a

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For what? if some have not believed, shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect?

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True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful?

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Far be the thought: but let God be true, and every man false; according as it is written, So that thou shouldest be justified in thy words, and shouldest overcome when thou art in judgment.

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Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,
“You will be proved right in what you say,
and you will win your case in court.”b

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But if our unrighteousness commend God's righteousness, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak according to man.

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“But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.)

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Far be the thought: since how shall God judge the world?

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Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world?

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For if the truth of God, in my lie, has more abounded to his glory, why yet am *I* also judged as a sinner?

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“But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?”

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and not, according as we are injuriously charged, and according as some affirm that we say, Let us practise evil things, that good ones may come? whose judgment is just.

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And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.

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There is No One Righteous

What then? are we better? No, in no wise: for we have before charged both Jews and Greeks with being all under sin:

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All People Are Sinners

Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles,c are under the power of sin.

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according as it is written, There is not a righteous [man], not even one;

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As the Scriptures say,
“No one is righteous —
not even one.

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there is not the [man] that understands, there is not one that seeks after God.

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No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.

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All have gone out of the way, they have together become unprofitable; there is not one that practises goodness, there is not so much as one:

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All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.”d

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their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; asps' poison [is] under their lips:

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“Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”e

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whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;

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“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”f

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swift their feet to shed blood;

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“They rush to commit murder.

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ruin and misery [are] in their ways,

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Destruction and misery always follow them.

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and way of peace they have not known:

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They don’t know where to find peace.”g

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there is no fear of God before their eyes.

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“They have no fear of God at all.”h

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Now we know that whatever the things the law says, it speaks to those under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world be under judgment to God.

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Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God.

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Wherefore by works of law no flesh shall be justified before him; for by law [is] knowledge of sin.

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For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

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Justified by Faith

But now without law righteousness of God is manifested, borne witness to by the law and the prophets;

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Christ Took Our Punishment

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Mosesi and the prophets long ago.

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righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ towards all, and upon all those who believe: for there is no difference;

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We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

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for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

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For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

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being justified freely by his grace through the redemption which [is] in Christ Jesus;

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Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

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whom God has set forth a mercy-seat, through faith in his blood, for [the] shewing forth of his righteousness, in respect of the passing by the sins that had taken place before, through the forbearance of God;

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For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,

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for [the] shewing forth of his righteousness in the present time, so that he should be just, and justify him that is of [the] faith of Jesus.

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for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

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Where then [is] boasting? It has been excluded. By what law? of works? Nay, but by law of faith;

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Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.

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for we reckon that a man is justified by faith, without works of law.

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So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

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Is [God] the God of Jews only? is he not of [the] nations also? Yea, of nations also:

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After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is.

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since indeed [it is] one God who shall justify [the] circumcision on the principle of faith, and uncircumcision by faith.

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There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.j

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Do we then make void law by faith? Far be the thought: [no,] but we establish law.

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Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

Parallel

Darby Bible Translation

New Living Translation

Romans 3

Romans 3