¹ What then is the advantage of the Jew? or what the benefit of circumcision?

² Great, every way. In the first place, because they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

³ For what? If some were unfaithful, shall their unfaithfulness make God unfaithful?

⁴ Far 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."

⁵ But 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.)

⁶ Far be it! For then how shall God judge the world?

⁷ For 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?

⁸ And 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.

⁹ What 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.

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

¹¹ there is none that hath understanding, there is none that diligently seeketh God;

¹² they have all turned aside from the right way, they have become worthless together; there is none that doeth good, not even one.

¹³ Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have practised deceit. The poison of asps is under their lips.

¹⁴ Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

¹⁵ Swift are their feet to shed blood;

¹⁶ destruction and misery are in their ways;

¹⁷ and the way of peace they know not.

¹⁸ There is no fear of God before their eyes."

¹⁹ Now 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.

²⁰ Because by works of the Law no flesh shall be accepted as righteous: for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.

²¹ But now, apart from the Law, the righteousness which is of God, to which the Law and the Prophets bear testimony,

²² even 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.

²³ For all have sinned, and fail of obtaining the glory which cometh from God;

²⁴ being accepted as righteous freely, by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

²⁵ whom, 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;

²⁶ in order to manifest his righteousness at the present time, so that he may be righteous, and accept as righteous him who hath faith.

²⁷ Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay; but by the law of faith.

²⁸ We conclude therefore, that a man is accepted as righteous through faith, without the works of the Law.

²⁹ Or is God [the God] of Jews alone? Is he not also the God of gentiles? Yea, of gentiles also.

³⁰ Seeing there is but one God, who will accept the circumcised as righteous by faith, and the uncircumcised through faith.

³¹ Do we then make void the Law through faith? Far be it! On the contrary, we establish the Law.