Romans 3:1–20

Paul Answers an Objection

3So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? ²Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted ^vwith the spoken words of God. ^w3What then? If some did not believe, ^xwill their unbelief cancel God’s faithfulness? ⁴Absolutely not! ^yGod must be true, even if everyone is a liar, ^zas it is written:

That You may be justified in Your words

and triumph when You judge. ^ab

⁵But if our unrighteousness highlights ^cGod’s righteousness, ^dwhat are we to say? ^eI use a human argument: ^fgIs God unrighteous to inflict wrath? ⁶Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world? ^h7But if by my lie God’s truth is amplified to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? ⁱ⁸And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”? ^jTheir condemnation is deserved!

The Whole World Guilty before God

⁹What then? Are we any better? ^kNot at all! For we have previously charged that both Jews ^land Gentiles ^mnare all under sin, ^op10as it is written: ^q

There is no one righteous, not even one.

¹¹There is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.

¹²All have turned away;

all alike have become useless.

There is no one who does what is good,

not even one. ^rs

¹³Their throat is an open grave;

they deceive with their tongues. ^tu

Vipers’ venom is under their lips. ^vw

¹⁴Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. ^xy

¹⁵Their feet are swift to shed blood;

¹⁶ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,

¹⁷and the path of peace they have not known. ^za

¹⁸There is no fear of God before their eyes. ^bc

¹⁹Now we know that whatever the law says ^dspeaks to those who are subject to the law, ^efso that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment. ^gh20For no one will be justified ⁱin His sight by the works of the law, ^jbecause the knowledge of sin comes through the law. ^k