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Romans 3

Holman Christian Standard Bible, 2009 (HCSB)

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¹ So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?

² Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted ⓐ with the spoken words of God. ⓑ

³ What then? If some did not believe, ⓒ will their unbelief cancel God’s faithfulness?

⁴ Absolutely not! ⓓ God must be true, even if everyone is a liar, ⓔ as it is written: That You may be justified in Your words and triumph when You judge. ⓕ [1]

⁵ But if our unrighteousness highlights [2] God’s righteousness, ⓖ what are we to say? ⓗ I use a human argument: [3] ⓘ Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath?

⁶ Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world? ⓙ

⁷ But if by my lie God’s truth is amplified to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? ⓚ

⁸ And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”? ⓛ Their condemnation is deserved!

⁹ What then? Are we any better? [4] Not at all! For we have previously charged that both Jews ⓜ and Gentiles [5] ⓝ are all under sin, [6] ⓞ

¹⁰ as it is written: [7] There is no one righteous, not even one.

¹¹ There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.

¹² All have turned away; all alike have become useless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one. ⓟ [8]

¹³ Their throat is an open grave; they deceive with their tongues. ⓠ [9] Vipers’ venom is under their lips. ⓡ [10]

¹⁴ Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. ⓢ [11]

¹⁵ Their feet are swift to shed blood;

¹⁶ ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,

¹⁷ and the path of peace they have not known. ⓣ [12]

¹⁸ There is no fear of God before their eyes. ⓤ [13]

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says ⓥ speaks to those who are subject to the law, [14] ⓦ so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment. [15] ⓧ

²⁰ For no one will be justified [16] in His sight by the works of the law, ⓨ because the knowledge of sin comes through the law. ⓩ

²¹ But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed ⓐ — attested by the Law and the Prophets [17] ⓑ

²² — that is, God’s righteousness through faith ⓒ in Jesus Christ, [18] ⓓ to all who believe, ⓔ since there is no distinction. ⓕ

²³ For all have sinned ⓖ and fall short of the [19] glory of God.

²⁴ They are justified freely by His grace ⓗ through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. ⓘ

²⁵ God presented Him as a propitiation [20] ⓙ through faith in His blood, ⓚ to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God ⓛ passed over the sins previously committed. ⓜ

²⁶ God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous [21] the one who has faith in Jesus.

²⁷ Where then is boasting? ⓝ It is excluded. By what kind of law? [22] ⓞ By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law [23] of faith.

²⁸ For we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. ⓟ

²⁹ Or is God for Jews only? ⓠ Is He not also for Gentiles? Yes, for Gentiles too,

³⁰ since there is one God ⓡ who will justify the circumcised by faith ⓢ and the uncircumcised through faith.

³¹ Do we then cancel the law through faith? Absolutely not! ⓣ On the contrary, we uphold the law. ⓤ

#	HCSB
1	So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?
2	Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted ⓐ with the spoken words of God. ⓑ
3	What then? If some did not believe, ⓒ will their unbelief cancel God’s faithfulness?
4	Absolutely not! ⓓ God must be true, even if everyone is a liar, ⓔ as it is written: That You may be justified in Your words and triumph when You judge. ⓕ [1]
5	But if our unrighteousness highlights [2] God’s righteousness, ⓖ what are we to say? ⓗ I use a human argument: [3] ⓘ Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath?
6	Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world? ⓙ
7	But if by my lie God’s truth is amplified to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? ⓚ
8	And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”? ⓛ Their condemnation is deserved!
9	What then? Are we any better? [4] Not at all! For we have previously charged that both Jews ⓜ and Gentiles [5] ⓝ are all under sin, [6] ⓞ
10	as it is written: [7] There is no one righteous, not even one.
11	There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.
12	All have turned away; all alike have become useless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one. ⓟ [8]
13	Their throat is an open grave; they deceive with their tongues. ⓠ [9] Vipers’ venom is under their lips. ⓡ [10]
14	Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. ⓢ [11]
15	Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16	ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,
17	and the path of peace they have not known. ⓣ [12]
18	There is no fear of God before their eyes. ⓤ [13]
19	Now we know that whatever the law says ⓥ speaks to those who are subject to the law, [14] ⓦ so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment. [15] ⓧ
20	For no one will be justified [16] in His sight by the works of the law, ⓨ because the knowledge of sin comes through the law. ⓩ
21	But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed ⓐ — attested by the Law and the Prophets [17] ⓑ
22	— that is, God’s righteousness through faith ⓒ in Jesus Christ, [18] ⓓ to all who believe, ⓔ since there is no distinction. ⓕ
23	For all have sinned ⓖ and fall short of the [19] glory of God.
24	They are justified freely by His grace ⓗ through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. ⓘ
25	God presented Him as a propitiation [20] ⓙ through faith in His blood, ⓚ to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God ⓛ passed over the sins previously committed. ⓜ
26	God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous [21] the one who has faith in Jesus.
27	Where then is boasting? ⓝ It is excluded. By what kind of law? [22] ⓞ By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law [23] of faith.
28	For we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. ⓟ
29	Or is God for Jews only? ⓠ Is He not also for Gentiles? Yes, for Gentiles too,
30	since there is one God ⓡ who will justify the circumcised by faith ⓢ and the uncircumcised through faith.
31	Do we then cancel the law through faith? Absolutely not! ⓣ On the contrary, we uphold the law. ⓤ

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