New International Version NIV
Wycliffe WYC
1 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision?
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What then is more to a Jew, or what profit of circumcision?
2 Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.
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Much by all wise [Much by all manner]; first, for the speakings of God were betaken to them.
3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?
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And what if some of them believed not? Whether the unbelief of them hath voided the faith of God?
4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.”
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God forbid [Far be it]. For God is soothfast [Forsooth God is true, or soothfast], but each man a liar; as it is written, That thou be justified in thy words, and overcome, when thou art deemed.
5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)
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But if our wickedness [Forsooth if our wickedness, or unequity,] commend the rightwiseness of God, what shall we say? Whether God is wicked, that bringeth in wrath? After man I say.
6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?
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God forbid [Far be it]. Else how shall God deem this world?
7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?”
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For if the truth of God hath abounded in my lying, into the glory of him, what [and] yet am I deemed as a sinner?
8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!
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And not as we be blasphemed, and as some say that we say, Do we evil things, that good things come. Whose damnation is just.
9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.
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What then? Surpass we them? Nay; for we have showed by skill, that all both Jews and Greeks be under sin, [+What therefore? Pass we them? Nay; for we have showed by skill, the Jews and Greeks all to be under sin,]
10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;
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as it is written, For there is no man just [For there is not any man just];
11 there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.
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there is no man understanding [there is not a man understanding], neither seeking God.
12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
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All bowed away, together they be made unprofitable; there is none that doeth good thing, there is none till to one [there is not till to one].
13 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.”“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
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The throat of them is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they did guilefully; the venom of snakes is under their lips [+with their tongues they did guilefully, or treacherously; the venom of snakes, that is asps, is under their lips].
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
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The mouth of whom is full of cursing and bitterness;
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
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the feet of them be swift to shed blood.
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
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Sorrow and cursedness be in the ways of them, [+Contrition, or defouling together, and infelicity/unhappiness, be in the ways of them,]
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”
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and they knew not the way of peace;
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
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the dread of God is not 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 silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
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And we know [Forsooth we know], that whatever things the law speaketh, it speaketh to them that be in the law, that each mouth be stopped, and each world be made subject to God.
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
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For of the works of the law each flesh shall not be justified before him; for by the law there is knowing of sin [for by the law is knowing of sin].
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
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But now without the law the rightwiseness of God is showed, that is witnessed of the law and the prophets.
22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,
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And the rightwiseness of God is by the faith of Jesus Christ into all men and on all men that believe in him; for there is no parting. [Soothly the rightwiseness of God is by the faith of Jesus Christ into all and on all that believe into him; forsooth there is no distinction, or parting.]
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
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For all men sinned, and have need to the glory of God;
24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
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and be justified freely by his grace, by the again-buying that is in Christ Jesus [by the redemption, or the again-buying, that is in Jesus Christ].
25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—
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Whom God ordained forgiver [Whom God purposed an helper], by faith in his blood, to the showing of his rightwiseness, for [the] remission of before-going sins, in the bearing up of God,
26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
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to the showing of his rightwiseness in this time, that he be just, and justifying him that is of the faith of Jesus Christ.
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith.
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Where then is thy glorying? It is excluded. By what law? Of deeds doing? Nay, but by the law of faith.
28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
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For we deem a man to be justified by faith, without works of the law.
29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
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Whether of the Jews is God only? Whether he is not also of heathen men? Yes, and of heathen men.
30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
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For there is one God, that justifieth circumcision by faith, and prepuce by faith.
31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
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Destroy we therefore the law by faith? God forbid [Far be it]; but we stablish the law.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.