What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision?

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?

Τί οὖν τὸ περισσὸν τοῦ Ἰουδαίου, ἢ τίς ἡ ὠφέλεια τῆς περιτομῆς;

Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.

Much in every way. To begin with, ^athe Jews were entrusted with ^bthe oracles of God.

πολὺ κατὰ πάντα τρόπον. πρῶτον μὲν ▼

▼ γὰρ = WH NA/NIV RP: || [omit] = Treg

γὰρ ὅτι ἐπιστεύθησαν τὰ λόγια τοῦ θεοῦ.

What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?

^dWhat if some were unfaithful? ^eDoes their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?

τί γάρ; εἰ ἠπίστησάν τινες, μὴ ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν τὴν πίστιν τοῦ θεοῦ καταργήσει;

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.’ ▼

▼Psalm 51:4

By no means! ^gLet God be true though ^hevery one were a liar, as it is written,

ⁱ“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you ^jare judged.”

μὴ γένοιτο· γινέσθω δὲ ὁ θεὸς ἀληθής, πᾶς δὲ ἄνθρωπος ψεύστης, ▼

▼ καθὼς = NA/NIV RP: || καθάπερ = WH Treg

καθὼς γέγραπται· Ὅπως ἂν δικαιωθῇς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου καὶ ▼

▼ νικήσεις = WH NA/NIV: || νικήσῃς = Treg RP

νικήσεις ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαί σε.

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.)

But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict ^mwrath on us? ( ⁿI speak in a human way.)

εἰ δὲ ἡ ἀδικία ἡμῶν θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην συνίστησιν, τί ἐροῦμεν; μὴ ἄδικος ὁ θεὸς ὁ ἐπιφέρων τὴν ὀργήν; κατὰ ἄνθρωπον λέγω.

Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?

By no means! For then how could ^oGod judge the world?

μὴ γένοιτο· ἐπεὶ πῶς κρινεῖ ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον;

Someone might argue, ‘If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?’

But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, ^pwhy am I still being condemned as a sinner?

εἰ ▼

▼ δὲ = WH NA/NIV: || γὰρ = Treg RP

δὲ ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῷ ἐμῷ ψεύσματι ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, τί ἔτι κἀγὼ ὡς ἁμαρτωλὸς κρίνομαι,

Why not say – as some slanderously claim that we say – ‘Let us do evil that good may result’? Their condemnation is just!

And why not ^rdo evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

καὶ μὴ καθὼς βλασφημούμεθα καὶ καθώς φασίν τινες ἡμᾶς λέγειν ὅτι Ποιήσωμεν τὰ κακὰ ἵνα ἔλθῃ τὰ ἀγαθά; ὧν τὸ κρίμα ἔνδικόν ἐστιν.

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.

What then? Are we Jews ▼

▼Greek  Are we

any better off? ▼

▼Or at any disadvantage?

No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both ^uJews and ^vGreeks, are ^wunder sin,

Τί οὖν; προεχόμεθα; οὐ πάντως, προῃτιασάμεθα γὰρ Ἰουδαίους τε καὶ Ἕλληνας πάντας ὑφ᾽ ἁμαρτίαν εἶναι,

As it is written:

‘There is no one righteous, not even one;

as it is written:

^x“None is righteous, no, not one;

καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστιν δίκαιος οὐδὲ εἷς,

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

no one understands;
no one seeks for God.

οὐκ ἔστιν ▼

▼ ὁ = Treg NA/NIV RP: || [omit] = WH

ὁ συνίων, οὐκ ἔστιν ▼

▼ ὁ = Treg NA/NIV RP: || [omit] = WH

ὁ ἐκζητῶν τὸν θεόν·

All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.’ ▼

▼Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccles. 7:20

All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”

πάντες ἐξέκλιναν, ἅμα ἠχρεώθησαν· οὐκ ▼

▼ ἔστιν = WH Treg RP: || ἔστιν ὁ = NA/NIV

ἔστιν ποιῶν χρηστότητα, οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός.

‘Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practise deceit.’ ▼

▼Psalm 5:9

‘The poison of vipers is on their lips.’ ▼

▼Psalm 140:3

^ae“Their throat is ^afan open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
^ag“The venom of asps is under their lips.”

τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν, ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν,

‘Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.’ ▼

▼Psalm 10:7 (see Septuagint)

^ai“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”

ὧν τὸ στόμα ἀρᾶς καὶ πικρίας γέμει·

‘Their feet are swift to shed blood;

^aj“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

ὀξεῖς οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐκχέαι αἷμα,

ruin and misery mark their ways,

in their paths are ruin and misery,

σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν,

and the way of peace they do not know.’ ▼

▼Isaiah 59:7,8

and ^althe way of peace they have not known.”

καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν.

‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ ▼

▼Psalm 36:1

^an“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

οὐκ ἔστιν φόβος θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν.

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.

Now we know that whatever ^aothe law says it speaks to those who are under the law, ^apso that every mouth may be stopped, and ^aqthe whole world may be held accountable to God.

Οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι ὅσα ὁ νόμος λέγει τοῖς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ λαλεῖ, ἵνα πᾶν στόμα φραγῇ καὶ ὑπόδικος γένηται πᾶς ὁ κόσμος τῷ θεῷ·

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.

For ^arby works of the law no human being ▼

▼Greek flesh

will be justified in his sight, since ^atthrough the law comes knowledge of sin.

διότι ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὐ δικαιωθήσεται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, διὰ γὰρ νόμου ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας.