VERSE STUDY • KJV

Romans 3:1-19

¹ What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit [is there] of circumcision? ² Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. ³ For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? ⁴ God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. ⁵ But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? [Is] God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) ⁶ God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? ⁷ For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? ⁸ And not [rather], (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. ⁹ What then? are we better [than they]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; ¹⁰ As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: ¹¹ There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. ¹² They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. ¹³ Their throat [is] an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [is] under their lips: ¹⁴ Whose mouth [is] full of cursing and bitterness: ¹⁵ Their feet [are] swift to shed blood: ¹⁶ Destruction and misery [are] in their ways: ¹⁷ And the way of peace have they not known: ¹⁸ There is no fear of God before their eyes. ¹⁹ Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

¹ What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit [is there] of circumcision? ² Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. ³ For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? ⁴ God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. ⁵ But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? [Is] God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) ⁶ God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? ⁷ For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? ⁸ And not [rather], (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. ⁹ What then? are we better [than they]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; ¹⁰ As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: ¹¹ There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. ¹² They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. ¹³ Their throat [is] an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [is] under their lips: ¹⁴ Whose mouth [is] full of cursing and bitterness: ¹⁵ Their feet [are] swift to shed blood: ¹⁶ Destruction and misery [are] in their ways: ¹⁷ And the way of peace have they not known: ¹⁸ There is no fear of God before their eyes. ¹⁹ Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

¹ What, then, is the advantage of being a Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? ² Much in every way. First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God. ³ What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? ⁴ Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.” ⁵ But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? I am speaking in human terms. ⁶ Certainly not! In that case, how could God judge the world? ⁷ However, if my falsehood accentuates God’s truthfulness, to the increase of His glory, why am I still condemned 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 deserved! ⁹ What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin. ¹⁰ As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. ¹¹ There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. ¹² All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” ¹³ “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.” ¹⁴ “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” ¹⁵ “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ¹⁶ ruin and misery lie in their wake, ¹⁷ and the way of peace they have not known.” ¹⁸ “There is no fear of God 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.

WEB World English Bible

¹ Then what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the profit of circumcision? ² Much in every way! Because first of all, they were entrusted with the oracles of God. ³ For what if some were without faith? Will their lack of faith nullify the faithfulness of God? ⁴ May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar. As it is written, “That you might be justified in your words, and might prevail when you come into judgment.” ⁵ But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what will we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak like men do. ⁶ May it never be! For then how will God judge the world? ⁷ For if the truth of God through my lie abounded to his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? ⁸ Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), “Let us do evil, that good may come?” Those who say so are justly condemned. ⁹ What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin. ¹⁰ As it is written, “There is no one righteous; no, not one. ¹¹ There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. ¹² They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not, so much as one.” ¹³ “Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit.” “The poison of vipers is under their lips;” ¹⁴ “whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” ¹⁵ “Their feet are swift to shed blood. ¹⁶ Destruction and misery are in their ways. ¹⁷ The way of peace, they haven’t known.” ¹⁸ “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” ¹⁹ Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.

ASV American Standard Version

¹ What advantage then hath the Jew? or what is the profit of circumcision? ² Much every way: first of all, that they were intrusted with the oracles of God. ³ For what if some were without faith? shall their want of faith make of none effect the faithfulness of God? ⁴ God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy words, And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment. ⁵ But if our unrighteousness commendeth the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who visiteth with wrath? (I speak after the manner of men.) ⁶ God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? ⁷ But if the truth of God through my lie abounded unto his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? ⁸ and why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), Let us do evil, that good may come? whose condemnation is just. ⁹ What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we before laid to the charge both of 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 understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God; ¹² They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that doeth good, no, not so much as one: ¹³ Their throat is an open sepulchre; With their tongues they have used deceit: The poison of asps is under their lips: ¹⁴ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: ¹⁵ Their feet are swift to shed blood; ¹⁶ Destruction and misery are in their ways; ¹⁷ And the way of peace have they not known: ¹⁸ There is no fear of God before their eyes. ¹⁹ Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it speaketh to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God:

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

¹ What, then, is the superiority of the Jew? or what the profit of the circumcision? ² much in every way; for first, indeed, that they were intrusted with the oracles of God; ³ for what, if certain were faithless? shall their faithlessness the faithfulness of god make useless? ⁴ let it not be! and let God become true, and every man false, according as it hath been written, ‘That Thou mayest be declared righteous in Thy words, and mayest overcome in Thy being judged.’ ⁵ And, if our unrighteousness God’s righteousness doth establish, what shall we say? is God unrighteous who is inflicting the wrath? (after the manner of a man I speak) ⁶ let it not be! since how shall God judge the world? ⁷ for if the truth of God in my falsehood did more abound to His glory, why yet am I also as a sinner judged? ⁸ and not, as we are evil spoken of, and as certain affirm us to say—‘We may do the evil things, that the good ones may come?’ whose judgment is righteous. ⁹ What, then? are we better? not at all! for we did before charge both Jews and Greeks with being all under sin, ¹⁰ according as it hath been written—‘There is none righteous, not even one; ¹¹ There is none who is understanding, there is none who is seeking after God. ¹² All did go out of the way, together they became unprofitable, there is none doing good, there is not even one. ¹³ A sepulchre opened is their throat; with their tongues they used deceit; poison of asps is under their lips. ¹⁴ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. ¹⁵ Swift are their feet to shed blood. ¹⁶ Ruin and misery are in their ways. ¹⁷ And a way of peace they did not know. ¹⁸ There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ ¹⁹ And we have known that as many things as the law saith, to those in the law it doth speak, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may come under judgment to God;

Surrounding context — Romans 3

1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit [is there] of circumcision?

2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? [Is] God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)

6 God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?

8 And not [rather], (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

9 What then? are we better [than they]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

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

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

13 Their throat [is] an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [is] under their lips:

14 Whose mouth [is] full of cursing and bitterness:

15 Their feet [are] swift to shed blood:

16 Destruction and misery [are] in their ways:

17 And the way of peace have they not known:

18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin.

21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

22 Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

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