1 What good is it to be a Jew? What good is it to be circumcised? 2 It is good in a lot of ways! First of all, God's messages were spoken to the Jews. 3 It is true that some of them did not believe the message. But does this mean that God cannot be trusted, just because they did not have faith? 4 No, indeed! God tells the truth, even if everyone else is a liar. The Scriptures say about God,
“Your words
will be proven true,
and in court
you will win your case.”
5 If our evil deeds show how right God is, then what can we say? Is it wrong for God to become angry and punish us? What a foolish thing to ask. 6 But the answer is, “No.” Otherwise, how could God judge the world? 7 Since your lies bring great honor to God by showing how truthful he is, you may ask why God still says you are a sinner. 8 You might as well say, “Let's do something evil, so that something good will come of it!” Some people even claim that we are saying this. But God is fair and will judge them as well.
No One Is Good
9 What does all this mean? Does it mean that we Jews are better off than the Gentiles? No, it doesn't! Jews, as well as Gentiles, are ruled by sin, just as I have said. 10 The Scriptures tell us,
“No one is acceptable to God!
11 Not one of them understands
or even searches for God.
12 They have all turned away
and are worthless.
There isn't one person
who does right.
13 Their words are like
an open pit,
and their tongues are good
only for telling lies.
Each word is as deadly
as the fangs of a snake,
14 and they say nothing
but bitter curses.
15 These people quickly
become violent.
16 Wherever they go,
they leave ruin
and destruction.
17 They don't know how
to live in peace.
18 They don't even fear God.”
19 We know that everything in the Law was written for those who are under its power. The Law says these things to stop anyone from making excuses and to let God show that the whole world is guilty. 20 God doesn't accept people simply because they obey the Law. No, indeed! All the Law does is to point out our sin.
God's Way of Accepting People
21 Now we see how God does make us acceptable to him. The Law and the Prophets tell how we become acceptable, and it isn't by obeying the Law of Moses. 22 God treats everyone alike. He accepts people only because they have faith in Jesus Christ. 23 All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. 24 But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins. 25-26 God sent Christ to be our sacrifice. Christ offered his life's blood, so by faith in him we could come to God. And God did this to show that in the past he was right to be patient and forgive sinners. This also shows that God is right when he accepts people who have faith in Jesus.
27 What is left for us to brag about? Not a thing! Is it because we obeyed some law? No! It is because of faith. 28 We see that people are acceptable to God because they have faith, and not because they obey the Law. 29 Does God belong only to the Jews? Isn't he also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, he is! 30 There is only one God, and he accepts Gentiles as well as Jews, simply because of their faith. 31 Do we destroy the Law by our faith? Not at all! We make it even more powerful.
III.
1 Kas tad jūdim ir pōrōks un kaida ir apgraizeišonas prīkšrūceiba? — 2 Daudz ikvīnā nūzeimē! Vyspyrms, jim tyka uztycāta Dīva apsūleišona. 3 Un kas par tū, ka daži naīticēja. Vai tad jūs nauzticeiba Dīva uzticeibu iznycynōs? 4 Nē, Dīvs palīk uzticeigs, jo pat vysi ļaudis malōtu. Stōv raksteits: Ka Tu palyktu taisneigs sovūs vōrdūs, un uzvarātu, kad Tevi tīsoj.
5 Jo myusu nataisneibas deļ skaidri pasarōda Dīva taisneiba, kū tad lai sokom? Vai tad Dīvs, ciļvēceigi runojūt, nav nataisneigs, kad uzlīk strōpi? 6 Nimoz nē! Bet kai gon cytaiž Dīvs lai tīsoj pasauli? 7 Un jo caur munim malim skaidrōk pasarōda Dīva patīseigums Jō poša uzslavēšonai, kōpēc tad mani nūtīsoj kai grēcinīku? 8 Un nav tai, kai daži saimōdami mums pōrmat, itkai mes mōceitu, ka varūt dareit ļaunu, lai nu tō iznōktu lobs. Taidu nūtīsōšona ir taisneiga.
9 Kas tad nu tō? Vai mums ir kaidas prīkšrūceibas? — Nimoz nē. Jau īprīkš nūskaidrōjom, ka grāka varai ir padūti vysi: kai jūdi, tai arī pogōni. 10 Stōv raksteits: Taisneiga nav ni vīna, pat ni vīna vīneigō. 11 Nivīna nav saprateiga, nivīna nav, kas maklātu Dīva. 12 Vysi ir nūsamaļdejuši un nalīteigi palykuši, jo nav ni vīna, kas dareitu lobu, pat ni vīna vīneigō. 13 Jūs reikle ir kai atvārtais kops, ar sovu mēli jī dora viļteibu, uz jūs lyupom ir ūdžu inde; 14 jūs mute ir pylna lōstu un ryugtuma, 15 jūs kōjas steidzās lai izlītu asni. 16 Iznīceiba un nalaime staigoj pa jūs ceļim, 17 bet mīra ceļa jī napazeist, 18 Dīva baile jim ir sveša.
19 Mes zynom, ka tys, kū soka lykums, atsateic uz tim, kas lykumam ir padūti. Tai tad, ikvīnai mutei ir jōnūklust un vysam pasauļam Dīva prīškā jōatsazeist par vaineigu. 20 Caur lykuma dorbim Jō prīškā natiks attaisnōts nivins cylvāks. Caur lykumu nōk grāka pazeišona.
Jēzus Kristus ir cilvēces Pesteitōjs.
21 Bet tagad attaisnōšona (kas nōk) nu Dīva, uz kuru nūrōdeja lykums un pravīši, atsaklōja bez lykuma. 22 Attaisnōšona nu Dīva nōk caur ticeibu ikš Jezus Kristus deļ vysim un pi vysim, kas (Jam) tic; te nav nikaidas izškireibas. 23 Vysi ir sagrākōjuši un Dīva gūdeibu pazaudējuši. 24 Un jī tiks attaisnōti bez nūpalnim caur Jō žēlesteibu, pateicūt atpērkšonai, kas nōce caur Jezu Kristu. 25 Caur ticeibu Dīvs Jū nūlyka kai asneigū izleigšonas upuri, lai parōdeitu sovu taisneigumu. 26 Sovā dīviškā pacīteibā Jys šymā laikā pīdeve agrōk padareitūs grākus, lai parōdeitu sovu taisneigumu un aplīcynōtu, ka Jys pats ir taisneigs un taisneigu dora tū, kas tic ikš Jezus (Kristus).
27 Kur tad nyu ir tei līleiba? — Tei ir izslāgta. Caur kuru lykumu? Vai caur dorbu? — Nē, bet gon caur ticeibas lykumu. 28 Mes asom pōrlīcynōti, ka cylvāks teik attaisnōts caur ticeibu bez lykuma dorbim. 29 Vai tad Dīvs ir tikai jūdim un pogōnim nē? — Jā, arī pogōnim; 30 ir tik vīns un tys pats Dīvs, kas apgraizeitūs attaisnōja ticeibas dēļ un naapgraizeitūs caur ticeibu. 31 Vai tad caur ticeibu mes atceļam lykumu? Nimoz nē, mes lykumu apstyprynojam.
