1 Do the Jews then have any advantage over the Gentiles? Or is there any value in being circumcised? 2 Much, indeed, in every way! In the first place, God trusted his message to the Jews. 3 But what if some of them were not faithful? Does this mean that God will not be faithful? 4 Certainly not! God must be true, even though all human beings are liars. As the scripture says,
“You must be shown to be right when you speak;
you must win your case when you are being tried.”
5 But what if our doing wrong serves to show up more clearly God's doing right? Can we say that God does wrong when he punishes us? (This would be the natural question to ask.) 6 By no means! If God is not just, how can he judge the world?
7 But what if my untruth serves God's glory by making his truth stand out more clearly? Why should I still be condemned as a sinner? 8 Why not say, then, “Let us do evil so that good may come”? Some people, indeed, have insulted me by accusing me of saying this very thing! They will be condemned, as they should be.
No One Is Righteous
9 Well then, are we Jews in any better condition than the Gentiles? Not at all! I have already shown that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say:
“There is no one who is righteous,
11 no one who is wise
or who worships God.
12 All have turned away from God;
they have all gone wrong;
no one does what is right, not even one.
13 Their words are full of deadly deceit;
wicked lies roll off their tongues,
and dangerous threats, like snake's poison, from their lips;
14 their speech is filled with bitter curses.
15 They are quick to hurt and kill;
16 they leave ruin and destruction wherever they go.
17 They have not known the path of peace,
18 nor have they learned reverence for God.”
19 Now we know that everything in the Law applies to those who live under the Law, in order to stop all human excuses and bring the whole world under God's judgment. 20 For no one is put right in God's sight by doing what the Law requires; what the Law does is to make us know that we have sinned.
How We Are Put Right with God
21 But now God's way of putting people right with himself has been revealed. It has nothing to do with law, even though the Law of Moses and the prophets gave their witness to it. 22 God puts people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. God does this to all who believe in Christ, because there is no difference at all: 23 everyone has sinned and is far away from God's saving presence. 24 But by the free gift of God's grace all are put right with him through Christ Jesus, who sets them free. 25-26 God offered him, so that by his blood he should become the means by which people's sins are forgiven through their faith in him. God did this in order to demonstrate that he is righteous. In the past he was patient and overlooked people's sins; but in the present time he deals with their sins, in order to demonstrate his righteousness. In this way God shows that he himself is righteous and that he puts right everyone who believes in Jesus.
27 What, then, can we boast about? Nothing! And what is the reason for this? Is it that we obey the Law? No, but that we believe. 28 For we conclude that a person is put right with God only through faith, and not by doing what the Law commands. 29 Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of the Gentiles also? Of course he is. 30 God is one, and he will put the Jews right with himself on the basis of their faith, and will put the Gentiles right through their faith. 31 Does this mean that by this faith we do away with the Law? No, not at all; instead, we uphold the Law.
Dieva uzticība
1 Kāda tad ir priekšrocība būt jūdam un kāds labums no apgraizīšanas? 2 Visādā ziņā liels, vispirms jau tas, ka viņiem uzticēti Dieva pravietiskie vārdi. 3 Kas tad, ja daži nav ticējuši, – vai tad viņu neticība iznīcina Dieva uzticību? 4 Nē, taču! Tas ir tā – ka Dievs ir patiess, pat ja katrs cilvēks – melis, kā ir rakstīts:
lai tu topi attaisnots
savos vārdos un uzvari,
kad tu tiec tiesāts.
5 Bet, ja mūsu netaisnība apstiprina Dieva taisnību, ko tad lai sakām? Vai tad Dievs, kas izlej savas dusmas, ir netaisns? – Es runāju pēc cilvēku saprašanas. 6 Nē, taču! Kā tad citādi lai Dievs tiesā šo pasauli? 7 Bet, ja Dieva patiesība manas netaisnības dēļ viņam par godu pieaug, kādēļ es kā grēcinieks vēl tieku tiesāts? 8 Tad jau darīsim ļaunu, lai nāk labais, kā daži zaimodami runā, ka mēs tā mācot? – Tie ir pelnījuši saņemt sodu.
Nav neviena taisnā
9 Kā tad ir? Vai mēs esam pārāki? It nemaz! Jo mēs jau agrāk spriedām par jūdiem un grieķiem, ka tie visi ir zem grēka. 10 Kā ir rakstīts:
nav neviena taisna, neviena paša.
11 Nav neviena, kas saprot, nav neviena, kas meklē Dievu,
12 visi ir aizgājuši no Dieva, visi kļuvuši vienlīdz nederīgi;
nav neviena, kas dara labu, pat viena nav.
13 Viņu rīkle ir atvērts kaps,
ar savām mēlēm tie vienmēr ir krāpuši,
čūsku inde ir zem viņu lūpām;
14 viņu mute ir pilna lāstu un rūgtuma,
15 viņu kājas ir žiglas, kad tie steidz izliet asinis.
16 Posts un ciešanas visos viņu ceļos,
17 miera ceļu viņi nepazīst.
18 Dieva bijības nav viņu acu priekšā.
19 Bet mēs zinām, ka viss bauslībā teiktais ir sacīts tiem, kas ir zem bauslības, tā ka visiem mute ir aizdarīta un visa pasaule ir pakļauta Dieva tiesai. 20 Tādēļ viņa priekšā neviens cilvēks ar bauslības darbiem attaisnots netiks, jo caur bauslību nāk apziņa par grēku.
Taisnība caur ticību
21 Bet tagad neatkarīgi no bauslības ir atklājusies Dieva taisnība, par ko liecina bauslība un pravieši, – 22 ka Dieva taisnība ticībā uz Jēzu Kristu ir visiem, kas tic; tur nav nekādas atšķirības, 23 jo visi ir grēkojuši un visiem trūkst dievišķās godības. 24 Dieva žēlastībā visi tiek attaisnoti bez nopelna, jo viņš tos atpircis Kristū Jēzū, 25 viņā, ko Dievs licis par izlīgumu viņa asinīs, ko saņemam ticībā, lai Dievs parādītu savu taisnību. 26 Un Dievs piedod grēkus, kas darīti iepriekš dievišķās pacietības laikā, lai parādītu savu taisnību tagadējos laikos – ka viņš pats ir taisns un attaisno to, kas tic Jēzum. 27 Kur nu ir mūsu dižošanās? Tā ir zudusi. Ar kādu bauslību? Ar darbu bauslību? Nē, ar ticības bauslību! 28 Jo nu esam pārliecināti, ka cilvēks tiek attaisnots ticībā, neatkarīgi no bauslības darbiem. 29 Vai Dievs ir vienīgi jūdu Dievs? Vai tad ne arī pagānu? Jā, arī pagānu. 30 Tik tiešām ir viens Dievs, kas attaisno apgraizītos viņu ticības dēļ un ticībā attaisno arī neapgraizītos. 31 Vai tā mēs caur ticību iznīcinām bauslību? Nē, taču! Mēs bauslību apstiprinām.
