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.
1 Kāda tad nu ir jūda priekšrocība, jeb kāds labums apgraizīšanai? 2 Tas ir visādā ziņā liels. Visupirms, viņam uzticēti Dieva vārdi. 3 Bet, ja nu daži uzticību lauzuši, vai tad viņu neuzticība atceļ Dieva uzticību? 4 Nebūt ne! Jo Dievs ir patiess, bet ikviens cilvēks melkulis, gluži kā ir rakstīts: lai Tev būtu taisnība Tavos vārdos un Tu uzvarētu, kad ar Tevi iet tiesā. 5 Bet, ja nu mūsu netaisnība izceļ Dieva taisnību, ko lai tad sakām? Vai Dievs tad nav netaisns, kad Viņš soda? Es spriežu cilvēcīgi. 6 Nekādā ziņā! Jo kā Dievs citādi tiesās pasauli? 7 Bet, ja Dieva patiesība Viņam par godu skaidrāk atklājusies manu melu dēļ, kāpēc tad es kā grēcinieks vēl tieku tiesāts? 8 Vai tad nedarīsim labāk ļaunu, lai nāk labais, kā daži, mūs zaimodami, apgalvo, ka mēs tā mācot? Viņi saņems pelnītu sodu. 9 Kā tad nu ir: vai mēs, jūdi, esam labāki? Nebūt ne! Jo mēs jau iepriekš rādījām, ka tiklab jūdi, kā grieķi ir vainīgi un stāv zem grēka. 10 Gluži, kā ir rakstīts: nav neviena taisna, it neviena. 11 Nav neviena, kas saprot, neviena, kas meklē Dievu. 12 Visi ir novirzījušies, visi kopā kļuvuši nelietīgi. Nav neviena, kas dara labu, it neviena. 13 Viņu rīkle ir atvērts kaps, ar savām mēlēm viņi kļuvuši viltnieki, čūsku inde ir aiz viņu lūpām. 14 Viņu mute ir pilna lāstu un rūgtuma. 15 Viņu kājas steidzas izliet asinis, 16 posts un bēdas ir uz viņu ceļiem, 17 un miera ceļa viņi nepazīst, 18 Dieva bijības nav viņu acu priekšā! - 19 Bet mēs zinām, ka viss bauslībā teiktais teikts tiem, kas stāv zem bauslības; tā visiem aizdarīta mute, un visa pasaule vainīga Dieva priekšā. 20 Jo ar bauslības darbiem neviens cilvēks nevar kļūt taisnots Viņa priekšā. Jo bauslība dod - grēka atziņu. 21 Bet tagad neatkarīgi no bauslības atklājusies Dieva taisnība, ko jau apliecina bauslība un pravieši. 22 Šī Dieva taisnība dota ticībā uz Jēzu Kristu visiem, kas tic. Jo tur nav nekādas starpības; 23 jo visi ir grēkojuši, un visiem trūkst dievišķās godības. 24 Bet Dievs Savā žēlastībā tos taisno bez nopelna, sagādājis tiem pestīšanu Jēzū Kristū. 25 Viņu Dievs tiem, kas tic, nolicis par grēka izpircēju Viņa asinīs, tā parādīdams Savu taisnību; 26 jo Viņš piedod visus agrāk, dievišķās pacietības laikā, nodarītos grēkus, lai tagadējā laikmetā parādītu Savu taisnību, pats taisns būdams un taisnodams to, kas tic Jēzum. 27 Kur nu paliek mūsu lielīšanās? Tā ir zudusi. Caur kuru bauslību? Ar darbiem? Nē, bet ar ticības bauslību. 28 Jo mēs spriežam, ka cilvēks tiek taisnots ticībā, neatkarīgi no bauslības darbiem. 29 Jeb vai Dievs tikai jūdu, ne arī pagānu Dievs? Protams, arī pagānu! 30 Tik tiešām, ka ir tikai viens Dievs, kas taisnos apgraizītos no ticības un neapgraizītos caur ticību. 31 Vai bauslību iznīcinām caur ticību? Nekādā ziņā ne, mēs bauslību nostiprinām.
