¹³ For ^(A)it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. ¹⁴ For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, ^(B)by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the work of the law is ^(C)written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them ^16 (D)on that day when, ^(E)according to my gospel, God judges ^(F)the secrets of men ^(G)by Christ Jesus.

¹⁷ But if you call yourself a Jew and ^(H)rely on the law and boast in God ¹⁸ and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; ¹⁹ and if you are sure that you yourself are ^(I)a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law ^(J)the embodiment of ^(K)knowledge and truth— ^21 (L)you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? ²² You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you ^(M)rob temples? ²³ You who ^(N)boast in the law ^(O)dishonor God by breaking the law. ²⁴ For, ^(P)as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed ^(Q)among the Gentiles because of you.”

²⁵ For circumcision indeed is of value ^(R)if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. ²⁶ So, if ^(S)a man who is uncircumcised keeps ^(T)the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded^[a] as circumcision? ²⁷ Then he who is physically^[b] uncircumcised but keeps the law ^(U)will condemn you who have ^(V)the written code^[c] and circumcision but break the law. ²⁸ For ^(W)no one is a Jew ^(X)who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. ²⁹ But a Jew is one ^(Y)inwardly, and ^(Z)circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. ^(AA)His praise is not from man but from God.

God's Righteousness Upheld

3 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? ² Much in every way. To begin with, ^(AB)the Jews were entrusted with ^(AC)the oracles of God. ^3 (AD)What if some were unfaithful? ^(AE)Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? ⁴ By no means! ^(AF)Let God be true though ^(AG)every one were a liar, as it is written,

⁵ But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict ^(AJ)wrath on us? (^(AK)I speak in a human way.) ⁶ By no means! For then how could ^(AL)God judge the world? ⁷ But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, ^(AM)why am I still being condemned as a sinner? ⁸ And why not ^(AN)do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

No One Is Righteous

⁹ What then? Are we Jews^[d] any better off?^[e] No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both ^(AO)Jews and ^(AP)Greeks, are ^(AQ)under sin, ¹⁰ as it is written:

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever ^(AZ)the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, ^(BA)so that every mouth may be stopped, and ^(BB)the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰ For ^(BC)by works of the law no human being^[f] will be justified in his sight, since ^(BD)through the law comes knowledge of sin.

The Righteousness of God Through Faith

²¹ But now ^(BE)the righteousness of God ^(BF)has been manifested apart from the law, although ^(BG)the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²² the righteousness of God ^(BH)through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. ^(BI)For there is no distinction: ²³ for ^(BJ)all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ^24 (BK)and are justified ^(BL)by his grace as a gift, ^(BM)through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God ^(BN)put forward as ^(BO)a propitiation ^(BP)by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in ^(BQ)his divine forbearance he had passed over ^(BR)former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

^27 (BS)Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸ For we hold that one is justified by faith ^(BT)apart from works of the law. ²⁹ Or ^(BU)is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, ³⁰ since ^(BV)God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and ^(BW)the uncircumcised through faith. ³¹ Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Abraham Justified by Faith

4 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, ^(BX)our forefather according to the flesh? ² For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but ^(BY)not before God. ³ For what does the Scripture say? ^(BZ)“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” ⁴ Now ^(CA)to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. ⁵ And to the one who does not work but ^(CB)believes in^[g] him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, ⁶ just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

⁹ Is this blessing then only for ^(CE)the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? ^(CF)For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. ¹⁰ How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. ^11 (CG)He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was ^(CH)to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, ¹² and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

The Promise Realized Through Faith

¹³ For ^(CI)the promise to Abraham and his offspring ^(CJ)that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ^14 (CK)For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. ¹⁵ For ^(CL)the law brings wrath, but ^(CM)where there is no law ^(CN)there is no transgression.

¹⁶ That is why it depends on faith, ^(CO)in order that the promise may rest on grace and ^(CP)be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, ^(CQ)who is the father of us all, ¹⁷ as it is written, ^(CR)“I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, ^(CS)who gives life to the dead and calls into existence ^(CT)the things that do not exist. ¹⁸ In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, ^(CU)“So shall your offspring be.” ¹⁹ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was ^(CV)as good as dead (^(CW)since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered ^(CX)the barrenness^[h] of Sarah's womb. ²⁰ No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, ²¹ fully convinced that ^(CY)God was able to do what he had promised. ²² That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” ²³ But ^(CZ)the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, ²⁴ but for ours also. It will be counted to us ^(DA)who believe in ^(DB)him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, ^25 (DC)who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised ^(DD)for our justification.

Peace with God Through Faith

5 ^(DE)Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, ^(DF)we^[i] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.