No One Is Righteous
9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both aJews and bGreeks, are cunder sin, 10 as it is written:
a“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
13 a“Their throat is ban open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
c“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 a“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 a“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and athe way of peace they have not known.”
18 a“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever athe law says it speaks to those who are under the law, bso that every mouth may be stopped, and cthe whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For aby works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since bthrough the law comes knowledge of sin.
The Righteousness of God Through Faith
21 But now athe righteousness of God bhas been manifested apart from the law, although cthe Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God athrough faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. bFor there is no distinction: 23 for aall have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 aand are justified bby his grace as a gift, cthrough the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God aput forward as ba propitiation cby his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in dhis divine forbearance he had passed over eformer 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.