Romans · Bible in Basic English
Romans 3 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 How then is the Jew better off? or what profit is there in circumcision?
1 Then what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the profit of circumcision?
2 Much in every way: first of all because the words of God were given to them.
2 Much in every way! Because first of all, they were entrusted with the revelations of God.
3 And if some have no faith, will that make the faith of God without effect?
3 For what if some were without faith? Will their lack of faith nullify the faithfulness of God?
4 In no way: but let God be true, though every man is seen to be untrue; as it is said in the Writings, That your words may be seen to be true, and you may be seen to be right when you are judged.
4 May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar. As it is written, “that you might be justified in your words, and might prevail when you come into judgment.”
5 But if the righteousness of God is supported by our wrongdoing what is to be said? is it wrong for God to be angry (as men may say)?
5 But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what will we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak like men do.
6 In no way: because if it is so, how is God able to be the judge of all the world?
6 May it never be! For then how will God judge the world?
7 But if, because I am untrue, God being seen to be true gets more glory, why am I to be judged as a sinner?
7 For if the truth of God through my lie abounded to his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?
8 Let us not do evil so that good may come (a statement which we are falsely said by some to have made), because such behaviour will have its right punishment.
8 Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), “Let’s do evil, that good may come?” Those who say so are justly condemned.
9 What then? are we worse off than they? In no way: because we have before made it clear that Jews as well as Greeks are all under the power of sin;
9 What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
10 As it is said in the holy Writings, There is not one who does righteousness;
10 As it is written, “There is no one righteous; no, not one.
11 Not one who has the knowledge of what is right, not one who is a searcher after God;
11 There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God.
12 They have all gone out of the way, there is no profit in any of them; there is not one who does good, not so much as one:
12 They have all turned away. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not so much as one.”
13 Their throat is like an open place of death; with their tongues they have said what is not true: the poison of snakes is under their lips:
13 “Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit.” “The poison of vipers is under their lips.”
14 Whose mouth is full of curses and bitter words:
14 “Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 Their feet are quick in running after blood;
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood.
16 Destruction and trouble are in their ways;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways.
17 And of the way of peace they have no knowledge:
17 The way of peace, they haven’t known.”
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now, we have knowledge that what the law says is for those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and all men may be judged by God:
19 Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.
20 Because by the works of the law no man is able to have righteousness in his eyes, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
20 Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight; for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
21 But now without the law there is a revelation of the righteousness of God, to which witness is given by the law and the prophets;
21 But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets;
22 That is, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all those who have faith; and one man is not different from another,
22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction,
23 For all have done wrong and are far from the glory of God;
23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;
24 And they may have righteousness put to their credit, freely, by his grace, through the salvation which is in Christ Jesus:
24 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 Whom God has put forward as the sign of his mercy, through faith, by his blood, to make clear his righteousness when, in his pity, God let the sins of earlier times go without punishment;
25 whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance;
26 And to make clear his righteousness now, so that he might himself be upright, and give righteousness to him who has faith in Jesus.
26 to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time, that he might himself be just and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.
27 What reason, then, is there for pride? It is shut out. By what sort of law? of works? No, but by a law of faith.
27 Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.
28 For this reason, then, a man may get righteousness by faith without the works of the law.
28 We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
29 Or is God the God of Jews only? is he not in the same way the God of Gentiles? Yes, of Gentiles:
29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t he the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
30 If God is one; and he will give righteousness because of faith to those who have circumcision, and through faith to those who have not circumcision.
30 since indeed there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
31 Do we, then, through faith make the law of no effect? in no way: but we make it clear that the law is important.
31 Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.
Cross references (30)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Romans 2:25–29; Genesis 25:32; Ecclesiastes 6:8; Ecclesiastes 6:11; Hebrews 13:9
- 2 Romans 9:4; Acts 7:38; Psalm 147:19–20; Nehemiah 9:13–14; 1 Corinthians 9:17
- 3 2 Timothy 2:13; Hebrews 4:2; Romans 9:6; Titus 1:1–2; Isaiah 55:11
- 4 Psalm 51:4; Psalm 116:11; Galatians 2:17; Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2
- 5 Romans 6:19; Galatians 3:15; 1 Corinthians 9:8; Romans 2:5; Romans 9:18–20
- 6 Genesis 18:25; Acts 17:31; Job 8:3; Psalm 98:9; Psalm 50:6
- 7 Romans 3:4; Romans 9:19–20; Acts 13:27–29; 2 Kings 8:10–15; Isaiah 10:6–7
- 8 Romans 6:1; Romans 6:15; Romans 5:20; Romans 7:7; 1 Peter 3:16–17
- 9 Galatians 3:22; Romans 6:15; Isaiah 65:5; Romans 11:32; Romans 3:22–23
- 10 Psalm 53:1–3; Psalm 14:1–3; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8–10; Job 15:14
- 11 Psalm 14:2–4; Psalm 53:2; Titus 3:3; Hosea 4:6; Romans 8:7
- 12 Psalm 14:3; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Isaiah 59:8; Isaiah 64:6; Isaiah 53:6
- 13 Psalm 5:9; Psalm 140:3; Matthew 23:27–28; Jeremiah 9:3–5; Psalm 57:4
- 14 Psalm 10:7; Psalm 109:17–18; Psalm 59:12; James 3:10
- 15 Isaiah 59:7–8; Proverbs 1:16; Proverbs 6:18
- 17 Isaiah 59:8; Romans 5:1; Luke 1:79; Matthew 7:14; Isaiah 57:21
- 18 Psalm 36:1; Proverbs 23:17; Proverbs 16:6; Proverbs 8:13; Revelation 19:5
- 19 Galatians 3:10; Galatians 3:22–23; Romans 2:12–18; Romans 3:9; Galatians 5:18
- 20 Galatians 2:16; Acts 13:39; Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:19; Romans 4:15
- 21 Acts 10:43; Jeremiah 33:16; Philippians 3:9; Jeremiah 23:5–6; Galatians 3:8
- 22 Romans 10:12; Galatians 3:28; Romans 8:1; Galatians 2:16; Romans 5:1–11
- 23 Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8–10; Romans 3:9; Galatians 3:22; Romans 11:32
- 24 1 Peter 1:18–19; Titus 3:5–7; Colossians 1:14; Ephesians 1:6–7; Romans 5:9
- 25 Romans 3:23–24; 1 Peter 1:18–20; 1 John 4:10; 1 John 2:2; Colossians 1:20–23
- 26 Deuteronomy 32:4; Romans 4:5; Acts 13:38–39; Romans 3:30; Zephaniah 3:5
- 27 Romans 4:2; Romans 2:23; 1 Corinthians 1:29–31; Galatians 3:22; Romans 2:17
- 28 Titus 3:7; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:24; Galatians 3:8; Romans 3:26
- 29 Colossians 3:11; Zechariah 2:11; Ephesians 3:6; Galatians 3:14; Galatians 3:25–29
- 30 Galatians 3:8; Galatians 3:20; Philippians 3:3; Colossians 2:10–11; Galatians 5:6
- 31 Galatians 2:21; Matthew 5:17; Romans 13:8–10; Romans 10:4; Romans 8:4
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
He had accused the Gentiles, he had accused the Jews; it came next in order to mention the righteousness which is by faith.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
And, "There is none that understandeth, or that seeketh after God: they have all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable," they maintain to be said concerning ignorance of Bythus.
… in many other significations; and among these various usages, a frequent one is to use flesh for man himself, the nature of man taking the part for the whole, as in the words, "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified;" for what does he mean here by "no flesh" but "no man?" And this, indeed, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
God forbid! yea, we establish the law." For since the law was laboring at this, to make man righteous, but had not power, He came and brought in the way of righteousness by faith, and so established that which the law desired: and what the law could not by letters, this He accomplished by faith.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
for the godly man is perished out of the earth, and there is none that doeth right among men: and again, They are all gone out of the way, they are together became unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one: and again, Cursing and stealing, and adultery, and murder are poured out upon the land.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)