Romans 3 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
1 What is then the preferment of the Iewe? or what is the profite of circumcision?
1 Then what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the profit of circumcision?
2 Much euery maner of way: for chiefly, because vnto them were of credite committed the oracles of God.
2 Much in every way! Because first of all, they were entrusted with the revelations of God.
3 For what, though some did not beleeue? shall their vnbeliefe 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 God forbid: yea, let God be true, and euery man a lyar, as it is written, That thou mightest be iustified in thy words, and ouercome, when thou art iudged.
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 Now if our vnrighteousnes comend the righteousnes of God, what shall we say? Is God vnrighteous which punisheth? (I speake as a man.)
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 God forbid: els how shall God iudge ye world?
6 May it never be! For then how will God judge the world?
7 For if the veritie of God hath more abounded through my lye vnto his glorie, why am I yet condemned 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 And (as we are blamed, and as some affirme, that we say) why doe we not euil, that good may come thereof? whose damnation is iust.
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 more excellent? No, in no wise: for we haue alreadie prooued, that all, both Iewes and Gentiles are vnder sinne,
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 written, There is none righteous, no not one.
10 As it is written, “There is no one righteous; no, not one.
11 There is none that vnderstandeth: there is none that seeketh God.
11 There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God.
12 They haue all gone out of the way: they haue bene made altogether vnprofitable: there is none that doeth good, no not 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 throte is an open sepulchre: they haue vsed their tongues to deceit: the poyson of aspes is vnder their lippes.
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 cursing and bitternesse.
14 “Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 Their feete are swift to shead blood.
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood.
16 Destruction and calamity are in their waies,
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways.
17 And ye way of peace they haue not knowen.
17 The way of peace, they haven’t known.”
18 The feare of God is not before their eies.
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatsoeuer ye Lawe saieth, it saieth it to them which are vnder ye Law, that euery mouth may bee stopped, and all the world be subiect to the iudgement of 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 Therefore by the woorkes of the Lawe shall no flesh be iustified in his sight: for by the Lawe commeth the knowledge of sinne.
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 nowe is the righteousnesse, of God made manifest without the Lawe, hauing witnes of the Lawe and of 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 To wit, the righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus Christ, vnto all, and vpon all that beleeue.
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 there is no difference: for all haue sinned, and are depriued of the glorie of God,
23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;
24 And are iustified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus,
24 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnes, by the forgiuenesse of the sinnes that are passed,
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 Through the patience of God, to shewe at this time his righteousnesse, that hee might be iust, and a iustifier of him which is of the faith of Iesus.
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 Where is then the reioycing? It is excluded. By what Lawe? of woorkes? Nay: but by the Lawe 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 Therefore we conclude, that a man is iustified by faith, without the workes of the Lawe.
28 We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
29 God, is he the God of the Iewes onely, and not of the Gentiles also? Yes, euen of the Gentiles also.
29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t he the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
30 For it is one God, who shall iustifie circumcision of faith, and vncircumcision through faith.
30 since indeed there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
31 Doe we then make the Lawe of none effect through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the Lawe.
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)