Bible Gateway passage: Romans 3:13-31 - New International Version (2024)

¹³“Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”^[a](A)
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”^[b](B)
14“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”^[c](C)
15“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶ruin and misery mark their ways,
¹⁷and the way of peace they do not know.”^[d](D)
18“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”^[e](E)

¹⁹Now we know that whatever the law says,^(F) it says to those who are under the law,^(G) so that every mouth may be silenced^(H) and the whole world held accountable to God.^{(I) 20}Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;^(J) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.^(K)

Righteousness Through Faith

²¹But now apart from the law the righteousness of God^(L) has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.^{(M) 22}This righteousness^(N) is given through faith^(O) in^[f] Jesus Christ^(P) to all who believe.^(Q) There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,^{(R) 23}for all have sinned^(S) and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴and all are justified^(T) freely by his grace^(U) through the redemption^(V) that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,^[g](W) through the shedding of his blood^(X)—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished^(Y)— ²⁶he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

²⁷Where, then, is boasting?^(Z) It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. ²⁸For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.^{(AA) 29}Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,^{(AB) 30}since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.^{(AC) 31}Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Footnotes

1. Romans 3:13 Psalm 5:9
2. Romans 3:13 Psalm 140:3
3. Romans 3:14 Psalm 10:7 (see Septuagint)
4. Romans 3:17 Isaiah 59:7,8
5. Romans 3:18 Psalm 36:1
6. Romans 3:22 Or through the faithfulness of
7. Romans 3:25 The Greek for sacrifice of atonement refers to the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant (see Lev. 16:15,16).

Cross references

1. Romans 3:13 : Ps 5:9
2. Romans 3:13 : Ps 140:3
3. Romans 3:14 : Ps 10:7
4. Romans 3:17 : Isa 59:7, 8
5. Romans 3:18 : Ps 36:1
6. Romans 3:19 : S Jn 10:34
7. Romans 3:19 : S Ro 2:12
8. Romans 3:19 : Ps 63:11; 107:42; Eze 16:63
9. Romans 3:19 : ver 9
10. Romans 3:20 : Ac 13:39; Gal 2:16
11. Romans 3:20 : S Ro 4:15
12. Romans 3:21 : Isa 46:13; Jer 23:6; Ro 1:17; 9:30
13. Romans 3:21 : Ac 10:43; Ro 1:2
14. Romans 3:22 : Ro 1:17
15. Romans 3:22 : S Ro 9:30
16. Romans 3:22 : Gal 2:16; 3:22
17. Romans 3:22 : S Jn 3:15; Ro 4:11; 10:4
18. Romans 3:22 : Ro 10:12; Gal 3:28; Col 3:11
19. Romans 3:23 : S ver 9
20. Romans 3:24 : S Ro 4:25
21. Romans 3:24 : Jn 1:14, 16, 17; Ro 4:16; 5:21; 6:14; 11:5; 2Co 12:9; Eph 2:8; 4:7; Tit 2:11; Heb 4:16
22. Romans 3:24 : Ps 130:7; 1Co 1:30; Gal 4:5; Eph 1:7, 14; Col 1:14; Heb 9:12
23. Romans 3:25 : Ex 25:17; Lev 16:10; Ps 65:3; Heb 2:17; 9:28; 1Jn 4:10
24. Romans 3:25 : Ac 20:28; Ro 5:9; Eph 1:7; Heb 9:12, 14; 13:12; 1Pe 1:19; Rev 1:5
25. Romans 3:25 : Ac 14:16; 17:30
26. Romans 3:27 : Ro 2:17, 23; 4:2; 1Co 1:29-31; Eph 2:9
27. Romans 3:28 : ver 20, 21; Ac 13:39; Gal 2:16; 3:11; Eph 2:9; Jas 2:20, 24, 26
28. Romans 3:29 : Ac 10:34, 35; Ro 9:24; 10:12; 15:9; Gal 3:28
29. Romans 3:30 : Ro 4:11, 12; Gal 3:8