Wednesday, May 31

• 1Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?
• 2Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.
• 3What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?
• 4By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, "That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged."
• 5But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)
• 6By no means! For then how could God judge the world?
• 7But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?
• 8And why not do evil that good may come?--as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
• 9What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,
• 10as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one;
• 11no one understands; no one seeks for God.
• 12All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."
• 13"Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips."
• 14"Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."
• 15"Their feet are swift to shed blood;
• 16in their paths are ruin and misery,
• 17and the way of peace they have not known."
• 18"There is no fear of God before their eyes."
• 19Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
• 20For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.