you then who teach your fellow man, do you refuse to teach yourself? You who cry out against stealing, are you yourself a thief?

You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob [pagan] temples [of valuable idols and offerings]?

You who take pride in the law, are you doing wrong to the honour of God by behaviour which is against the law?

For, “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written [in Scripture].

For circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.

So if people who are uncircumcised observe the requirements of the Law, will they not be treated as though they were circumcised?

Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps [the spirit of] the Law will judge you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, break the Law.

There are all kinds of advantages! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the utterances of God.

Certainly not! Let God be found true [as He will be], though every person be found a liar, just as it is written [in Scripture],

“That You may be justified in Your words,
And prevail when You are judged [by sinful men].”

But if our unrighteousness highlights God’s righteousness, what are we to say? I use a human argument: Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath?

and why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), Let us do evil, that good may come? whose condemnation is just.

What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Their throats are open graves. With their tongues they deceive. The venom of poisonous snakes is under their lips.

"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."

Their feet are swift to shed blood:

Destruction and misery are in their ways:

Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

but it is a righteousness of God which comes by believing in Jesus Christ. And it is meant for all who have faith. No distinctions are drawn.

for all did sin, and are come short of the glory of God --

and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

since God [is] one, who will justify {those who are circumcised} by faith and {those who are uncircumcised} through faith.

What, then, are we to say about Abraham, our human ancestor?

For what are the words of Scripture? 'Abraham had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.'

Now to a laborer, his wages are not credited as a favor or a gift, but as an obligation [something owed to him].

Just as David himself describes the bliss of the man who has righteousness counted to him by God apart from what he does ??7 Blessed are they whose breaches of the Law are forgiven, whose sins are covered!

Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

Therefore, [is] this blessing for {those who are circumcised}, or also for {those who are uncircumcised}? For we say, "Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness."

And he received the sign of circumcision [as] a seal of the righteousness by faith which [he had] {while uncircumcised}, so that he could be the father of all who believe {although they are uncircumcised}, so that righteousness could be credited to them,

And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all

(as it is written, A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were.

it was for our sakes too. Faith, before long, will be placed to the credit of us also who are believers in Him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead,

Therefore, since we have been justified [that is, acquitted of sin, declared blameless before God] by faith, [let us grasp the fact that] we have peace with God [and the joy of reconciliation with Him] through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

Through whom, in the same way, we have been able by faith to come to this grace in which we now are; and let us have joy in hope of the glory of God.

And not only so, but we are actually exulting also even in our troubles; for we know that trouble works fortitude,

And hope does not put to shame; because our hearts are full of the love of God through the Holy Spirit which is given to us.

Therefore, since we have now been justified [declared free of the guilt of sin] by His blood, [how much more certain is it that] we will be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today].

And not only that, but we are making our boast in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom now we have received the reconciliation.

It is true sin was in the world before the Law was given, and men are not charged with sin where there is no law.

But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many are dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded to many.

for if by the offence of the one the death did reign through the one, much more those, who the abundance of the grace and of the free gift of the righteousness are receiving, in life shall reign through the one -- Jesus Christ.

Therefore as by one offence all men fell under condemnation: even so by one act of righteousness, all men are restored to life.

What shall we say [to all this]? Should we continue in sin and practice sin as a habit so that [God’s gift of] grace may increase and overflow?

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we are become identified with him in the likeness of his death, so also we shall be of his resurrection;

for by its being dead, we are set free from sin.

But if we are dead with Christ, we have faith that we will be living with him;

In the same way you also must regard yourselves as dead in relation to sin, but as alive in relation to God, because you are in Christ Jesus.

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Ye are then made free from sin, and are become the servants of righteousness.

What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

But now, since you have been freed from [the practice of] sin and have become slaves to God, the benefits you receive are a holy life [here] and never ending life in the future.

For the wages paid by Sin are death; but God's free gift is the Life of the Ages bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Or are ye ignorant, brethren (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law hath dominion over a man for so long time as he liveth?

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

for when we were in the flesh, the passions of the sins, that are through the law, were working in our members, to bear fruit to the death;

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

What are we to say, then? That Law and sin are the same thing? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, I should not have learned what sin is, had not it been for Law. If the Law did not say 'Thou shalt not covet,' I should not know what it is to covet.

But the law is holy, and its orders are holy, upright, and good.

For we are conscious that the law is of the spirit; but I am of the flesh, given into the power of sin.

For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

the divine grace thro' Jesus Christ our Lord. so then, with the mind I my self am devoted to the law of God; tho' my carnal inclinations are enslaved to the law of sin.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

in order that in our case the requirements of the Law might be fully met. For our lives are regulated not by our earthly, but by our spiritual natures.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

For the interests of the flesh are hostile to God; they do not yield to the law of God (indeed they cannot).

So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

But if the Messiah is in you, your bodies are dead due to sin, but the spirit is alive due to righteousness.

But if the Spirit of him who made Jesus come again from the dead is in you, he who made Christ Jesus come again from the dead will in the same way, through his Spirit which is in you, give life to your bodies which now are under the power of death.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

for if ye live according to flesh, ye are about to die; but if, by the Spirit, ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live:

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

For ye have not received a spirit of servitude, leading back into fear, but ye have received a spirit of sonship, whereby we are exclaiming - Abba! Oh Father!

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And if [we are His] children, [then we are His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His spiritual blessing and inheritance], if indeed we share in His suffering so that we may also share in His glory.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

because the creatures are subdued to vanity against their will: but for his will which subdueth them in hope.

For we are conscious that all living things are weeping and sorrowing in pain together till now.

And not Nature only; but we ourselves also, though we have already a first gift of the Spirit-we ourselves are inwardly groaning, while we eagerly await our full adoption as Sons-the redemption of our bodies.

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

If, however, what we do not behold we hope for, with endurance, are we ardently awaiting it ; -

And in the same way the Spirit is a help to our feeble hearts: for we are not able to make prayer to God in the right way; but the Spirit puts our desires into words which are not in our power to say;

and the Searcher of hearts knows what the Spirit's meaning is, because His intercessions for God's people are in harmony with God's will.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

What then are we to say about these things?
If God is for us, who is against us?

As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers,

For I could pray to be accursed from Christ on behalf of my brethren, my human kinsfolk--for such the Israelites are.

Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;