Quid ergo amplius Judæo est? aut quæ utilitas circumcisionis?

What advantage then hath the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision?

Of what use is it, then, to be a Jew? What value was there in circumcision?

Multum per omnem modum. Primum quidem quia credita sunt illis eloquia Dei.

Much every way. First indeed, because the words of God were committed to them.

Much, I answer, in every respect; chiefly because the Jews had the words of God entrusted to them.

Quid enim si quidam illorum non crediderunt? numquid incredulitas illorum fidem Dei evacuabit? Absit.

For what if some of them have not believed? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid.

Some, to be sure, shewed unfaithfulness on their side; but can we suppose that unfaithfulness on their part will dispense God from his promise? It is not to be thought of;

Est autem Deus verax: omnis autem homo mendax, sicut scriptum est: Ut justificeris in sermonibus tuis: et vincas cum judicaris.

But God is true; and every man a liar, as it is written, That thou mayest be justified in thy words, and mayest overcome when thou art judged.

God must prove true to his word, though all men should play him false; so it is written, Thy dealings were just, and if thou art called in question, thou hast right on thy side.

Si autem iniquitas nostra justitiam Dei commendat, quid dicemus? Numquid iniquus est Deus, qui infert iram?

But if our injustice commend the justice of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust, who executeth wrath?

Thus our fault only serves to bring God’s integrity to light. (Does that mean that God does wrong in punishing us for it?

secundum hominem dico. Absit. Alioquin quomodo judicabit Deus hunc mundum?

(I speak according to man.) God forbid: otherwise how shall God judge this world?

Impossible again, even according to our human standards; that would mean that God has no right to judge the world;

Si enim veritas Dei in meo mendacio abundavit in gloriam ipsius: quid adhuc et ego tamquam peccator judicor?

For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie, unto his glory, why am I also yet judged as a sinner?

it would mean that because my deceitfulness has promoted God’s glory by giving scope to his truthfulness, I on my side do not deserve to be condemned as a sinner.

et non (sicut blasphemamur, et sicut aiunt quidam nos dicere) faciamus mala ut veniant bona: quorum damnatio justa est.

And not rather (as we are slandered, and as some affirm that we say) let us do evil, that there may come good? whose damnation is just.

If so, why should we not do evil so that good may come of it? That is what we are accused of preaching by some of our detractors; and their condemnation of it is just.)

Quid ergo? præcellimus eos? Nequaquam. Causati enim sumus Judæos et Græcos omnes sub peccato esse,

What then? Do we excel them? No, not so. For we have charged both Jews, and Greeks, that they are all under sin.

Well then, has either side the advantage? In no way. Jews and Gentiles, as we have before alleged, are alike convicted of sin.

sicut scriptum est: Quia non est justus quisquam:

As it is written: There is not any man just.

Thus, it is written, There is not an innocent man among them, no, not one.

non est intelligens, non est requirens Deum.

There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

There is nobody who reflects, and searches for God;

Omnes declinaverunt, simul inutiles facti sunt: non est qui faciat bonum, non est usque ad unum.

All have turned out of the way; they are become unprofitable together: there is none that doth good, there is not so much as one.

all alike are on the wrong course, all are wasted lives; not one of them acts honourably, no, not one.

Sepulchrum patens est guttur eorum, linguis suis dolose agebant: venenum aspidum sub labiis eorum:

Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have dealt deceitfully. The venom of asps is under their lips.

Their mouths are gaping tombs, they use their tongues to flatter. Under their lips the venom of asps is hidden.

quorum os maledictione, et amaritudine plenum est:

Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

Their talk overflows with curses and calumny.

veloces pedes eorum ad effundendum sanguinem:

Their feet swift to shed blood:

They run hot-foot to shed blood;

contritio et infelicitas in viis eorum:

Destruction and misery in their ways:

havoc and ruin follow in their path;

et viam pacis non cognoverunt:

And the way of peace they have not known:

the way of peace is unknown to them.

non est timor Dei ante oculos eorum.

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

They do not keep the fear of God before their eyes.

Scimus autem quoniam quæcumque lex loquitur, iis, qui in lege sunt, loquitur: ut omne os obstruatur, et subditus fiat omnis mundus Deo:

Now we know, that what things soever the law speaketh, it speaketh to them that are in the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be made subject to God.

So the law says, and we know that the words of the law are meant for the law’s own subjects; it is determined that no one shall have anything to say for himself, that the whole world shall own itself liable to God’s judgements.

quia ex operibus legis non justificabitur omnis caro coram illo. Per legem enim cognitio peccati.

Because by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before him. For by the law is the knowledge of sin.

No human creature can become acceptable in his sight by observing the law; what the law does is to give us the full consciousness of sin.

Nunc autem sine lege justitia Dei manifestata est: testificata a lege et prophetis.

But now without the law the justice of God is made manifest, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.

But, in these days, God’s way of justification has at last been brought to light; one which was attested by the law and the prophets, but stands apart from the law;

Justitia autem Dei per fidem Jesu Christi in omnes et super omnes qui credunt in eum: non enim est distinctio:

Even the justice of God, by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe in him: for there is no distinction:

God’s way of justification through faith in Jesus Christ, meant for everybody and sent down upon everybody without distinction, if he has faith.

omnes enim peccaverunt, et egent gloria Dei.

For all have sinned, and do need the glory of God.

All alike have sinned, all alike are unworthy of God’s praise.

Justificati gratis per gratiam ipsius, per redemptionem quæ est in Christo Jesu,

Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption, that is in Christ Jesus,

And justification comes to us as a free gift from his grace, through our redemption in Christ Jesus.

quem proposuit Deus propitiationem per fidem in sanguine ipsius, ad ostensionem justitiæ suæ propter remissionem præcedentium delictorum

Whom God hath proposed to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to the shewing of his justice, for the remission of former sins,

God has offered him to us as a means of reconciliation, in virtue of faith, ransoming us with his blood. Thus God has vindicated his own holiness, shewing us why he overlooked our former sins

in sustentatione Dei, ad ostensionem justitiæ ejus in hoc tempore: ut sit ipse justus, et justificans eum, qui est ex fide Jesu Christi.

Through the forbearance of God, for the shewing of his justice in this time; that he himself may be just, and the justifier of him, who is of the faith of Jesus Christ.

in the days of his forbearance; and he has also vindicated the holiness of Jesus Christ, here and now, as one who is himself holy, and imparts holiness to those who take their stand upon faith in him.

Ubi est ergo gloriatio tua? Exclusa est. Per quam legem? Factorum? Non: sed per legem fidei.

Where is then thy boasting? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.

What has become, then, of thy pride? No room has been left for it. On what principle? The principle which depends on observances? No, the principle which depends on faith;

Arbitramur enim justificari hominem per fidem sine operibus legis.

For we account a man to be justified by faith, without the works of the law.

our contention is, that a man is justified by faith apart from the observances of the law.

An Judæorum Deus tantum? nonne et gentium? Immo et gentium:

Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also.

Is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of the Gentiles too? Of the Gentiles too, assuredly;

quoniam quidem unus est Deus, qui justificat circumcisionem ex fide, et præputium per fidem.

For it is one God, that justifieth circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised man if he learns to believe, and the Gentile because he believes.

Legem ergo destruimus per fidem? Absit: sed legem statuimus.

Do we, then, destroy the law through faith? God forbid: but we establish the law.

Does that mean that we are using faith to rob the law of its force? No, we are setting the law on its right footing.