Romans 3

₁Is it important that someone is a Jew or that he is circumcised? ₂Yes, it is very important. The most important thing is that God has spoken to the Jews and that He gave his words to them.

₃But some of the Jews don't do what they promised. They don't serve God. Do you think that God will also say He will not do what He has promised the Jews? ₄No, never. God always does what He promises. It is only people who don't do what they say they will do. This is why it is written in the Old_Testament:

₅Some people say that when we sin and do things that are wrong, it is easier for us to see that God is always good and right. Must we then say that God is wrong when He punishes us? ₆No, never. If they are right when they say that, then God can never tell people that they are wrong and then He may not punish them.

₇Some people say that when we tell lies, it is easier for people to see that God is always right and then they can praise Him. They say that is why God may not say we are sinners and that is why He may not punish us. But those people are wrong. ₈There are people who say bad things about us. They say that we say we must sin and do bad things so that something good can happen to us. But they don't speak the truth. God must punish them and He will.

₉May we as Jews say that we are innocent and that we don't sin? No, never. In the beginning of this letter I wrote that everyone is guilty. I said we are all full of sin, both the Jews and the Gentiles. ₁₀It is written in the Old_Testament:

₁₉We know that everyone who knows God's laws must do what the laws say. So no one can say that he is innocent. Yes, God should punish all the people in the world. ₂₀Therefore He will never forgive someone and make him righteous just because that person does what the laws say. The laws show us what sin is. They do not take away those sins.

_21-22God has now shown us that He makes people righteous, but not because they do what the laws say. We read about this in the laws of Moses and in the books of the prophets. God makes everyone righteous who believes in Jesus Christ, no_matter who they are. ₂₃All people have sinned and they do not live as God wants them to live. God wants them to be like He is. ₂₄But God makes them righteous because He is very good to them, because Christ Jesus has forgiven them and made them free. ₂₅God sent Christ to the world to die. He was the Offering that God used to make atonement for our sin, to forgive the people who believe in Christ. That is how God showed us that He always does what is right. People have also sinned before but God did not punish them then. ₂₆He did not punish them immediately. He waited until now to show that He is right and that He makes people who believe in Jesus righteous.

₂₇People may not be proud of themselves and boast when they do what the laws say, because God does not make people righteous when they do what the laws say. No, He sets them free because they believe. ₂₈Yes, we know that God makes people righteous because they believe, not because they do what the laws say. ₂₉God is not only the God of the Jews. He is also the God of the Gentiles. ₃₀There is only one God. He will make the people who are circumcised righteous because they believe, and He will also make the people who are not circumcised righteous because they believe. ₃₁We tell people to believe in Christ but now some people will say that we are telling them that God's laws are worthless. This is not_true, and will never be true. God's laws are important to us.