Ad Romanos 3

VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Quid ergo amplius Judæo est ? aut quæ utilitas circumcisionis ?	1 Is there any benefit, then, in being a Jew? Is there any advantage in being circumcised?
2 Multum per omnem modum. Primum quidem quia credita sunt illis eloquia Dei.	2 A great deal, in every way. First of al , it was to the Jews that the message of God was entrusted.
3 Quid enim si quidam illorum non crediderunt ? numquid incredulitas illorum fidem Dei evacuabit ? Absit.	3 What if some of them were unfaithful? Do you think their lack of faith could cancel God's faithfulness?
4 Est autem Deus verax : omnis autem homo mendax, sicut scriptum est : Ut justificeris in sermonibus tuis : et vincas cum judicaris.	4 Out of the question! God wil always be true even if no human being can be relied on. As scripturesays: That you may show your saving justice when you pass sentence and your victory may appear when yougive judgement.
5 Si autem iniquitas nostra justitiam Dei commendat, quid dicemus ? Numquid iniquus est Deus, qui infert iram ?	5 But if our injustice serves to bring God's saving justice into view, can we say that God is unjust when --to use human terms -- he brings his retribution down on us?
6 secundum hominem dico. Absit. Alioquin quomodo judicabit Deus hunc mundum ?	6 Out of the question! It would mean that God could not be the judge of the world.
7 Si enim veritas Dei in meo mendacio abundavit in gloriam ipsius : quid adhuc et ego tamquam peccator judicor ?	7 You might as wel say that if my untruthfulness makes God demonstrate his truthfulness, to his greaterglory, then I should not be judged to be a sinner at al .
8 et non (sicut blasphemamur, et sicut aiunt quidam nos dicere) faciamus mala ut veniant bona : quorum damnatio justa est.	8 In this case, the slanderous report some people are spreading would be true, that we teach that oneshould do evil that good may come of it. In fact such people are justly condemned.
9 Quid ergo ? præcellimus eos ? Nequaquam. Causati enim sumus Judæos et Græcos omnes sub peccato esse,	9 Wel : are we any better off? Not at al : we have already indicted Jews and Greeks as being al alikeunder the dominion of sin.
10 sicut scriptum est : Quia non est justus quisquam :	10 As scripture says: Not one of them is upright, not a single one,
11 non est intelligens, non est requirens Deum.	11 not a single one is wise, not a single one seeks God.
12 Omnes declinaverunt, simul inutiles facti sunt : non est qui faciat bonum, non est usque ad unum.	12 Al have turned away, all alike turned sour, not one of them does right, not a single one.
13 Sepulchrum patens est guttur eorum, linguis suis dolose agebant : venenum aspidum sub labiis eorum :	13 Their throats are wide -- open graves, their tongues seductive. Viper's venom behind their lips;
14 quorum os maledictione, et amaritudine plenum est :	14 their speech is ful of cursing and bitterness.
15 veloces pedes eorum ad effundendum sanguinem :	15 Their feet quick to shed innocent blood,
16 contritio et infelicitas in viis eorum :	16 wherever they go there is havoc and ruin.
17 et viam pacis non cognoverunt :	17 They do not know the way of peace,
18 non est timor Dei ante oculos eorum.	18 there is no fear of God before their eyes.
19 Scimus autem quoniam quæcumque lex loquitur, iis, qui in lege sunt, loquitur : ut omne os obstruatur, et subditus fiat omnis mundus Deo :	19 Now we are wel aware that whatever the Law says is said for those who are subject to the Law, sothat every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world brought under the judgement of God.
20 quia ex operibus legis non justificabitur omnis caro coram illo. Per legem enim cognitio peccati.	20 So then, no human being can be found upright at the tribunal of God by keeping the Law; al that theLaw does is to tell us what is sinful.
21 Nunc autem sine lege justitia Dei manifestata est : testificata a lege et prophetis.	21 God's saving justice was witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, but now it has been revealedaltogether apart from law:
22 Justitia autem Dei per fidem Jesu Christi in omnes et super omnes qui credunt in eum : non enim est distinctio :	22 God's saving justice given through faith in Jesus Christ to al who believe.
23 omnes enim peccaverunt, et egent gloria Dei.	23 No distinction is made: all have sinned and lack God's glory,
24 Justificati gratis per gratiam ipsius, per redemptionem quæ est in Christo Jesu,	24 and all are justified by the free gift of his grace through being set free in Christ Jesus.
25 quem proposuit Deus propitiationem per fidem in sanguine ipsius, ad ostensionem justitiæ suæ propter remissionem præcedentium delictorum	25 God appointed him as a sacrifice for reconciliation, through faith, by the shedding of his blood, and soshowed his justness; first for the past, when sins went unpunished because he held his hand;
26 in sustentatione Dei, ad ostensionem justitiæ ejus in hoc tempore : ut sit ipse justus, et justificans eum, qui est ex fide Jesu Christi.	26 and now again for the present age, to show how he is just and justifies everyone who has faith inJesus.
27 Ubi est ergo gloriatio tua ? Exclusa est. Per quam legem ? Factorum ? Non : sed per legem fidei.	27 So what becomes of our boasts? There is no room for them. On what principle- that only actionscount? No; that faith is what counts,
28 Arbitramur enim justificari hominem per fidem sine operibus legis.	28 since, as we see it, a person is justified by faith and not by doing what the Law tel s him to do.
29 An Judæorum Deus tantum ? nonne et gentium ? Immo et gentium :	29 Do you think God is the God only of the Jews, and not of gentiles too? Most certainly of gentiles too,
30 quoniam quidem unus est Deus, qui justificat circumcisionem ex fide, et præputium per fidem.	30 since there is only one God; he will justify the circumcised by their faith, and he will justify theuncircumcised through their faith.
31 Legem ergo destruimus per fidem ? Absit : sed legem statuimus.	31 Are we saying that the Law has been made pointless by faith? Out of the question; we are placing theLaw on its true footing.