Romans 3:8-20

English Standard Version

⁸And why not ^(A)do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

No One Is Righteous

⁹What then? Are we Jews^[a] any better off?^[b] No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both ^(B)Jews and ^(C)Greeks, are ^(D)under sin, ¹⁰as it is written:

^(E)“None is righteous, no, not one;
¹¹    no one understands;
    no one seeks for God.
¹²All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
    no one does good,
    not even one.”
¹³^(F)“Their throat is ^(G)an open grave;
    they use their tongues to deceive.”
^(H)“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
¹⁴    ^(I)“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
¹⁵^(J)“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶    in their paths are ruin and misery,
¹⁷and ^(K)the way of peace they have not known.”
¹⁸    ^(L)“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

¹⁹Now we know that whatever ^(M)the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, ^(N)so that every mouth may be stopped, and ^(O)the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰For ^(P)by works of the law no human being^[c] will be justified in his sight, since ^(Q)through the law comes knowledge of sin.