Psalm 81

WEEK  14                                          Psalm 81     

WEDNESDAY  Reflections

This psalm tries to capture the heart of God. The God who rescued Israel and brought her into the promised land. God is heartbroken because all He wants to do is to protect Israel but her people won’t obey. They will not stay where He can bless them.

God wants to do so much God for Israel and bless them with the sweet things in life. This is where the Psalm ends, God waiting for Israel to come and be blessed.


Psa 81:1-16
(1)  To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of Asaph. Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
(2)  Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
(3)  Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
(4)  For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
(5)  This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.
(6)  I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.
(7)  Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.
(8)  Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
(9)  There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
(10)  I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
(11)  But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.
(12)  So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.
(13)  Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!
(14)  I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.
(15)  The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.
(16)  He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

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1 Samuel 14

WEEK  14                                           1 Samuel 14

TUESDAY  Reflections

Jonathan was used by God and then it seems betrayed by God. God caused the lot to fall on Jonathan because he had disobeyed Saul's command, as foolish as it was. The commentaries I reviewed agreed with what I was thinking.  God wasn't saying that Jonathan deserved to die but the lot should have caused Saul to realize the foolishness of his ways. Jonathan did right and the people did right in protecting Jonathan from Saul's rashness.

 

Saul, as we will see, was beginning to trust his own plans. He tried to manipulate God. First by calling for a fast and second by calling for the ark of God, perhaps thinking it would save them. When we come near to the end of the chapter it is the people who save the man God used (Jonathan). There is no indication Saul understood his own mistakes. Saul ends up taking charge of Israel, drafting any strong men, and in an interesting wording went out and fought his (Saul's) enemies. It seems to me at the end of the chapter Saul is looking to Saul and not God. 

1Sa 14:1-52
(1)  Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.
(2)  And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men;
(3)  And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD'S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.
(4)  And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
(5)  The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
(6)  And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.
(7)  And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.
(8)  Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.
(9)  If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.
(10)  But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.
(11)  And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
(12)  And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.
(13)  And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him.
(14)  And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.
(15)  And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.
(16)  And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
(17)  Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there.
(18)  And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.
(19)  And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand.
(20)  And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.
(21)  Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.
(22)  Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.
(23)  So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.
(24)  And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.
(25)  And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground.
(26)  And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath.
(27)  But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.
(28)  Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint.
(29)  Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.
(30)  How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?
(31)  And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint.
(32)  And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them with the blood.
(33)  Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day.
(34)  And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.
(35)  And Saul built an altar unto the LORD: the same was the first altar that he built unto the LORD.
(36)  And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God.
(37)  And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day.
(38)  And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.
(39)  For, as the LORD liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
(40)  Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee.
(41)  Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.
(42)  And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.
(43)  Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.
(44)  And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
(45)  And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
(46)  Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own place.
(47)  So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them.
(48)  And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them.
(49)  Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchishua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal:
(50)  And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.
(51)  And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.
(52)  And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.

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1 Samuel 13

WEEK  14                                         1 Samuel 13

MONDAY  Reflections

This chapter begins the downfall of Saul. He has been king for two years and war is now upon Israel. They started out right but Saul faltered when he saw his army start to disintegrate in front of him.

 

Had Saul’s faith been in the Lord, he would have waited on God's timing, but Saul's faith moved from God to his army. The army didn't know if God would defend them, and Samuel the prophet of God was running late. Saul was probably counting on Samuel to offer sacrifice to God so the people wouldn't be afraid. The issue was that Saul was not a priest. Instead of waiting for a priest, he offered the sacrifice himself.

 

This might have been overlooked if Saul was truly wishing to please God. However, the text makes it very clear that the sacrifice was meant as a motivator for the people rather than a sacrifice to God. Saul used the things of God to try and manipulate his army.

 

The other issue that stands out here is he began to offer excuses. Here, and as we will see later, Saul will blame the Israelites for his choices. In modern wording, he said to Samuel, "I had to, they didn't give me a choice." Samuel didn't believe it and neither did God. We are responsible for our own actions, we cannot blame them on anyone else.

 

John Maxwell says, "Everything falls and rises on leadership." Though I do not always agree with this, it is true 99% of the time. Today, leadership comes in many forms, but in ancient Israel, responsibility always falls on the king. Saul was not willing to take responsibility. Yes, David in some ways did far worse than Saul, but nowhere do we see David blaming others for his sin. So at the end of the day, what helped make David the leader God wanted and Saul a reject was a willingness to accept responsibility for his own actions. 

1Sa 13:1-23
(1)  Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
(2)  Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
(3)  And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.
(4)  And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.
(5)  And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.
(6)  When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.
(7)  And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
(8)  And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
(9)  And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.
(10)  And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.
(11)  And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;
(12)  Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.
(13)  And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
(14)  But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
(15)  And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.
(16)  And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
(17)  And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual:
(18)  And another company turned the way to Bethhoron: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
(19)  Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:
(20)  But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.
(21)  Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
(22)  So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.
(23)  And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.

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Jeremiah 25

What? How long?

WEEK  13                                            Jeremiah 25    

SATURDAY  Reflections

Seventy Years?! (Jeremiah 25:11)

That is a long time. Was this chosen as an exact number to coincide with the number of years the Jews didn’t give the land its Sabbath rest (2 Chronicles 36:21)? Maybe, it was at least part of it. Was it a rounded number to show God’s perfect completion/harmony? That may have had part of it also. I lean towards the thought both are true. It was to give the land rest after the years the Children of Israel didn’t, and it was also to show God’s perfect ( the #7) completion/harmony (the #10).  

One thing is certain, once God sets a time he fulfills it (Daniel 9:2). However, I can’t help but notice that after God’s work of perfect harmony(completion), the Children of Israel never served false gods as they had in the past. It was a long time, but clearly, it was what was needed.

I can’t help but think that sometimes waiting is God’s way of making things perfectly complete.


Jer 25:1-38
(1)  The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;
(2)  The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,
(3)  From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.
(4)  And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.
(5)  They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever:
(6)  And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.
(7)  Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.
(8)  Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words,
(9)  Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.
(10)  Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.
(11)  And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
(12)  And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.
(13)  And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations.
(14)  For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.
(15)  For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.
(16)  And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.
(17)  Then took I the cup at the LORD'S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me:
(18)  To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day;
(19)  Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people;
(20)  And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod,
(21)  Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon,
(22)  And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea,
(23)  Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners,
(24)  And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert,
(25)  And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes,
(26)  And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.
(27)  Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.
(28)  And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.
(29)  For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
(30)  Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
(31)  A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
(32)  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
(33)  And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.
(34)  Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.
(35)  And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.
(36)  A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling of the principal of the flock, shall be heard: for the LORD hath spoiled their pasture.
(37)  And the peaceable habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

(38)  He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.

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Jeremiah 24

WEEK  13                                           Jeremiah 24

FRIDAY  Reflections

In our minds, people who are captured are unfortunate or maybe cursed. It could have been argued by those in Jeremiah’s day, the people removed from God’s promised land and Jerusalem were cursed. They were not where the temple was nor in the land that God promised their fathers. In today’s world, it would be like being thrown out of the church.

Logic could argue that those who remain must be blessed because they are in the right place and still able to offer sacrifice at the temple. Those still in good standing are righteous.

This thinking was wrong. God used two baskets of fruit to show Jeremiah that those who were take were the ones God was saving and those who remained were curses. This was the exact opposite of human logic.

Sometimes the best place to be is in what seems to be the worst place. Sometimes being cast aside means you’re really being cast to safety. If you’re faithful in service to God don’t be discouraged by apparent bad luck. God is great about making what looks bad into victory.  

Jer 24:1-10
(1)  The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.
(2)  One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.
(3)  Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
(4)  Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
(5)  Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.
(6)  For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.
(7)  And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
(8)  And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt:
(9)  And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.
(10)  And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.

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Romans 3

WEEK  13                                               Romans 3

  

THURSDAY  Reflections

In Romans three, Paul is making the case that though it can be good to be a Jew it doesn’t save you. In truth, no one can save themselves as no one on their own seek after God (verse 11). No one is righteous and the law can’t save anyone (verse 10, 20).

Man’s only hope is not a list of rules but redemption is bought by Jesus Christ and is given freely by God’s grace. This grace only comes when we believe by faith and faith alone.   



Rom 3:1-31
(1)  What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
(2)  Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
(3)  For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
(4)  God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
(5)  But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)
(6)  God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
(7)  For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?
(8)  And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.
(9)  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;
(10)  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
(11)  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
(12)  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
(13)  Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
(14)  Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
(15)  Their feet are swift to shed blood:
(16)  Destruction and misery are in their ways:
(17)  And the way of peace have they not known:
(18)  There is no fear of God before their eyes.
(19)  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.
(20)  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
(21)  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
(22)  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
(23)  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
(24)  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
(25)  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;
(26)  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
(27)  Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
(28)  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
(29)  Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
(30)  Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
(31)  Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash