4. Of course not! God must be true, though every human being is a liar, as it is written:“That you may be justified in your words,and conquer when you are judged.”
5. But if our wickedness provides proof of God’s righteousness, what can we say? Is God unjust, humanly speaking, to inflict his wrath?
6. Of course not! For how else is God to judge the world?
7. But if God’s truth redounds to his glory through my falsehood, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?
8. And why not say—as we are accused and as some claim we say—that we should do evil that good may come of it? Their penalty is what they deserve.
9. Well, then, are we better off? Not entirely, for we have already brought the charge against Jews and Greeks alike that they are all under the domination of sin,
10. as it is written:“There is no one just, not one,
11. there is no one who understands,there is no one who seeks God.
12. All have gone astray; all alike are worthless;there is not one who does good,[there is not] even one.
13. Their throats are open graves;they deceive with their tongues;the venom of asps is on their lips;
14. their mouths are full of bitter cursing.
15. Their feet are quick to shed blood;
16. ruin and misery are in their ways,
17. and the way of peace they know not.
18. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19. Now we know that what the law says is addressed to those under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world stand accountable to God,
20. since no human being will be justified in his sight by observing the law; for through the law comes consciousness of sin.