4. Absolutely not! God must be true, even if everyone is a liar, as it is written:That You may be justified in Your wordsand triumph when You judge.
5. But if our unrighteousness highlights God’s righteousness, what are we to say? I use a human argument: Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath?
6. Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world?
7. But if by my lie God’s truth is amplified to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?
8. And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”? Their condemnation is deserved!
9. What then? Are we any better? Not at all! For we have previously charged that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin,
10. as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.
11. There is no one who understands;there is no one who seeks God.
12. All have turned away;all alike have become useless.There is no one who does what is good,not even one.
13. Their throat is an open grave;they deceive with their tongues. Vipers’ venom is under their lips.
14. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
15. Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16. ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,
17. and the path of peace they have not known.
18. There is no fear of God before their eyes.