May it neverbe! Rather,let Godbe foundtrue,thougheveryman[be found] a liar,as it is written,"THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIEDIN YOUR WORDS,AND PREVAILWHENYOU ARE JUDGED."
"I will fetchmy knowledgefrom afar,And I will ascriberighteousnessto my Maker.
"Will you reallyannulMy judgment?Will you condemnMe that you may be justified?
For the LORDis good;His lovingkindnessis everlastingAnd His faithfulnessto allgenerations.
I saidin my alarm,"Allmenare liars."
The sumof Your wordis truth,And everyoneof Your righteousordinancesis everlasting.Shin.
I will bowdowntowardYour holytempleAnd givethanksto Your namefor Your lovingkindnessand Your truth;For You have magnifiedYour wordaccordingto allYour name.
Against You, You only,I have sinnedAnd donewhatis evilin Your sight,Sothat You are justifiedwhen You speakAnd blamelesswhen You judge.
Menof lowdegreeare onlyvanityand menof rankare a lie;In the balancesthey goup; They are togetherlighter thanbreath.
You will givetruthto Jacob[And] unchangingloveto Abraham,WhichYou sworeto our forefathersFrom the daysof old.
"The Sonof Mancameeatingand drinking,and they say,'Behold,a gluttonousmanand a drunkard,a friendof tax collectorsand sinners!'Yetwisdomis vindicatedby her deeds."
"He will comeand destroythesevine-growersand will givethe vineyardto others."Whenthey heardit, they said,"May it neverbe!"
"He who has receivedHis testimonyhas set his sealto [this], that Godis true.
I saythen,Godhas not rejectedHis people,has He? May it neverbe! For I tooaman Israelite,a descendantof Abraham,of the tribeof Benjamin.
I saythen,they did not stumblesoas to fall,did they? May it neverbe! But by their transgressionsalvation[has come] to the Gentiles,to make them jealous.
Do we thennullifythe Lawthroughfaith?May it neverbe! On the contrary,we establishthe Law.
Whatthen?Shall we sinbecausewe are not underlawbut undergrace?May it neverbe!
May it neverbe! Howshall we whodiedto sinstilllivein it?
Thereforedid that whichis goodbecome[a cause] [of] deathfor me? May it neverbe! Ratherit was sin,in orderthat it might be shownto be sinby effectingmy deaththroughthat which is good,sothat throughthe commandmentsinwould becomeutterlysinful.
Whatshall we saythen?Is the Lawsin?May it neverbe! On the contrary,I would not have come to knowsinexceptthroughthe Law;for I would not have known aboutcovetingifthe Lawhad not said,"YOU SHALL NOT COVET."
Whatshall we saythen?There is noinjusticewith God,is there? May it neverbe!
Do you not knowthat your bodiesare membersof Christ?Shall I thentake awaythe membersof Christand makethem membersof a prostitute?May it neverbe!
But as Godis faithful,our wordto you is not yesand no.
"But if,while seekingto be justifiedin Christ,we ourselveshave alsobeen foundsinners,is Christthena ministerof sin?May it neverbe!
"I do not nullifythe graceof God,for ifrighteousness[comes] throughthe Law,thenChristdiedneedlessly."
But may it neverbe that I would boast,exceptin the crossof our LordJesusChrist,throughwhichthe worldhas been crucifiedto me, and I to the world.
"The Rock!His workis perfect,For allHis waysare just;A Godof faithfulnessand withoutinjustice,Righteousand uprightis He.
By common confession,greatis the mysteryof godliness:He whowas revealedin the flesh,Was vindicatedin the Spirit,Seenby angels,Proclaimedamongthe nations,Believedon in the world,Takenup in glory.
in the hopeof eternallife,whichGod,who cannot lie,promisedlong agesago,
sothat by twounchangeablethingsin whichit is impossiblefor Godto lie,we who have taken refugewould havestrongencouragementto take holdof the hopeset beforeus.
The one who believesin the Sonof Godhasthe testimonyin himself;the one who does not believeGodhas madeHim a liar,becausehe has not believedin the testimonythat Godhas givenconcerningHis Son.
And we knowthat the Sonof Godhas come,and has givenus understandingsothat we may knowHim whois true;and we are in Him who is true,in His SonJesusChrist.Thisis the true Godand eternallife.
"And to the angelof the churchin Philadelphiawrite:He who is holy,who is true,who hasthe keyof David,who opensand noonewill shut,and who shutsand no oneopens,saysthis:
