Some of you once lived this way. ¹  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ ²  and by the Spirit of our God.

But if while seeking to be justified in Christ we ourselves have also been found to be sinners, is Christ then one who encourages ¹  sin? Absolutely not!

Would you indeed annul ¹  my justice? Would you declare me guilty so that you might be right?

For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness ¹  and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. ² 

But wisdom is vindicated ¹  by all her children.” ² 

Absolutely not! Let God be proven true, and every human being ¹  shown up as a liar, ²  just as it is written: “so that you will be justified ³  in your words and will prevail when you are judged.” ⁴ 

Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry. ¹  He was angry ²  with Job for justifying ³  himself rather than God. ⁴ 

Against you – you above all ¹  – I have sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. So ²  you are just when you confront me; ³  you are right when you condemn me. ⁴ 

See now, ¹  I have prepared ²  my ³  case; ⁴  I know that I am right. ⁵ 

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him, ¹  a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors ²  and sinners!’ ³  But wisdom is vindicated ⁴  by her deeds.” ⁵ 

(For someone who has died has been freed from sin.) ¹ 

How then can a human being be righteous before God? How can one born of a woman be pure? ¹ 

Do not sit in judgment on ¹  your servant, for no one alive is innocent before you. ² 

Remind me of what happened! Let’s debate! You, prove to me that you are right! ¹ 

And we all agree, ¹  our religion contains amazing revelation: ²  He ³  was revealed in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, ⁴  seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

(Now ¹  all the people who heard this, even the tax collectors, ²  acknowledged ³  God’s justice, because they had been baptized ⁴  with John’s baptism.

For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not acquitted because of this. The one who judges me is the Lord.

Then Abimelech asked ¹  Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?” ² 

Hold them accountable for all their sins! ¹  Do not vindicate them! ² 

All nations gather together, the peoples assemble. Who among them announced this? Who predicted earlier events for us? ¹  Let them produce their witnesses to testify they were right; let them listen and affirm, ‘It is true.’