Romans 3:10–12
Paul gathers old words: on their own, no one seeks God
Study it word by word10as it is written: There is no righteous one, not even one;
11there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.
12All have turned aside, together they have become worthless; there is no one who does kindness, there is not even one.
In its context
8And why not say, as we are slandered and as some claim that we say, Let us do evil so that good may come? Their condemnation is just.
9What then? Do we have an advantage? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin,
…
13An open grave is their throat; with their tongues they deceive; the venom of asps is under their lips;
14whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;
Its words in the original
- γέγραπταιgegraptai· write
Write. "It is written": that is what the Scriptures say.
- ἔστινestin· be
Be, exist.
- δίκαιοςdikaios· righteous, just
Righteous, just: someone who lives by what is right before God.
- εἷςheis· one
One.
- συνίωνsyniōn· understand
Understand, grasp.
- ἐκζητῶνekzētōn· seek out, require
Seek out, search for diligently; also require, hold to account.
- θεόνtheon· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- ἐξέκλινανexeklinan· turn aside
Turn aside, turn away, especially from the right path.
- ἅμαhama· together, at once
At the same time, together with.
- ἠχρεώθησανēchreōthēsan· become useless
Become useless, be of no more use.
- ποιῶνpoiōn· do, make
Do, make, produce.
- χρηστότηταchrēstotēta· kindness, goodness
Kindness, goodness: generous goodness of heart; also uprightness, doing what is good.