The Old Testament passages referred to in these verses are Isaiah 59.7-8 and Proverbs 1.16.

They are quick to hurt and kill renders a Hebrew idiom, which translated literally conveys little or no meaning for the average English reader (see New English Bible “their feet hasten to shed blood”). It may, of course, be necessary to specify the goal of hurting and killing—for example, “to hurt and kill people” or “to cause people to suffer and to kill them.”

Verse 16 describes further the evil things done by these people; a translation such as “ruin and misery lie along their paths” (New English Bible) leaves the reader doubtful as to whether this is something that these people do or something that happens to them. They leave ruin and misery must be translated in many instances as a causative: “they cause ruin and misery,” “they cause people to be destroyed and to suffer,” or “they harm people and cause them to suffer.”

Verse 17 must be taken to mean that these people never do anything to bring about peace with their fellowmen. Bringing about peace may be rendered as “cause people to know peace,” “cause people to live in peace with one another,” or “cause people to live together peacefully.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .