Romans 2

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God’s Righteous Judgment

¹You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

¹Therefore you are without excuse, O man, every one who is judging. For in that which you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, for you, the one judging, practice the same things.

²And we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.

²But we know that the judgment of God upon those practicing such things is according to truth.

³So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?

³Now do you reckon this, O man, the one judging those practicing such things, and doing them yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?

⁴Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?

⁴Or do you despise the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

⁵But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

⁵But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

⁶God “will repay each one according to his deeds.”^a

⁶who “will repay to each according to his works,”

⁷To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life.

⁷to those who indeed with perseverance in good work are seeking glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;

⁸But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger.

⁸but to those of self-interest and disobeying the truth but obeying unrighteousness, wrath and anger;

⁹There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, first for the Jew, then for the Greek;

⁹tribulation and distress upon every soul of man working evil, both of Jew first, and also of Greek;

¹⁰but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, first for the Jew, then for the Greek.

¹⁰but glory and honor and peace to everyone working good, both to Jew first, and to Greek.

¹¹For God does not show favoritism.

¹¹For there is no partiality with God.

¹²All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.

¹²For as many as have sinned without the law will also perish without the law; and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law,

¹³For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.

¹³for not the hearers of the law are righteous before God; but the doers of the law will be declared righteous.

¹⁴Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.

¹⁴For when Gentiles, not having the law, may do by nature the things of the law, these not having a law are a law to themselves,

¹⁵So they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them

¹⁵who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also testifying, and the thoughts between one another accusing or also defending them

¹⁶on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Christ Jesus,^a as proclaimed by my gospel.

¹⁶on the day when God judges the secrets of men according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.

The Jews and the Law

¹⁷Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;

¹⁷But if you are named a Jew and rest upon the law and boast in God,

¹⁸if you know His will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law;

¹⁸and you know the will and approve the things being superior, being instructed out of the law,

¹⁹if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those in darkness,

¹⁹and you have persuaded yourself that you are a guide of the blind, a light to those in darkness,

²⁰an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—

²⁰an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth—

²¹you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?

²¹then you who are teaching another, do you not teach yourself? You who are preaching not to steal, do you steal?

²²You who forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

²²You who are saying not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who are abhorring idols, do you rob temples?

²³You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?

²³You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God through the transgression of the law?

²⁴As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”^a

²⁴As it has been written: “For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

²⁵Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.

²⁵For circumcision indeed profits if you practice the law; but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.

²⁶If a man who is not circumcised keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

²⁶Therefore if the uncircumcision keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be reckoned as circumcision?

²⁷The one who is physically uncircumcised yet keeps the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

²⁷And the uncircumcision by nature, fulfilling the law, will judge you who through the letter and circumcision are a transgressor of the law.

²⁸A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical.

²⁸For it is not the one who on the outside is a Jew, nor is that on the outside in flesh circumcision.

²⁹No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God.

²⁹But a Jew is one on the inside, and circumcision is of heart, in spirit, not in letter, of whom the praise is not of men, but of God.