Romans 2

1 Wherefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest. For wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself. For thou dost the same things which thou judgest.

You are therefore without excuse, O man, whoever you are who sit in judgement upon others. For when you pass judgement on your fellow man, you condemn yourself; for you who sit in judgement upon others are guilty of the same misdeeds;

2 For we know that the judgment of God is, according to truth, against them that do such things.

and we know that God's judgement against those who commit such sins is in accordance with the truth.

3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them who do such things, and dost the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

And you who pronounce judgement upon those who do such things although your own conduct is the same as theirs--do you imagine that you yourself will escape unpunished when God judges?

4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and patience, and longsuffering? Knowest thou not, that the benignity of God leadeth thee to penance?

Or is it that you think slightingly of His infinite goodness, forbearance and patience, unaware that the goodness of God is gently drawing you to repentance?

5 But according to thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou treasurest up to thyself wrath, against the day of wrath, and revelation of the just judgment of God.

The fact is that in the stubbornness of your impenitent heart you are treasuring up against yourself anger on the day of Anger--the day when the righteousness of God's judgements will stand revealed.

6 Who will render to every man according to his works.

To each man He will make an award corresponding to his actions;

7 To them indeed, who according to patience in good work, seek glory and honour and incorruption, eternal life: (aiōnios g166)

to those on the one hand who, by lives of persistent right-doing, are striving for glory, honour and immortality, the Life of the Ages; (aiōnios g166)

8 But to them that are contentious, and who obey not the truth, but give credit to iniquity, wrath and indignation.

while on the other hand upon the self-willed who disobey the truth and obey unrighteousness will fall anger and fury, affliction and awful distress,

9 Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek.

coming upon the soul of every man and woman who deliberately does wrong--upon the Jew first, and then upon the Gentile;

10 But glory, and honour, and peace to every one that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

whereas glory, honour and peace will be given to every one who does what is good and right--to the Jew first and then to the Gentile.

11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

For God pays no attention to this world's distinctions.

12 For whosoever have sinned without the law, shall perish without the law; and whosoever have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law.

For all who have sinned apart from the Law will also perish apart from the Law, and all who have sinned whilst living under the Law, will be judged by the Law.

13 For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

It is not those that merely hear the Law read who are righteous in the sight of God, but it is those that obey the Law who will be pronounced righteous.

14 For when the Gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature those things that are of the law; these having not the law are a law to themselves:

For when Gentiles who have no Law obey by natural instinct the commands of the Law, they, without having a Law, are a Law to themselves;

15 Who shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness to them, and their thoughts between themselves accusing, or also defending one another,

since they exhibit proof that a knowledge of the conduct which the Law requires is engraven on their hearts, while their consciences also bear witness to the Law, and their thoughts, as if in mutual discussion, accuse them or perhaps maintain their innocence--

16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

on the day when God will judge the secrets of men's lives by Jesus Christ, as declared in the Good News as I have taught it.

17 But if thou art called a Jew and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,

And since you claim the name of Jew, and find rest and satisfaction in the Law, and make your boast in God,

18 And knowest his will, and approvest the more profitable things, being instructed by the law,

and know the supreme will, and can test things that differ--being a man who receives instruction from the Law--

19 Art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them that are in darkness,

and have persuaded yourself that, as for you, you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,

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

a schoolmaster for the dull and ignorant, a teacher of the young, because in the Law you possess an outline of real knowledge and an outline of the truth:

21 Thou therefore that teachest another, teachest not thyself: thou that preachest that men should not steal, stealest:

you then who teach your fellow man, do you refuse to teach yourself? You who cry out against stealing, are you yourself a thief?

22 Thou that sayest, men should not commit adultery, committest adultery: thou that abhorrest idols, committest sacrilege:

You who forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You who loathe idols, do you plunder their temples?

23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, by transgression of the law dishonourest God.

You who make your boast in the Law, do you offend against its commands and so dishonour God?

24 (For the name of God through you is blasphemed among the Gentiles, as it is written.)

For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentile nations because of you, as Holy Writ declares.

25 Circumcision profiteth indeed, if thou keep the law; but if thou be a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

Circumcision does indeed profit, if you obey the Law; but if you are a Law-breaker, the fact that you have been circumcised counts for nothing.

26 If, then, the uncircumcised keep the justices of the law, shall not this uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

In the same way if an uncircumcised man pays attention to the just requirements of the Law, shall not his lack of circumcision be overlooked, and,

27 And shall not that which by nature is uncircumcision, if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision art a transgressor of the law?

although he is a Gentile by birth, if he scrupulously obeys the Law, shall he not sit in judgement upon you who, possessing, as you do, a written Law and circumcision, are yet a Law-breaker?

28 For it is not he is a Jew, who is so outwardly; nor is that circumcision which is outwardly in the flesh:

For the true Jew is not the man who is simply a Jew outwardly, and true circumcision is not that which is outward and bodily.

29 But he is a Jew, that is one inwardly; and the circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

But the true Jew is one inwardly, and true circumcision is heart-circumcision--not literal, but spiritual; and such people receive praise not from men, but from God.