Romans 2

1 So if you judge others you don't have any excuse, whoever you are! For in whatever way you condemn others, you're judging yourself, because you're doing the same things.

You are therefore inexcusable, O man, whoever you are, that sits in judgment; for in judging another you are condemning yourself. You, the judge, are habitually practising the very same things.

2 We know that God's judgment on those who do such things is based on truth.

"We know that God’s judgment against those who practise such vices is in accord with the truth," you say?

3 When you judge them do you really think that you however can avoid God's judgment?

Very well; and do you suppose, you who judge those that practise such vices, and are doing the very same, that you will elude the judgment of God?

4 Or is it that you're treating his wonderful kindness, tolerance, and patience with contempt, not realizing that God in his kindness is trying to lead you to repent?

Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and long patience? Do you not know that the kindness of God is leading you to repentance?

5 Due to your hard-hearted attitude and your refusal to repent, you're making things far worse for yourself on the day of retribution when God's judgment is demonstrated to be absolutely right.

In your hardness and impenitence of heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath on the Day of Wrath, when the righteous judgment of God is revealed.

6 God will make sure everyone receives what they deserve according to what they've done.

For He will render to every man according to his works;

7 Those who have kept on trying to do what is good and right will receive glory and honor, immortality and eternal life. (aiōnios g166)

eternal life to those who by patience in well-doing strive for glory and honor and immortality; (aiōnios g166)

8 But those who think only of themselves, rejecting the truth and deliberately choosing to do evil, will receive punishment and furious hostility.

but anger and wrath upon those who are self-willed and disobey the truth, but obey unrighteousness.

9 Everyone who does evil will have trouble and suffering—the Jewish people first, and the foreigners too.

Anguish and calamity will be upon every soul of man who practises evil, upon the Jew first, and also upon the Gentile;

10 But everyone who does good will have glory, honor, and peace—the Jewish people first, and the foreigners too.

but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.

11 God has no favorites.

For there is no partiality with God.

12 Those who sin even though they don't have the written law are still lost, while those who sin that do have the written law will be condemned by that law.

For all who have sinned without law will also perish without law; and all who have sinned under law will be judged by law.

13 Just listening to what the law says doesn't make you right in God's sight. It's those who do what the law says who are made right.

For it is not the hearers of law who are righteous in the eyes of God; nay, it is the doers of law who will be accounted righteous.

14 The foreigners don't have the written law, but when they instinctively do what it says, they are following the law even without having the written law.

For when Gentiles, who have no law, obey by natural instinct the commands of the Law, they even though they have no law, are a law to themselves.

15 In this way they show how the law works that's written in their minds. As they think about what they're doing, their conscience either accuses them for doing wrong or defends them for doing what is good and right.

For they show that the work of the Law is written in their hearts, while their conscience bears them witness, as their reasonings accuse, or it may be defend, them,

16 The good news I share is that a day is coming when God will judge, through Jesus Christ, everyone's secret thoughts.

in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

17 What about you who call yourself a Jew? You rely on the written law and boast about having a special relationship to God.

Now if you bear the name of a Jew, and rely upon law, and boast yourself in God,

18 You know what he wants; you do what's right because you've been taught from the law.

and know his will, and can test the things that differ; if you are instructed out of the Law,

19 You're absolutely sure that you can guide the blind, and that you are a light to those in the dark.

and are confident that you yourself are a darkness,

20 You think you can set ignorant people straight, a teacher of “children,” because you know from the law all the truth there is to know.

an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of the young, because you have in the Law the form of knowledge and of the truth - well then, you who are teaching others, do you ever teach yourself?

21 So if you're busy teaching others, why don't you teach yourself? You tell people not to steal, but are you stealing?

You who are preaching that a man should not steal, do you practise theft?

22 You tell people not to commit adultery, but are you committing adultery? You tell people not to worship idols, but do you profane temples?

You who keep saying that a man should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who hold idols in abhorrence, are you plundering their temples?

23 You boast about having the law, but don't you misrepresent God by breaking it?

You who are making your boast in the Law, do you habitually dishonor God through your transgressions of the Law?

24 As Scripture says, “God's character is defamed among the foreigners because of you.”

For the name of God is continually blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, even as the Scripture itself says.

25 Being circumcised has value only if you do what the law says. But if you break the law, your circumcision is as worthless as those who are not circumcised at all.

Circumcision does indeed profit, if you are obedient to the Law; but if you habitually break the Law, your circumcision is become uncircumcision.

26 If a man who is not circumcised keeps the law, he should be considered as being circumcised even though he's not.

So if the uncircumcised keeps the ordinance of the Law, shall not his uncircumcision be reckoned equivalent to circumcision.

27 The uncircumcised foreigners who keep the law will condemn you if you break the law, even though you have the written law and circumcision.

And shall not those who are physically uncircumcised, but who keep the Law, condemn you who are a breaker of the Law, although you have a written law and circumcision?

28 It's not what's on the outside that makes you a Jew; it's not the physical sign of circumcision.

For the real Jew is not the man who is one outwardly, and the real circumcision is not outward in the flesh;

29 What makes you a Jew is on the inside, a “circumcision of the heart” that doesn't follow the letter of the law but the Spirit. Someone like that is looking for praise from God, not from people.

but the real Jew is one inwardly, and real circumcision is heart- circumcision, spiritual, not literal, praised not by men, but by God.