Romans 2

1 Therefore you have nothing to say in your own defense, whoever you are who set yourself up as a judge. In judging others you condemn yourself, for you who set yourself up as a judge do the very same things.

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 And we know that God’s judgment falls unerringly on those who do them.

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

3 You who judge those that do such things and yet are yourself guilty of them – do you suppose that you of all people will escape God’s judgment?

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 do you think lightly of his abundant kindness, patience, and forbearance, not realizing that his kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

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 Hard-hearted and impenitent as you are, you are storing up for yourself wrath on the day of wrath, when God’s justice as a judge will be revealed;

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 for he will give to everyone what their actions deserve.

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

7 To those who, by perseverance in doing good, aim at glory, honor, and all that is imperishable, he will give immortal 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 while as to those who are factious, and disobedient to truth but obedient to evil, wrath and anger, distress and despair,

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 will fall on every human being who persists in wrongdoing – on the Jew first, but also on 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 there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does right – for the Jew first, but also for 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 since God shows no partiality.

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

12 All who, when they sin, are without Law will also perish without Law; while all who, when they sin, are under Law, will be judged as being under 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 It is not those who hear the words of a Law that are righteous before God, but it is those who obey it that will be pronounced righteous.

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 When Gentiles, who have no Law, do instinctively what the Law requires, they, though they have no 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 for they show the demands of the Law written on their hearts; their consciences corroborating it, while in their thoughts they argue either in self-accusation or, it may be, in self-defense –

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 on the day when God passes judgment on people’s inmost lives, as the good news that I tell declares that he will do through Christ Jesus.

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, perhaps, you bear the name of ‘Jew,’ and are relying on Law, and boast of belonging to God, and understand his will,

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

18 and, having been carefully instructed from the Law, have learned to appreciate the finer moral distinctions.

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

19 Perhaps you are confident that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in the dark, an instructor of the unintelligent,

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

20 and a teacher of the childish, because in the Law you possess the outline of all knowledge and truth.

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 Why, then, you teacher of others, don’t you teach yourself? Do you preach against stealing, and yet steal?

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 Do you forbid adultery, and yet commit adultery? Do you loathe idols, and yet plunder temples?

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

23 Boasting, as you do, of your Law, do you dishonor God by breaking the Law?

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

24 For, as scripture says – ‘The Gentiles insult God’s name because of you’!

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

25 Circumcision has its value, if you are obeying the Law. But, if you are a breaker of the Law, your circumcision is no better than 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, an uncircumcised man pays regard to the requirements of the Law, won’t he, although not circumcised, be regarded by God as if he were?

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 Indeed, the person who, owing to his birth, remains uncircumcised, and yet scrupulously obeys the Law, will condemn you, who, for all your written Law and your circumcision, are yet a breaker 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 a man who is only a Jew outwardly is not a real Jew; nor is outward bodily circumcision real circumcision. The real Jew is the person who is a Jew in soul;

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 and the real circumcision is the circumcision of the heart, a spiritual and not a literal thing. Such a person wins praise from God, though not from people.

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.