Romans 2
1 [God will severely punish non-Jewish people who habitually do evil things, because he has clearly revealed that he is angry with them]. So, [when God judges people], he will not excuse any one of you Jews [to whom I am writing]. You [(sg)] say that [God should] punish [non-Jews for doing evil things]. But when any one of you says that, it is you yourself whom you are saying that God should punish, because you [(sg)] do [some of] the same [evil] things [that the non-Jews do].
Darum kannst du dich, o Mensch, wer du auch bist, der da richtet, nicht entschuldigen; denn indem du den anderen richtest, sprichst du dir selbst das Urteil, weil du, der du richtest, dasselbe tust.
2 We know very well that God will judge and punish fairly [non-Jewish] people who do such [evil] things.
Wir wissen aber, daß Gott über die, welche solches tun, gerechtes Urteil spricht.
3 So, you who [say God should punish] others for doing evil things yet you do evil things yourself, (you should certainly not think that you yourself will be able to escape from being punished by God!/do you think that you yourself will be able to escape from being punished by God?) [RHQ]
Denkst du aber, o Mensch, daß du, der du richtest die, so solches tun, und dasselbe tust, dem Gerichte Gottes entfliehen werdest?
4 And you should not say, “God is acting very tolerantly and patiently toward me, [so I do not need to stop sinning] [DOU].” (You should realize that God is acting in a kind manner [toward you] in order to encourage you [(sg)] to turn away from your sinful behavior!/Do you not realize that God is acting in a kind manner [toward you] in order to encourage you [(sg)] to turn away from your sinful behavior?) [RHQ]
Oder achtest du gering den Reichtum seiner Güte, Geduld und Langmut, indem du verkennst, daß die Güte Gottes dich zur Buße treibt?
5 But instead, by your stubbornly refusing to turn away from your sinful behavior [DOU], you are causing [MET] God to punish you even more severely. [He will do that] at the time when he shows that he is angry and judges people fairly.
Du aber häufst nach deiner Verstocktheit und deinem unbußfertigen Herzen dir selbst Zorn auf den Tag des Zorns und der Offenbarung des gerechten Gerichtes Gottes,
6 God will pay back everyone according to [what they deserve for] what they have done.
Welcher einem jeglichen geben wird nach seinen Werken,
7 [Specifically], some people, by continuing to doing good things, strive to be highly honored [by God] [DOU] and to receive a life that will not end. [God will reward them by enabling them] to live forever. (aiōnios g166)
Denen, die durch Beharrlichkeit im guten Werk nach Herrlichkeit, Ehre und Unvergänglichkeit strebten, ewiges Leben; (aiōnios g166)
8 But some people act in a selfish way and refuse to believe that [what God says is] true, and they do the things that [God says] are wrong. [God will] punish them very severely [DOU, MTY].
Denen aber, die parteisüchtig sind und der Wahrheit nicht gehorchen, gehorchen aber der Ungerechtigkeit, Zorn und Entrüstung;
9 He will cause everyone who habitually does evil deeds to suffer greatly, [with the result that they will become severely] distressed [DOU]. This certainly will happen to the Jews [who refuse to accept God’s message, because God gave them the privilege to be his special people], but it will also happen to the non-Jews.
Drangsal und Angst über alle Menschenseelen, die Böses tun, zuerst den Juden und den Griechen;
10 But [God will] greatly reward spiritually [MET, DOU] every person who habitually does good deeds. He will [certainly] do this for the Jews [because God chose them as his special people], but he will also do it for the non-Jews.
Herrlichkeit aber und Ehre und Frieden einem jeglichen, der das Gute tut, den Juden zuerst und den Griechen;
11 God [will do this fairly], because people’s status does not influence him.
Denn es ist kein Ansehen der Person bei Gott.
12 Although [non-Jews do not have] the laws that [God gave to Moses], all [non-Jews] who sin will be eternally separated from God. He will [not consider whether or not they knew] the laws that he [gave to Moses]. And all the [Jews] who have sinned in spite of knowing the laws that [God gave to Moses will also be punished] {[God will also punish them]}. [They will be punished for disobeying] God’s laws.
Denn alle, die ohne das Gesetz gesündigt haben, werden ohne das Gesetz verlorengehen, und alle, die unter dem Gesetz gesündigt, werden durch das Gesetz gerichtet werden;
13 [It is right for them to be punished] {[God to punish them]} [because] it is not those who [merely] know God’s laws whom he considers to be righteous. On the contrary, it is only those who continually have obeyed [all] (of [God’s] laws/of the laws that [God gave to Moses]) (whom God will consider righteous/whose record of sins God will erase).
Weil nicht die Hörer des Gesetzes vor Gott gerecht sind, sondern die Täter des Gesetzes werden gerechtfertigt werden;
14 Whenever the non-Jews, who do not have the laws [God gave to Moses], naturally obey those laws, [they prove that] they have a law within their own minds, even though they do not have the laws [God gave to Moses].
Denn so die Heiden, die das Gesetz nicht haben, von Natur tun, was das Gesetz will, so sind diese, die das Gesetz nicht haben, sich selbst Gesetz,
15 They show that they know in their own minds what God [commands in his] laws [MET], as each person in his very own conscience either accuses or excuses/defends himself [concerning his own behavior].
Als die da zeigen, des Gesetzes Werk sei in ihre Herzen geschrieben, weil zugleich ihr Gewissen ihnen Zeugnis gibt und ihre Gedanken sich untereinander anklagen oder auch entschuldigen],
16 God [will punish people] at the time when he will judge them according to what they have thought and done. He will judge them [even] for the things that they have done secretly. He will judge people by [authorizing] Christ Jesus [to judge them]. This is [what I tell people when] I preach the gospel to them.
An dem Tage, da Gott das Verborgene der Menschen durch Jesus Christus richten wird, laut meines Evangeliums.
17 [Now I have something to say to any one of] you [Jews to whom I am writing]: You [(sg)] boast about yourself saying, “I am a Jew.” You [(sg)] trust [that God will save you because you possess] the laws [that he gave to Moses]. You boast that [you belong to] God.
Wenn du nun ein Jude heißest und dich auf das Gesetz verläßt und dich Gottes rühmst,
18 You know what God desires. Because you have been taught {[people] have taught you} [God’s] laws, you are able to know which things are right and to choose to do them.
Und kennst den Willen Desselben, und aus dem Gesetz unterrichtet prüfen kannst, was Recht und Unrecht ist,
19 You are certain that you [are able to] show [God’s truth to non-Jews], as guides [show the road] to those who are blind [MET]. You are certain that by what you say you can show God’s way to the [non-Jews who do not understand it], as a light shows the way to [those who walk in] the darkness [MET, DOU].
Und dir getraust ein Führer der Blinden zu werden, ein Licht derer, die in Finsternis sind,
20 [You are certain that you] can instruct/correct [non-Jews, whom you consider] foolish [because of their not understanding God’s message]. Because you have in [God’s] laws a [written] expression of true knowledge [HEN], you are certain that you can teach [people who, being like] children, do not know [God’s truth] [MET].
Ein Erzieher der Unverständigen, ein Lehrer der Einfältigen, der den Inbegriff der Erkenntnis und der Wahrheit in dem Gesetz hat;
21 [Since you claim that you have all these advantages because you are a Jew], (it is disgusting that you who teach other people [that they should obey the laws God gave Moses] do not [obey the laws that you] yourself teach!/why is it that you who teach other people [that they should obey the laws God gave Moses] do not [obey the laws that you] yourself teach?) [RHQ] You who preach that people should not steal things, it is disgusting that you yourself steal things! [RHQ]
Warum belehrst du, der du andere belehrst, dich selber nicht? Du predigst, man solle nicht stehlen, und stiehlst!
22 You who command people not to have sexual relations with someone to whom they are not married, it is disgusting that you commit adultery yourself! [RHQ] You who detest idols, it is disgusting that you rob temples [where people worship idols]! [RHQ]
Du sagst, man soll nicht ehebrechen, und brichst die Ehe! Du sprichst deinen Abscheu vor Götzen aus und bist ein Tempelräuber?
23 You who boast saying, “[I have God’s] laws,” it is disgusting that you disobey those same laws! [RHQ] As a result you are insulting God!
Du rühmst dich des Gesetzes, und schändest Gott durch Übertretung des Gesetzes?
24 [You must not be like our ancestors, about whom] were written [these words in the Scriptures: ] “The non-Jews speak evil about God because of [the evil actions of] many of you [Jews].” The non-Jews say God must be a hypocrite if he condones the behavior of people like you.
Denn euretwegen wird der Name Gottes gelästert unter den Heiden, wie die Schrift sagt.
25 Any one of you who [is] circumcised [to show that he belongs to God] can benefit from that if he obeys the laws [God gave to Moses]. But if you [(sg), a circumcised person], disobey [God’s] laws, [God will consider that] you who are circumcised are no better [in God’s sight] than [someone who is] not circumcised.
Die Beschneidung hat zwar ihren Nutzen, wenn du das Gesetz hältst; bist du aber ein Übertreter des Gesetzes, so ist deine Beschneidung zur Vorhaut geworden.
26 This means that God will certainly consider that even [non-Jews who are] not circumcised can become his people if they obey the things that he commanded in his laws. [RHQ]
So nun die Vorhaut die Rechte des Gesetzes hält, wird ihm da die Vorhaut nicht für eine Beschneidung angerechnet werden?
27 [If any one of] you disobeys God’s laws, even though [you(sg) have] the Scriptures and even though someone has circumcised you {you are circumcised} [God will punish you]. And those people who are not circumcised, but who obey God’s laws, [will declare that God is right] when he says that he will punish you.
Wird also nicht die natürliche Vorhaut, die das Gesetz vollbringt, dich richten, der du bei dem Buchstaben und der Beschneidung ein Übertreter des Gesetzes bist?
28 It is not those who perform rituals [to show they are God’s people] who are [true] Jews, and it is not being circumcised in their bodies [that causes God to accept them] [MTY].
Denn der ist noch kein rechter Jude, der auswendig ein Jude ist, auch ist das keine Beschneidung, die nur auswendig am Fleisch geschieht;
29 On the contrary, we whom [God has changed] inwardly are [true] Jews [MTY]. And [God has accepted us because we have allowed God’s] Spirit to change our hearts, not because we perform rituals. Even if [other] people will not praise us [for that change], God will praise us.
Sondern der ist ein Jude, der inwendig ein Jude ist, und die wahre Beschneidung ist die des Herzens, im Geist und nicht im Buchstaben; ein solcher hat sein Lob nicht von Menschen, sondern von Gott.
