Romans 2
1 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;
[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].
2 and we know that God's judgement against those who commit such sins is in accordance with the truth.
We know very well that God will judge and punish fairly [non-Jewish] people who do such [evil] things.
3 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?
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]
4 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?
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]
5 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.
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.
6 To each man He will make an award corresponding to his actions;
God will pay back everyone according to [what they deserve for] what they have done.
7 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)
[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)
8 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,
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].
9 coming upon the soul of every man and woman who deliberately does wrong--upon the Jew first, and then upon the Gentile;
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.
10 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.
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.
11 For God pays no attention to this world's distinctions.
God [will do this fairly], because people’s status does not influence him.
12 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.
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.
13 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.
[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).
14 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;
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].
15 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--
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].
16 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.
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.
17 And since you claim the name of Jew, and find rest and satisfaction in the Law, and make your boast in God,
[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.
18 and know the supreme will, and can test things that differ--being a man who receives instruction from the Law--
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.
19 and have persuaded yourself that, as for you, you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,
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].
20 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:
[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].
21 you then who teach your fellow man, do you refuse to teach yourself? You who cry out against stealing, are you yourself a thief?
[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]
22 You who forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You who loathe idols, do you plunder their temples?
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]
23 You who make your boast in the Law, do you offend against its commands and so dishonour God?
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!
24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentile nations because of you, as Holy Writ declares.
[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.
25 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.
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.
26 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,
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]
27 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?
[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.
28 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.
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].
29 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.
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.
