Romatɔwo 2
1 Esia ta taflatsedodo aɖeke mele wò, ame si drɔ̃a ʋɔnu ame bubu la si o. Nu si nètsɔna drɔ̃a ʋɔnu ame bubu la, eya ke nètsɔna drɔ̃a ʋɔnu ɖokuiwò, elabena wò ame si le ʋɔnu drɔ̃m ame bubu la, wò ŋutɔ èwɔa nu siawo ke.
[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 Azɔ la, míenya be Mawu ƒe ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ ame siwo wɔa ale nu siawo la nye nyateƒe.
We know very well that God will judge and punish fairly [non-Jewish] people who do such [evil] things.
3 Ke ne wò, ame si le ʋɔnu drɔ̃m amewo hafi le nu siawo ke wɔm la, ɖe nèsusu be yeasi le Mawu ƒe ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ la nua?
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 Alo ɖe mètsɔ ɖeke le Mawu ƒe dɔmenyo gã la, eƒe dzidodo, kple eƒe dzigbɔɖi me oa? Alo mènya be Mawu ƒe dɔmenyo ƒe taɖodzinue nye be wòana nàtrɔ dzi me oa?
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 Gake ɖe miaƒe tomaɖomaɖo kple dzimesesẽ ta la, miaƒe nu vɔ̃wo le agbɔ sɔm ɖe edzi, hele Mawu ƒe dɔmedzoeŋkeke la lalam, esime wòadrɔ̃ ʋɔnu dzɔdzɔe.
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 Mawu adrɔ̃ ʋɔnu ame sia ame ku ɖe eƒe dɔwɔwɔ ŋu.
God will pay back everyone according to [what they deserve for] what they have done.
7 Ana agbe mavɔ ame sia ame si tsɔa dzidodo wɔa nu nyui eye wòdia ŋutikɔkɔe kple bubu kple agbe mavɔ si Mawu nana. (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 Ke ahe to na ɖokuitɔdilawo kple ame siwo tsia tsitre ɖe eƒe nyateƒe la ŋu eye wowɔa nu vɔ̃. Mawu atrɔ eƒe dɔmedzoe akɔ ɖe wo dzi.
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 Konyifafa kple fukpekpe ava nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo dzi: gbã la, ava Yudatɔwo dzi, emegbe la, ava ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o la hã dzi.
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 Ke ŋutikɔkɔe kple bubu kple ŋutifafa atso Mawu gbɔ na ame sia ame si le nu nyui wɔm la, gbã na Yudatɔwo, emegbe la, na ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o.
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 Elabena Mawu medea vovototo amewo me o.
God [will do this fairly], because people’s status does not influence him.
12 Eya ta woahe to na ame siwo katã si se mele o la abe semanɔsitɔwo ene ne wowɔ nu vɔ̃ eye woadrɔ̃ ʋɔnu ame siwo le se la te abe setenɔlawo ene.
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 Elabena menye ame siwo sea se la woe nye ame dzɔdzɔewo le Mawu ŋkume o, ke boŋ ame siwo wɔa se la dzi lae woatso afia na abe ame dzɔdzɔewo ene.
[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 (Le nyateƒe me la, ne ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o, ame siwo si se mele o, gake wowɔ nu ɖe dzɔdzɔme ƒe ɖoɖo nu eye wòsɔ kple se la la, ekema wozu se na wo ɖokuiwo,
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 togbɔ be se mele wo si o be woŋlɔ nu si se la bia la ɖe woƒe dziwo me, woƒe dzitsinya hã ɖia ɖase, eye ɣe aɖewo ɣi la, woƒe tamesusu hã bua fɔ wo, eye wòʋlia wo ta ɣe bubu ɣi.)
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 Nu sia adzɔ le ŋkeke si dzi Mawu adrɔ̃ ʋɔnu amewo ƒe nu ɣaɣlawo to Yesu Kristo dzi abe ale si nyanyui la gblɔ ene.
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 Azɔ ne mieyɔ mia ɖokuiwo be Yudatɔwo, ne mieɖoa ŋu ɖe se la ŋu, eye mieƒoa adegbe be kadodo nyui le miawo kple Mawu dome,
[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 ne mienya eƒe lɔlɔ̃nu, eye mieda asi ɖe nu si nyo la dzi, elabena wofia se la mi;
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 ne mieka ɖe edzi be yewoe afia mɔ ŋkuagbãtɔwo, yewoe nye kekeli na ame siwo le viviti me,
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 ame siwo fiaa nu bometsilawo, ame siwo fiaa nu ɖeviwo, elabena sidzedze kple nyateƒe la le se la me la,
[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 ekema wò, ame si le nu fiam ame bubuwo la, ɖe mefiaa nu ɖokuiwò oa? Wò, ame si le mawunya gblɔm na amewo be womegafi fi o ɖe, ɖe nèfiaa fia?
[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 Wò, ame si gblɔna be womegawɔ ahasi o ɖe, ɖe nèwɔa ahasia? Wò, ame si tsi tsitre ɖe legbasubɔsubɔ ŋu ɖe, ɖe nèfia gbedoxɔmenuwoa?
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 Wò, ame si ƒoa adegbe tso seawo ŋu ɖe, ɖe nèdoa vlo Mawu to se la dzi dada mea?
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 Abe ale si woŋlɔe ɖi ene la, ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o la ɖua fewu le Mawu ŋu ɖe mia ta.
[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 Asixɔxɔ le aʋatsotso ŋu ne miewɔ ɖe se la dzi, gake ne mieda le se la dzi la, ekema miele abe ame siwo wometso aʋa na o la ene.
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 Ne ame siwo wometso aʋa na o la wɔna ɖe seawo dzi la, ɖe womabu wo abe ame siwo wotso aʋa na la ene oa?
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 Ame si wometso aʋa na le ŋutilã me o, gake wòwɔna ɖe se la dzi la, abu fɔ wò, ame si, togbɔ be woŋlɔ se la na wò, eye wotso aʋa na wò hã la, nènye sedzidala.
[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 Ame si nye Yudatɔ le gotagome la, menye Yudatɔ vavã o, elabena aʋatsotso menye gotagomenu kple ŋutilãmenu ɖeɖe ko o.
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 Gbeɖe, ame si nye Yudatɔ vavã la nye Yudatɔ tso eƒe dzi me ke, eye aʋatsotso siae nye ame ƒe dzi ƒe aʋatsotso to Gbɔgbɔ la ƒe ŋusẽ me, ke menye to nya si woŋlɔ ɖi la me o. Ame sia ƒe kafukafu tso Mawu gbɔ, ke menye tso amewo gbɔ o.
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.
