Roemers 2
1 Darum bist du nicht zu entschuldigen, o Mensch, wer du seist, der du richtest! Denn indem du den andern richtest, verdammst du dich selbst; denn du verübst ja dasselbe, was du richtest!
[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 Wir wissen aber, daß das Gericht Gottes dem wahren Sachverhalt entsprechend über die ergeht, welche solches verüben.
We know very well that God will judge and punish fairly [non-Jewish] people who do such [evil] things.
3 Oder denkst du, o Mensch, der du die richtest, welche solches verüben, und doch das Gleiche tust, daß du dem Gerichte Gottes entrinnen werdest?
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 Oder verachtest du den Reichtum seiner Güte, Geduld und Langmut, ohne zu erkennen, daß dich Gottes Güte zur Buße leitet?
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 Aber nach deinem verstockten und unbußfertigen Herzen häufst du dir selbst den Zorn auf den Tag des Zorns und der Offenbarung des gerechten Gerichtes Gottes,
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 welcher einem jeglichen vergelten wird nach seinen Werken;
God will pay back everyone according to [what they deserve for] what they have done.
7 denen nämlich, die mit Ausdauer im Wirken des Guten Herrlichkeit, Ehre und Unsterblichkeit erstreben, ewiges Leben; (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 den Streitsüchtigen aber, welche der Wahrheit ungehorsam sind, dagegen der Ungerechtigkeit gehorchen, Zorn und Grimm!
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 Trübsal und Angst über jede Menschenseele, die das Böse vollbringt, zuerst über den Juden, dann auch über den Griechen;
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 Herrlichkeit aber und Ehre und Friede jedem, der das Gute wirkt, zuerst dem Juden, dann auch dem Griechen;
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 denn es gibt kein Ansehen der Person bei Gott:
God [will do this fairly], because people’s status does not influence him.
12 Welche ohne Gesetz gesündigt haben, die werden auch ohne Gesetz verloren gehen; und welche unter dem Gesetz gesündigt haben, die werden durch das Gesetz verurteilt werden.
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 Denn vor Gott sind nicht die gerecht, welche das Gesetz hören; sondern die, welche das Gesetz befolgen, sollen gerechtfertigt werden.
[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 Denn wenn die Heiden, die das Gesetz nicht haben, doch von Natur tun, was das Gesetz verlangt, so sind sie, die das Gesetz nicht haben, sich selbst ein Gesetz;
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 da sie ja beweisen, daß des Gesetzes Werk in ihre Herzen geschrieben ist, was auch ihr Gewissen bezeugt, dazu ihre Überlegungen, welche sich untereinander verklagen oder entschuldigen.
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 Das wird an dem Tage offenbar werden, da Gott das Verborgene der Menschen richten wird, laut meinem Evangelium, durch Jesus Christus.
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 Wenn du dich aber einen Juden nennst und dich auf das Gesetz verlässest und dich Gottes rühmst,
[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 wenn du seinen Willen weißt und verschiedenartige Dinge zu unterscheiden verstehst, weil du aus dem Gesetz unterrichtet bist;
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 wenn du dir zutraust, ein Leiter der Blinden, ein Licht derer zu sein, die in der Finsternis sind,
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 ein Erzieher der Unverständigen, ein Lehrer der Unmündigen, der den Inbegriff der Erkenntnis und der Wahrheit im Gesetze hat:
[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 nun also, du lehrst andere, dich selbst aber lehrst du nicht? Du predigst, man solle nicht stehlen, und stiehlst selber?
[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 Du sagst, man solle nicht ehebrechen, und brichst selbst die Ehe? Du verabscheust die Götzen und begehst dabei Tempelraub?
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 Du rühmst dich des Gesetzes und verunehrst doch Gott durch Übertretung des Gesetzes?
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 wie geschrieben steht: «Der Name Gottes wird um euretwillen unter den Heiden gelästert.»
[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 Denn die Beschneidung hat nur Wert, wenn du das Gesetz hältst; bist du aber ein Übertreter des Gesetzes, so ist deine Beschneidung schon zur Unbeschnittenheit geworden.
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 Wenn nun der Unbeschnittene die Forderungen des Gesetzes beobachtet, wird ihm nicht seine Unbeschnittenheit als Beschneidung angerechnet werden?
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 Und wird nicht der von Natur Unbeschnittene, der das Gesetz erfüllt, dich richten, der du trotz Buchstabe und Beschneidung ein Übertreter des Gesetzes bist?
[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 Denn nicht der ist ein Jude, der es äußerlich ist; auch ist nicht das die Beschneidung, die äußerlich am Fleisch geschieht;
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 sondern der ist ein Jude, der es innerlich ist, und das ist eine Beschneidung, die am Herzen, im Geiste, nicht dem Buchstaben nach vollzogen wird. Eines solchen Lob kommt nicht von Menschen, sondern von Gott.
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.
