< Romana 2 >
1 Aa le tsy amam-piveroha’e ondatio, ndra iaia irehe mizaka, o fizakà’oo ro amara’o vatañe, amy te ihe mizaka ro mpanao o itaroña’o.
[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 Toe fohin-tika te vantañe ty talim-pizakan’ Añahare o manao i sata rezaio.
We know very well that God will judge and punish fairly [non-Jewish] people who do such [evil] things.
3 He zao ty atao’o, ry ondatio, ie anoe’o o fanoe’ o zakae’oo, ho votitsihe’o hao i zakan’ Añaharey?
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 Ke vasohe’o ty havokaran-kasoa’e, ty fañantoàña’e naho ty fahaliñisa’e, ie amoea’o te mitaoñe azo hisoloho ty fatarihan’ Añahare.
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 Fa ty tro’o manjehatse tsy mete misoloho ro mañaja haviñerañe ho azo amy andron-kaviñerañe naho famentabentarañe ty hatòn-jakan’ Añaharey,
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 ie songa ho tambezeñe ty amo sata’eo t’indaty;
God will pay back everyone according to [what they deserve for] what they have done.
7 le tolora’e haveloñe nainai’e o mipay engeñe naho asiñe naho tsy fihomahañe am-pimanean-kasoao; (aiōnios )
[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 )
8 fe fiforoforoañe naho haviñerañe o mpitribàhatseo, o mañarinje ty to naho mitolon-katsivokarañe naho habosehañe vaho hatorifihañeo.
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 Eka ho valea’e hasiloke naho halovilovy ze fiai’ ondaty mpanao raty, ty Jiosy hey vaho ty Grika;
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 le engeñe naho asiñe naho fañanintsiñe ze hene mpanao soa; ty Jiosy hey vaho ty Grika.
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 Fa tsy mirihy t’i Andrianañahare.
God [will do this fairly], because people’s status does not influence him.
12 Toe songa hikorokomake alafe’ i Hake ze mandilatse alafe’ i Hake, vaho sindre ho zakaeñe amy Hake ze manao hakeo ambane’ i Hake,
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 Tsy ze mpijanjiñe Hake ro malio-tahiñe aman’ Añahare, fa ty mañambeñe Hake ro mahazo to;
[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 aa ie mahafañorike ty andilia’ i Hake an-dilitse ty ambahiny tsy aman-Kàke, le aman-Kake am-bata’e ty tsy aman-Kàke,
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 fa ampalangese’ o sata’eo te misokitse an-tro’e ao ty nafe’ i Hake, itaroñam-betsevetse, ke anisia’ ty fitsakorea’e he añatoa’e
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 amy andro ho zakaen’ Añahare añam’ Iesoà Norizañey o mietake am’ ondatioo; izay ty talily soa taroñeko.
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 Aa ihe manoñom-batañe ho Jiosy, mpiato amy Hake naho mirenge aman’ Añahare;
[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 ihe mahafohiñe o satri’eo naho miantoke ty soa kanao niòke amy Hake,
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 naho atao’o te mpiaolo’ ty goa naho hazavàñe amo añ’ ieñeo,
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 mpanoro ty tsi-mahilala, mpañoke ty bahimo, ama’o ty vente’ ty hihitse naho ty hatò amy Hake ao—
[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 ihe arè, mpañoke ty ila’e, maño-batam-b’iheo? Ihe manoro ty hoe: Ko mikametse, he mikizo?
[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 Ihe manao ty hoe: Ko mañarapilo; mitsindroke amontoñe ao hao? Ihe malain-tsikily, va’e mpampikametse añ’ anjomba miavake ao?
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 Ihe mpisenge Hake, hera mañamavo an’Andrianañahare ami’ty fandilara’o Hake?
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 Toe pinatetse te: Inahareo ro iteratera’ o kilakila ondatio ty tahinan’ Añahare.
[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 Toe mahasoa ty savatse, naho oriheñe ty Hake fe naho mpiola amy Hake le mivalike ho tsy fisavarañe i fisavara’oy.
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 Aa naho àmbe’ ty tsi-sinavatse o fañè amy Hake aoo, tsy ho volilieñe te afa-boy hao i tsy misavatsey?
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 Toe hizakà’ ty tsi-afa-boiñe mahambeñe Hake. Ama’o i pinatetsey naho i savatsey f’ie mpiola amy Hake.
[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 Fe tsy maha-Jiosy t’ie alafe’e avao, mbore tsy atao savatse i anoeñe an-tsandriñey.
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 Toe Jiosy t’ie an-troke ao, naho añ’arofo ao ty savatse to, fa tsy an-tsokitse; aa le tsy boak’ am’ondatio ty enge’e fa aman’ Añahare.
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.