The Impartiality of God

Therefore you have (A)no excuse, [a]you foolish person, (B)everyone of you who passes judgment; for [b]in that matter in which (C)you judge someone else, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God [c]rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, [d](D)you foolish person who passes judgment on those who practice such things, and yet does them as well, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of (E)the riches of His (F)kindness and [e](G)restraint and (H)patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But [f]because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart (I)you are storing up wrath for yourself (J)on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, (K)who will repay each person according to his deeds: to those who by (L)perseverance in doing good seek (M)glory, honor, and (N)immortality, He will give (O)eternal life; but to those who are (P)self-serving and (Q)do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, He will give wrath and indignation. There will be (R)tribulation and distress [g]for every soul of mankind who does evil, [h]for the Jew (S)first and also [i]for the Greek, 10 but (T)glory, honor, and peace to everyone who does what is good, to the Jew (U)first and also to the Greek. 11 For (V)there is no partiality with God.

12 For all who have sinned [j](W)without the Law will also perish [k]without the Law, and all who have sinned [l]under the Law will be judged [m]by the Law; 13 for it is (X)not the hearers [n]of the Law who are [o]righteous before God, but the doers [p]of the Law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have [q]the Law [r](Y)instinctively perform the requirements of the Law, these, though not having [s]the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show (Z)the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, (AA)according to my gospel, (AB)God will judge the secrets of mankind through Christ Jesus.

The Jews under the Law

17 But if you call yourself a [t]Jew and (AC)rely [u]upon the Law and boast in God, 18 and know His will and [v](AD)distinguish the things that matter, being instructed from the Law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to people who are blind, a light to those in darkness, 20 a [w]corrector of the foolish, a teacher of [x]the immature, possessing in the Law (AE)the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth— 21 you, therefore, (AF)who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who [y]preach that one is not to steal, do you steal? 22 You who say that one is not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who loathe idols, do you (AG)rob temples? 23 You who (AH)boast [z]in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? 24 For “(AI)the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles (AJ)because of you,” just as it is written.

25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you (AK)practice [aa]the Law; but if you are a violator [ab]of the Law, (AL)your circumcision has turned into uncircumcision. 26 (AM)So if (AN)the [ac]uncircumcised man (AO)keeps the requirements of the Law, will his uncircumcision not be regarded as circumcision? 27 And (AP)he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not (AQ)judge you who [ad]though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a violator [ae]of the Law? 28 For (AR)he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But (AS)he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and (AT)circumcision is of the heart, by the (AU)Spirit, not by the letter; (AV)and his praise is not from people, but from God.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 2:1 Lit O
  2. Romans 2:1 Or when you judge
  3. Romans 2:2 Lit is according to truth against
  4. Romans 2:3 Lit O
  5. Romans 2:4 I.e., from inflicting punishment
  6. Romans 2:5 Or in accordance with
  7. Romans 2:9 Lit upon
  8. Romans 2:9 Lit of the
  9. Romans 2:9 Lit of the
  10. Romans 2:12 Or without law
  11. Romans 2:12 Or without law
  12. Romans 2:12 Or under law
  13. Romans 2:12 Or by law
  14. Romans 2:13 Or of law
  15. Romans 2:13 Or just
  16. Romans 2:13 Or of law
  17. Romans 2:14 Or law
  18. Romans 2:14 Lit by nature
  19. Romans 2:14 Or law
  20. Romans 2:17 Or Judean
  21. Romans 2:17 Or upon law
  22. Romans 2:18 Or approve
  23. Romans 2:20 Or instructor
  24. Romans 2:20 Lit infants
  25. Romans 2:21 Or proclaim
  26. Romans 2:23 Or in law
  27. Romans 2:25 Or law
  28. Romans 2:25 Or of law
  29. Romans 2:26 Lit uncircumcision
  30. Romans 2:27 Lit through the letter
  31. Romans 2:27 Or of law

You Who Know More Truth And Judge Others By It Are Also Without Excuse

Therefore you are without-excuse, O human— everyone judging. For in what[a] you are judging the other person, you are condemning yourself; for you, the one judging, are practicing the same things! And we know that the judgment of God is according to truth upon[b] the ones practicing such things.

Do You Think You Will Escape God’s Judgment When You Do The Same Things?

But are you thinking this, O human— the one judging the ones practicing such things and doing them [yourself]— that you will escape the judgment of God? Or are you disregarding the riches of His goodness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the good thing of God is leading you to repentance? But in-accordance-with your hardness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing-up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous-judgment of God, Who will render to each one according to his works— to the ones seeking glory and honor and immortality in accordance with endurance in good work, He will render eternal life; but to the ones indeed disobeying the truth and obeying unrighteousness out of selfish-interest[c], there will be wrath and fury.

There Is No Respect of Persons With God Regarding Sin And Judgment

There will be affliction and distress upon every soul of the person[d] committing evil— both of the Jew first and of the Greek. 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace to everyone working good— both to the Jew first and to the Greek. 11 For there is no respect-of-persons with God. 12 For all who sinned without-Law will also perish without-Law, and all who sinned under[e] the Law will be judged by the Law. 13 For not the hearers of law[f] are righteous before God, but the doers of law will be declared-righteous.

For Gentiles Will Be Judged By Their Own Standards Insofar As They Agree With God’s

14 For whenever Gentiles, the ones not having the Law, are doing by nature the things of the Law, these ones not having the Law are a law to themselves, 15 who are demonstrating[g] the work of the Law written in their hearts— their conscience bearing co-witness and their thoughts accusing or even defending between one another 16 on the day when God judges the hidden things of people according to my good-news, through Christ Jesus.

And Jews Will Be Judged By The Law They Rely Upon

17 But if you call-yourself a Jew, and rely upon the Law, and boast in God, 18 and know His will, and approve the things mattering[h]— being instructed out of the Law— 19 and are confident as to yourself that you are a guide of blind ones, a light of the ones in darkness, 20 a corrector of foolish ones, a teacher of children, one having the embodiment of knowledge and truth in the Law, 21 then— the one teaching another, are you not teaching yourself ? The one proclaiming not to steal, do you steal? 22 The one saying not to commit-adultery, do you commit-adultery? The one detesting idols, do you rob-temples?

Their Transgression of The Law Dishonors God

23 You who are boasting in the Law are dishonoring God through transgression of the Law. 24 For “the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you”, just as it has been written [in Isa 52:5].

Circumcision Will Not Help Transgressors

25 For circumcision profits if you practice the Law— but if you are a transgressor of the Law your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 So if the uncircumcised one keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27 And the uncircumcised one by nature who is fulfilling the Law will judge you, the transgressor of the Law with the letter[i] and circumcision! 28 For the Jew in the visible thing is not a Jew, nor is the circumcision in the visible[j] thing in the flesh circumcision, 29 but the Jew in the hidden thing is a Jew, and circumcision is of the heart, by[k] the Spirit not the letter— whose praise is not from people, but from God.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 2:1 Or, For while.
  2. Romans 2:2 That is, it is truly upon them.
  3. Romans 2:8 Or, self-seeking, selfish-ambition.
  4. Romans 2:9 That is, every soul belonging to the class defined as ‘the person committing evil’; every individual in this category, both Jew and Gentile.
  5. Romans 2:12 Or, in the sphere of, in the domain of.
  6. Romans 2:13 This is lowercase because it applies to both groups in v 12 in the different senses Paul defines next.
  7. Romans 2:15 Or, showing, proving.
  8. Romans 2:18 Or, being worth more, being more valuable, and thus excellent, superior, essential.
  9. Romans 2:27 That is, the written code, the Law.
  10. Romans 2:28 That is, the outward, open, public things.
  11. Romans 2:29 Or, in the spirit.