Romans 1:23-2:22

English Standard Version

²³and ^(A)exchanged the glory of ^(B)the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

²⁴Therefore ^(C)God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to ^(D)the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, ²⁵because they exchanged the truth about God for ^(E)a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, ^(F)who is blessed forever! Amen.

²⁶For this reason ^(G)God gave them up to ^(H)dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; ²⁷and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, ^(I)men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

²⁸And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, ^(J)God gave them up to ^(K)a debased mind to do ^(L)what ought not to be done. ²⁹They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, ³⁰slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³²Though they know ^(M)God's righteous decree that those who practice such things ^(N)deserve to die, they not only do them but ^(O)give approval to those who practice them.

God's Righteous Judgment

2 Therefore you have ^(P)no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For ^(Q)in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. ²We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. ³Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴Or do you presume on ^(R)the riches of his kindness and ^(S)forbearance and ^(T)patience, ^(U)not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? ⁵But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are ^(V)storing up ^(W)wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

⁶^(X)He will render to each one according to his works: ⁷to those who ^(Y)by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; ⁸but for those who are self-seeking^[a] and ^(Z)do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. ⁹There will be tribulation and distress ^(AA)for every human being who does evil, the Jew ^(AB)first and also the Greek, ¹⁰but glory and honor and ^(AC)peace for everyone who does good, ^(AD)the Jew first and also the Greek. ¹¹For ^(AE)God shows no partiality.

God's Judgment and the Law

¹²For all who have sinned ^(AF)without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³For ^(AG)it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. ¹⁴For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, ^(AH)by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵They show that the work of the law is ^(AI)written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them ¹⁶^(AJ)on that day when, ^(AK)according to my gospel, God judges ^(AL)the secrets of men ^(AM)by Christ Jesus.

¹⁷But if you call yourself a Jew and ^(AN)rely on the law and boast in God ¹⁸and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; ¹⁹and if you are sure that you yourself are ^(AO)a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law ^(AP)the embodiment of ^(AQ)knowledge and truth— ²¹^(AR)you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? ²²You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you ^(AS)rob temples?