Romans 2:8-4:16

English Standard Version

⁸but for those who are self-seeking^[a] and ^(A)do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. ⁹There will be tribulation and distress ^(B)for every human being who does evil, the Jew ^(C)first and also the Greek, ¹⁰but glory and honor and ^(D)peace for everyone who does good, ^(E)the Jew first and also the Greek. ¹¹For ^(F)God shows no partiality.

God's Judgment and the Law

¹²For all who have sinned ^(G)without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³For ^(H)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, ^(I)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 ^(J)written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them ¹⁶^(K)on that day when, ^(L)according to my gospel, God judges ^(M)the secrets of men ^(N)by Christ Jesus.

¹⁷But if you call yourself a Jew and ^(O)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 ^(P)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 ^(Q)the embodiment of ^(R)knowledge and truth— ²¹^(S)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 ^(T)rob temples? ²³You who ^(U)boast in the law ^(V)dishonor God by breaking the law. ²⁴For, ^(W)as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed ^(X)among the Gentiles because of you.”

²⁵For circumcision indeed is of value ^(Y)if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. ²⁶So, if ^(Z)a man who is uncircumcised keeps ^(AA)the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded^[b] as circumcision? ²⁷Then he who is physically^[c] uncircumcised but keeps the law ^(AB)will condemn you who have ^(AC)the written code^[d] and circumcision but break the law. ²⁸For ^(AD)no one is a Jew ^(AE)who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. ²⁹But a Jew is one ^(AF)inwardly, and ^(AG)circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. ^(AH)His praise is not from man but from God.

God's Righteousness Upheld

3 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? ²Much in every way. To begin with, ^(AI)the Jews were entrusted with ^(AJ)the oracles of God. ³^(AK)What if some were unfaithful? ^(AL)Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? ⁴By no means! ^(AM)Let God be true though ^(AN)every one were a liar, as it is written,

^(AO)“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you ^(AP)are judged.”

⁵But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict ^(AQ)wrath on us? (^(AR)I speak in a human way.) ⁶By no means! For then how could ^(AS)God judge the world? ⁷But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, ^(AT)why am I still being condemned as a sinner? ⁸And why not ^(AU)do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

No One Is Righteous

⁹What then? Are we Jews^[e] any better off?^[f] No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both ^(AV)Jews and ^(AW)Greeks, are ^(AX)under sin, ¹⁰as it is written:

^(AY)“None is righteous, no, not one;
¹¹    no one understands;
    no one seeks for God.
¹²All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
    no one does good,
    not even one.”
¹³^(AZ)“Their throat is ^(BA)an open grave;
    they use their tongues to deceive.”
^(BB)“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
¹⁴    ^(BC)“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
¹⁵^(BD)“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶    in their paths are ruin and misery,
¹⁷and ^(BE)the way of peace they have not known.”
¹⁸    ^(BF)“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

¹⁹Now we know that whatever ^(BG)the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, ^(BH)so that every mouth may be stopped, and ^(BI)the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰For ^(BJ)by works of the law no human being^[g] will be justified in his sight, since ^(BK)through the law comes knowledge of sin.

The Righteousness of God Through Faith

²¹But now ^(BL)the righteousness of God ^(BM)has been manifested apart from the law, although ^(BN)the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²²the righteousness of God ^(BO)through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. ^(BP)For there is no distinction: ²³for ^(BQ)all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴^(BR)and are justified ^(BS)by his grace as a gift, ^(BT)through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵whom God ^(BU)put forward as ^(BV)a propitiation ^(BW)by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in ^(BX)his divine forbearance he had passed over ^(BY)former sins. ²⁶It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

²⁷^(BZ)Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸For we hold that one is justified by faith ^(CA)apart from works of the law. ²⁹Or ^(CB)is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, ³⁰since ^(CC)God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and ^(CD)the uncircumcised through faith. ³¹Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Abraham Justified by Faith

4 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, ^(CE)our forefather according to the flesh? ²For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but ^(CF)not before God. ³For what does the Scripture say? ^(CG)“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” ⁴Now ^(CH)to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. ⁵And to the one who does not work but ^(CI)believes in^[h] him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, ⁶just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

⁷^(CJ)“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
⁸blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not ^(CK)count his sin.”

⁹Is this blessing then only for ^(CL)the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? ^(CM)For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. ¹⁰How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. ¹¹^(CN)He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was ^(CO)to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, ¹²and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

The Promise Realized Through Faith

¹³For ^(CP)the promise to Abraham and his offspring ^(CQ)that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴^(CR)For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. ¹⁵For ^(CS)the law brings wrath, but ^(CT)where there is no law ^(CU)there is no transgression.

¹⁶That is why it depends on faith, ^(CV)in order that the promise may rest on grace and ^(CW)be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, ^(CX)who is the father of us all,