Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
2 For this reason, you are without terutz (excuse) for yourself (before an angry G-d), you, sir, each one of you who passes judgment. For in that you pass judgment on the other, you condemn yourself; for you practice the very things on which you pass judgment.
2 And we have da’as that the judgment of Hashem HaShofet (Ro 1:32) against those who practice such things is in accordance with HaEmes Hashem (Ro 1:25).
3 You, sir, you who pass judgment on those who practice such things and yet do the same yourself, do you suppose then that you will escape the Mishpat Hashem?
4 Or do you think lightly of the wealth of his nedivut (generosity) and of his chesed and of his being ERECH APAYIM ("slow of anger, forbearing" SHEMOT 34:6) and of his zitzfleisch (patience), disregarding the fact that the Chesed Hashem (the kindness of G-d) is to lead you to teshuva (repentance)?
5 As a result of your KESHI (stubbornness, hardness, DEVARIM 9:27) and your levavot without teshuva, you are storing up for yourself Charon Af Hashem (the burning anger of G-d) in the Yom Af (the Day of Wrath TEHILLIM 110:5, i.e., the Yom HaDin, the Day of Judgment), when will be revealed the Mishpat HaTzedek of Hashem,
6 Who will render L’ISH K’MA’A’SEI HU (to each according to his works" TEHILLIM 62:13 [12]).
7 To those who, by zitzfleisch (patience), persevere in doing ma’asim tovim, seek for kavod (glory) and honor and incorruptibility (TEHILLIM 16:10), He will give Chayyei Olam (Eternal Life).
8 But to those who are selfseeking and who have no mishma’at (obedience) to HaEmes Hashem (Ro 1:25), but instead have mishma’at to resha, there will be Charon Af Hashem and fury.
9 There will be affliction and distress on every living neshamah who brings about what is rah (evil), Yehudi above all and Yevani (Greek) as well.
10 But tiferet and kavod and shalom to everyone who brings about what is tov (good), Yehudi above all and Yevani as well.
11 For ki ein masso panim im Hashem (there is no partiality with Hashem).
12 For as many as have committed averos and sinned lacking the Torah shall also perish lacking the Torah; and as many as have committed averos (sin) under the Torah shall be condemned under the Torah.
13 For it is not the Shomei HaTorah (hearers of the Law of Moshe Rabbeinu) who are the tzaddikim who are accounted to be YITZDAK IM HASHEM ("justified with G-d" IYOV 25:4). It is the Shomrei HaTorah (the keepers of the Torah) who will be counted to be YITZDAK IM HASHEM.
14 For when Goyim, who have not the Torah, do by nature what the Torah requires, they not having the Torah are the torah for themselves,
15 In that they demonstrate the Torah at work [YIRMEYAH 31:33], the Torah written in their levavot, their matzpun (conscience) also bearing witness, while their thoughts bring accusation or even make defense among themselves,
16 In the Yom [HaDin (Day of Judgment)] when, according to my Besuras HaGeulah, Hashem, through Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua, is to judge the secrets of kol Bnei Adam (all men).
17 But if you are called by the name Yehudi (Jew) and rely on the Torah and boast in Hashem,
18 And have da’as of His will and approve the things that matter, being instructed from the Torah
19 And being confident that you are a moreh derech (guide) of the ivrim (blind ones), an ohr for those in choshech,
20 A rabbinic moreh (teacher) of the foolish, a melammed (instructor) of the young, having the embodiment of da’as (knowledge) and Emes (Ro 1:25) in the Torah...
21 You, then, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach LO TIGNOV ("Do not steal!" SHEMOT 20:15), do you steal?
22 You who say, LO TINAF ("Do not commit adultery!" SHEMOT 20:14), do you commit adultery? You who abhor elilim (idols), do you rob pagan temples?
23 You who boast in the Torah, through sur min haTorah (deviating from the Torah), you commit Chillul Hashem.
24 As it is written, Among the Goyim KOL HAYOM HASHEM HAELOHIM MINNO’ATZ ("All the day long the Name of G-d is being blasphemed" (YESHAYAH 52:5) because of you.
25 For the bris milah (circumcision) is of benefit if you stand in mishma’at (obedience) to the Torah. But if you are guilty, if you are sur min haTorah (deviating from the Torah) (2:23), your bris milah has become uncircumcision.
26 If then the ben Adam without bris milah is shomer fulfilling the just requirements of the Torah (1:32), will not his uncircumcision be counted as "bris milah "?
27 And the naturally uncircumcised ben Adam who has mishma’at (obedience) to the Torah will arise as a judgment on you. You! The very one who through chumra (strict adherence to the letter of the law, legalism) and circumcision (i.e., "uncircumcision "—2:25) are the transgressor of Torah!
28 For the true Yehudi (Jew) is not the one [humanly] perceived as such, nor true bris milah that which is performed visibly in the flesh;
29 The true Yehudi is so in [Hashem’s] hidden way, and true bris milah is of the lev, in the [hitkhadshut (renewal) of the (Yn 3:3)] Ruach Hakodesh, not in chumra (legalism, strict adherence to the letter of the law). The one so marked has hoda’ah (praise "Yehudah, Hodah, Praise"...see BERESHIS 29:35) that comes not from Bnei Adam but from Hashem [T.N.Jer 31:31-34].
3 What then is the advantage of the Yehudi? Or what is the value of the bris milah?
2 Much in every way! For, koidem kol (in the first place), they are entrusted with the Divrei Hashem (the oracles, the words of G-d).
3 So, where does that leave us? If some have disbelieved, has their lack of emunah annulled the ne’emanut (faithfulness, trustworthiness, reliability) of Hashem?
4 Chas v’shalom (G-d forbid!) Let G-d be true and KOL HAADAM KOZEV ("every man a liar" TEHILLIM 116:11). Even as it is written, L’MA’AN TITZDAK B’DAVRECHA ("in order that you might be vindicated when you speak" and shall overcome when you judge TEHILLIM 51:6[4]).
5 But if our unrighteousness brings out and highlights the Tzedek Olamim, the Tzidkat Hashem (the righteousness of G-d), what shall we say? Rhetorically speaking, is G-d unjust in inflicting Charon Af Hashem (1:18)? (I speak from a human standpoint.)
6 Chas v’shalom! (G-d forbid!) For then how could Hashem be HaShofet kol ha’Aretz (BERESHIS 18:25)?
7 "But if the Emes Hashem (truth of G-d) has by my sheker overflowed to His kavod (glory), why am I still judged as a rashah (an evildoer)?"
8 Why do we not say, as some speakers of lashon hora slanderously report us to say, "Let us do rah that tov might come of it"? The gezar din (verdict) of ashem (guilty) on them is well deserved.
9 What then? Are we (Yehudim) better off? Not altogether. For we have now charged both Yehudim and non-Jews as all alike under HaChet (sin, i.e., the power of Chet Kadmon Ro 7:23),
10 As it is written, EIN TZADDIK BA’ARETZ (KOHELET 7:20), There is none [on earth] righteous, not even one.
11 There is none who has binah, there is none who seeks out G-d.
12 All have turned aside, they have become altogether paskudneh, worthless; there is none who does good, there is none, not so much as one.
13 Their throat is an open grave. They use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips,
14 Whose mouth is full of curses and bitterness.
15 Their feet are swift when it comes to shefach dahm.
16 Ruin and wretchedness are in their ways,
17 And the derech Shalom (the way of peace) they have not known.
18 There is no yirat Shomayim (fear of G-d) before their eyes. (See TEHILLIM 13:1-3; 14:1-3; 5:9,10; 139:4; 140:3; 9:28; 10:7; YESHAYAH 59:7 8; TEHILLIM 36:1; MISHLE 1:16; TEHILLIM 35:2.)
19 Now we know that whatever the Torah says, it says to those under the Torah, in order that every mouth might be stopped and kol HaOlam Hazeh become ashem (guilty) and liable to the Mishpat Hashem [TEHILLIM 1:5].
20 For by Ma’asim (Works) of Chok (Law) shall KOL CHAI LO YITZDAK ("all living not be justified" TEHILLIM 143:2), for through the Chok (Law) comes the da’as HaChet (the knowledge of sin, BERESHIS 3:7).
21 But now, apart from the Chok, the Tzedek Olamim—the Tzidkat Hashem—has been revealed, as attested by the Torah and the Nevi’im,
22 That is, the Tzidkat Hashem through emunah in Moshiach Yehoshua (Yeshua) to all the ma’aminim (believers). For there is no distinction.
23 For all have sinned and suffered want of the kavod Hashem.
24 They are acquitted and accounted to be YITZDAK IM HASHEM as a matnat Hashem (gift of G-d) by the unmerited Chen v’Chesed Hashem (grace of G-d) through HaPedut (the ransom, the payment of ransom for the Geulah redemption—Shmuel Bais 7:23 that comes about through the Go’el Moshiach Tzidkeinu) which is in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua,
25 Whom G-d set forth as a kapporah (that which propitiates G-d’s wrath; cf the sa’ir l’azazel in Lv 16:22 and Isa 53:12 paying the onesh for sin) through emunah (faith) in the DAHM ("blood" Gen 22:7; Ex 12:3,6; Isa 53:7,10) of Moshiach, to demonstrate the Tzedek Olamim, the Tzidkat Hashem (righteousness of G-d) in pasach (passing over, letting go the penalty of) the averos (sins) committed in former times
26 In the forbearance of G-d, to vindicate his Tzidkat Hashem (righteousness of G-d) in the present time, that HASHEM TZADDIK ("G-d is righteous" DIVREY HAYAMIM BAIS 12:6) Himself and the One who counts to be YITZDAK IM HASHEM (IYOV 25:4) the person who has emunah (faith) and bitachon (trust) in [Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach] Yehoshua.
27 Where then is boasting? (Ro 4:2) It has been memayet (precluded, excluded). By what kind of Torah? Of ma’asim (works)? No, on the contrary, by the Torah of Emunah (the Law of Faith, that is, the Law understood in terms of emunah).
28 For we reckon that a man is acquitted and pronounced to be YITZDAK IM HASHEM by emunah (personal faith, trust, bitachon), apart from the [(supposed) zechus-earning] ma’asei mitzvot.
29 Or is Hashem G-d of the Yehudim only? Is Hashem not also G-d of the Nations? Ken, of non-Jews, too,
30 Vi-bahlt (since), after all, Adonai echad ("G-d is one" DEVARIM 6:4). Therefore, He will consider to be YITZDAK IM HASHEM and acquit those of the bris milah on the ground of emunah and the "arelim" (uncircumcised ones) through that same emunah.
31 Does it follow that we abolish Torah and make it invalid through emunah? Chas v’shalom! Aderaba (to the contrary), we uphold the Torah.
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