You Who Know More Truth And Judge Others By It Are Also Without Excuse
2 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! 2 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?
3 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? 4 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? 5 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, 6 Who will render to each one according to his works— 7 to the ones seeking glory and honor and immortality in accordance with endurance in good work, He will render eternal life; 8 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
9 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
- Romans 2:1 Or, For while.
- Romans 2:2 That is, it is truly upon them.
- Romans 2:8 Or, self-seeking, selfish-ambition.
- 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.
- Romans 2:12 Or, in the sphere of, in the domain of.
- Romans 2:13 This is lowercase because it applies to both groups in v 12 in the different senses Paul defines next.
- Romans 2:15 Or, showing, proving.
- Romans 2:18 Or, being worth more, being more valuable, and thus excellent, superior, essential.
- Romans 2:27 That is, the written code, the Law.
- Romans 2:28 That is, the outward, open, public things.
- Romans 2:29 Or, in the spirit.