Roemers 2

1 Deshalb bist du nicht zu entschuldigen, o Mensch, jeder der da richtet; denn worin du den anderen richtest, verdammst du dich selbst; denn du, der du richtest, tust dasselbe.

[God will severely punish non-Jewish people who habitually do evil things, because he has clearly revealed that he is angry with them]. So, [when God judges people], he will not excuse any one of you Jews [to whom I am writing]. You [(sg)] say that [God should] punish [non-Jews for doing evil things]. But when any one of you says that, it is you yourself whom you are saying that God should punish, because you [(sg)] do [some of] the same [evil] things [that the non-Jews do].

2 Wir wissen aber, daß das Gericht Gottes nach der Wahrheit ist über die, welche solches tun.

We know very well that God will judge and punish fairly [non-Jewish] people who do such [evil] things.

3 Denkst du aber dies, o Mensch, der du die richtest, die solches tun, und verübst dasselbe, daß du dem Gericht Gottes entfliehen werdest?

So, you who [say God should punish] others for doing evil things yet you do evil things yourself, (you should certainly not think that you yourself will be able to escape from being punished by God!/do you think that you yourself will be able to escape from being punished by God?) [RHQ]

4 Oder verachtest du den Reichtum seiner Gütigkeit und Geduld und Langmut, nicht wissend, daß die Güte Gottes dich zur Buße leitet?

And you should not say, “God is acting very tolerantly and patiently toward me, [so I do not need to stop sinning] [DOU].” (You should realize that God is acting in a kind manner [toward you] in order to encourage you [(sg)] to turn away from your sinful behavior!/Do you not realize that God is acting in a kind manner [toward you] in order to encourage you [(sg)] to turn away from your sinful behavior?) [RHQ]

5 Nach deiner Störrigkeit und deinem unbußfertigen Herzen aber häufst du dir selbst Zorn auf am Tage des Zorns und der Offenbarung des gerechten Gerichts Gottes,

But instead, by your stubbornly refusing to turn away from your sinful behavior [DOU], you are causing [MET] God to punish you even more severely. [He will do that] at the time when he shows that he is angry and judges people fairly.

6 welcher einem jeden vergelten wird nach seinen Werken:

God will pay back everyone according to [what they deserve for] what they have done.

7 denen, die mit Ausharren in gutem Werke Herrlichkeit und Ehre und Unverweslichkeit suchen, ewiges Leben; (aiōnios g166)

[Specifically], some people, by continuing to doing good things, strive to be highly honored [by God] [DOU] and to receive a life that will not end. [God will reward them by enabling them] to live forever. (aiōnios g166)

8 denen aber, die streitsüchtig und der Wahrheit ungehorsam sind, der Ungerechtigkeit aber gehorsam, Zorn und Grimm.

But some people act in a selfish way and refuse to believe that [what God says is] true, and they do the things that [God says] are wrong. [God will] punish them very severely [DOU, MTY].

9 Drangsal und Angst über jede Seele eines Menschen, der das Böse vollbringt, sowohl des Juden zuerst als auch des Griechen;

He will cause everyone who habitually does evil deeds to suffer greatly, [with the result that they will become severely] distressed [DOU]. This certainly will happen to the Jews [who refuse to accept God’s message, because God gave them the privilege to be his special people], but it will also happen to the non-Jews.

10 Herrlichkeit aber und Ehre und Frieden jedem, der das Gute wirkt, sowohl dem Juden zuerst als auch dem Griechen;

But [God will] greatly reward spiritually [MET, DOU] every person who habitually does good deeds. He will [certainly] do this for the Jews [because God chose them as his special people], but he will also do it for the non-Jews.

11 denn es ist kein Ansehen der Person bei Gott.

God [will do this fairly], because people’s status does not influence him.

12 Denn so viele ohne Gesetz gesündigt haben, werden auch ohne Gesetz verloren gehen; und so viele unter Gesetz gesündigt haben, werden durch Gesetz gerichtet werden,

Although [non-Jews do not have] the laws that [God gave to Moses], all [non-Jews] who sin will be eternally separated from God. He will [not consider whether or not they knew] the laws that he [gave to Moses]. And all the [Jews] who have sinned in spite of knowing the laws that [God gave to Moses will also be punished] {[God will also punish them]}. [They will be punished for disobeying] God’s laws.

13 (denn nicht die Hörer des Gesetzes sind gerecht vor Gott, sondern die Täter des Gesetzes werden gerechtfertigt werden.

[It is right for them to be punished] {[God to punish them]} [because] it is not those who [merely] know God’s laws whom he considers to be righteous. On the contrary, it is only those who continually have obeyed [all] (of [God’s] laws/of the laws that [God gave to Moses]) (whom God will consider righteous/whose record of sins God will erase).

14 Denn wenn Nationen, die kein Gesetz haben, von Natur die Dinge des Gesetzes ausüben, so sind diese, die kein Gesetz haben, sich selbst ein Gesetz,

Whenever the non-Jews, who do not have the laws [God gave to Moses], naturally obey those laws, [they prove that] they have a law within their own minds, even though they do not have the laws [God gave to Moses].

15 welche das Werk des Gesetzes geschrieben zeigen in ihren Herzen, indem ihr Gewissen mitzeugt und ihre Gedanken sich untereinander anklagen oder auch entschuldigen)

They show that they know in their own minds what God [commands in his] laws [MET], as each person in his very own conscience either accuses or excuses/defends himself [concerning his own behavior].

16 an dem Tage, da Gott das Verborgene der Menschen richten wird, nach meinem Evangelium, durch Jesum Christum.

God [will punish people] at the time when he will judge them according to what they have thought and done. He will judge them [even] for the things that they have done secretly. He will judge people by [authorizing] Christ Jesus [to judge them]. This is [what I tell people when] I preach the gospel to them.

17 Wenn du aber ein Jude genannt wirst und dich auf das Gesetz stützest

[Now I have something to say to any one of] you [Jews to whom I am writing]: You [(sg)] boast about yourself saying, “I am a Jew.” You [(sg)] trust [that God will save you because you possess] the laws [that he gave to Moses]. You boast that [you belong to] God.

18 und dich Gottes rühmst, und den Willen kennst und das Vorzüglichere unterscheidest, indem du aus dem Gesetz unterrichtet bist,

You know what God desires. Because you have been taught {[people] have taught you} [God’s] laws, you are able to know which things are right and to choose to do them.

19 und getraust dir, ein Leiter der Blinden zu sein, ein Licht derer, die in Finsternis sind,

You are certain that you [are able to] show [God’s truth to non-Jews], as guides [show the road] to those who are blind [MET]. You are certain that by what you say you can show God’s way to the [non-Jews who do not understand it], as a light shows the way to [those who walk in] the darkness [MET, DOU].

20 ein Erzieher der Törichten, ein Lehrer der Unmündigen, der die Form der Erkenntnis und der Wahrheit im Gesetz hat: -

[You are certain that you] can instruct/correct [non-Jews, whom you consider] foolish [because of their not understanding God’s message]. Because you have in [God’s] laws a [written] expression of true knowledge [HEN], you are certain that you can teach [people who, being like] children, do not know [God’s truth] [MET].

21 der du nun einen anderen lehrst, du lehrst dich selbst nicht? Der du predigst, man solle nicht stehlen, du stiehlst?

[Since you claim that you have all these advantages because you are a Jew], (it is disgusting that you who teach other people [that they should obey the laws God gave Moses] do not [obey the laws that you] yourself teach!/why is it that you who teach other people [that they should obey the laws God gave Moses] do not [obey the laws that you] yourself teach?) [RHQ] You who preach that people should not steal things, it is disgusting that you yourself steal things! [RHQ]

22 Der du sagst, man solle nicht ehebrechen, du begehst Ehebruch? Der du die Götzenbilder für Greuel hältst, du begehst Tempelraub?

You who command people not to have sexual relations with someone to whom they are not married, it is disgusting that you commit adultery yourself! [RHQ] You who detest idols, it is disgusting that you rob temples [where people worship idols]! [RHQ]

23 Der du dich des Gesetzes rühmst, du verunehrst Gott durch die Übertretung des Gesetzes?

You who boast saying, “[I have God’s] laws,” it is disgusting that you disobey those same laws! [RHQ] As a result you are insulting God!

24 Denn der Name Gottes wird eurethalben unter den Nationen gelästert, wie geschrieben steht.

[You must not be like our ancestors, about whom] were written [these words in the Scriptures: ] “The non-Jews speak evil about God because of [the evil actions of] many of you [Jews].” The non-Jews say God must be a hypocrite if he condones the behavior of people like you.

25 Denn Beschneidung ist wohl nütze, wenn du das Gesetz tust; wenn du aber ein Gesetzesübertreter bist, so ist deine Beschneidung Vorhaut geworden.

Any one of you who [is] circumcised [to show that he belongs to God] can benefit from that if he obeys the laws [God gave to Moses]. But if you [(sg), a circumcised person], disobey [God’s] laws, [God will consider that] you who are circumcised are no better [in God’s sight] than [someone who is] not circumcised.

26 Wenn nun die Vorhaut die Rechte des Gesetzes beobachtet, wird nicht seine Vorhaut für Beschneidung gerechnet werden,

This means that God will certainly consider that even [non-Jews who are] not circumcised can become his people if they obey the things that he commanded in his laws. [RHQ]

27 und die Vorhaut von Natur, die das Gesetz erfüllt, dich richten, der du mit Buchstaben und Beschneidung ein Gesetzesübertreter bist?

[If any one of] you disobeys God’s laws, even though [you(sg) have] the Scriptures and even though someone has circumcised you {you are circumcised} [God will punish you]. And those people who are not circumcised, but who obey God’s laws, [will declare that God is right] when he says that he will punish you.

28 Denn nicht der ist ein Jude, der es äußerlich ist, noch ist die äußerliche Beschneidung im Fleische Beschneidung;

It is not those who perform rituals [to show they are God’s people] who are [true] Jews, and it is not being circumcised in their bodies [that causes God to accept them] [MTY].

29 sondern der ist ein Jude, der es innerlich ist, und Beschneidung ist die des Herzens, im Geiste, nicht im Buchstaben; dessen Lob nicht von Menschen, sondern von Gott ist.

On the contrary, we whom [God has changed] inwardly are [true] Jews [MTY]. And [God has accepted us because we have allowed God’s] Spirit to change our hearts, not because we perform rituals. Even if [other] people will not praise us [for that change], God will praise us.