Romans 2

1 So you have no reason, whoever you are, for judging: for in judging another you are judging yourself, for you do the same things.

You are therefore without excuse, O man, whoever you are who sit in judgement upon others. For when you pass judgement on your fellow man, you condemn yourself; for you who sit in judgement upon others are guilty of the same misdeeds;

2 And we are conscious that God is a true judge against those who do such things.

and we know that God's judgement against those who commit such sins is in accordance with the truth.

3 But you who are judging another for doing what you do yourself, are you hoping that God's decision will not take effect against you?

And you who pronounce judgement upon those who do such things although your own conduct is the same as theirs--do you imagine that you yourself will escape unpunished when God judges?

4 Or is it nothing to you that God had pity on you, waiting and putting up with you for so long, not seeing that in his pity God's desire is to give you a change of heart?

Or is it that you think slightingly of His infinite goodness, forbearance and patience, unaware that the goodness of God is gently drawing you to repentance?

5 But by your hard and unchanged heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of the revelation of God's judging in righteousness;

The fact is that in the stubbornness of your impenitent heart you are treasuring up against yourself anger on the day of Anger--the day when the righteousness of God's judgements will stand revealed.

6 Who will give to every man his right reward:

To each man He will make an award corresponding to his actions;

7 To those who go on with good works in the hope of glory and honour and salvation from death, he will give eternal life: (aiōnios g166)

to those on the one hand who, by lives of persistent right-doing, are striving for glory, honour and immortality, the Life of the Ages; (aiōnios g166)

8 But to those who, from a love of competition, are not guided by what is true, will come the heat of his wrath,

while on the other hand upon the self-willed who disobey the truth and obey unrighteousness will fall anger and fury, affliction and awful distress,

9 Trouble and sorrow on all whose works are evil, to the Jew first and then to the Greek;

coming upon the soul of every man and woman who deliberately does wrong--upon the Jew first, and then upon the Gentile;

10 But glory and honour and peace to all whose works are good, to the Jew first and then to the Greek:

whereas glory, honour and peace will be given to every one who does what is good and right--to the Jew first and then to the Gentile.

11 For one man is not different from another before God.

For God pays no attention to this world's distinctions.

12 All those who have done wrong without the law will get destruction without the law: and those who have done wrong under the law will have their punishment by the law;

For all who have sinned apart from the Law will also perish apart from the Law, and all who have sinned whilst living under the Law, will be judged by the Law.

13 For it is not the hearers of the law who will be judged as having righteousness before God, but only the doers:

It is not those that merely hear the Law read who are righteous in the sight of God, but it is those that obey the Law who will be pronounced righteous.

14 For when the Gentiles without the law have a natural desire to do the things in the law, they are a law to themselves;

For when Gentiles who have no Law obey by natural instinct the commands of the Law, they, without having a Law, are a Law to themselves;

15 Because the work of the law is seen in their hearts, their sense of right and wrong giving witness to it, while their minds are at one time judging them and at another giving them approval;

since they exhibit proof that a knowledge of the conduct which the Law requires is engraven on their hearts, while their consciences also bear witness to the Law, and their thoughts, as if in mutual discussion, accuse them or perhaps maintain their innocence--

16 In the day when God will be a judge of the secrets of men, as it says in the good news of which I am a preacher, through Jesus Christ.

on the day when God will judge the secrets of men's lives by Jesus Christ, as declared in the Good News as I have taught it.

17 But as for you who have the name of Jew, and are resting on the law, and take pride in God,

And since you claim the name of Jew, and find rest and satisfaction in the Law, and make your boast in God,

18 And have knowledge of his desires, and are a judge of the things which are different, having the learning of the law,

and know the supreme will, and can test things that differ--being a man who receives instruction from the Law--

19 In the belief that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those in the dark,

and have persuaded yourself that, as for you, you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,

20 A teacher of the foolish, having in the law the form of knowledge and of what is true;

a schoolmaster for the dull and ignorant, a teacher of the young, because in the Law you possess an outline of real knowledge and an outline of the truth:

21 You who give teaching to others, do you give it to yourself? you who say that a man may not take what is not his, do you take what is not yours?

you then who teach your fellow man, do you refuse to teach yourself? You who cry out against stealing, are you yourself a thief?

22 You who say that a man may not be untrue to his wife, are you true to yours? you who are a hater of images, do you do wrong to the house of God?

You who forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You who loathe idols, do you plunder their temples?

23 You who take pride in the law, are you doing wrong to the honour of God by behaviour which is against the law?

You who make your boast in the Law, do you offend against its commands and so dishonour God?

24 For the name of God is shamed among the Gentiles because of you, as it is said in the holy Writings.

For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentile nations because of you, as Holy Writ declares.

25 It is true that circumcision is of use if you keep the law, but if you go against the law it is as if you had it not.

Circumcision does indeed profit, if you obey the Law; but if you are a Law-breaker, the fact that you have been circumcised counts for nothing.

26 If those who have not circumcision keep the rules of the law, will it not be credited to them as circumcision?

In the same way if an uncircumcised man pays attention to the just requirements of the Law, shall not his lack of circumcision be overlooked, and,

27 And they, by their keeping of the law without circumcision, will be judges of you, by whom the law is broken though you have the letter of the law and circumcision.

although he is a Gentile by birth, if he scrupulously obeys the Law, shall he not sit in judgement upon you who, possessing, as you do, a written Law and circumcision, are yet a Law-breaker?

28 The true Jew is not one who is only so publicly, and circumcision is not that which may be seen in the flesh:

For the true Jew is not the man who is simply a Jew outwardly, and true circumcision is not that which is outward and bodily.

29 But he is a Jew who is a secret one, whose circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.

But the true Jew is one inwardly, and true circumcision is heart-circumcision--not literal, but spiritual; and such people receive praise not from men, but from God.