Romans 2
1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoeuer thou art that condemnest: for in that that thou condemnest another, thou condemnest thy selfe: for thou that condemnest, doest the same things.
Therefore you have nothing to say in your own defence, whoever you are who set yourself up as a judge. In judging others you condemn yourself, for you who set yourself up as a judge do the very same things.
2 But we know that the iudgement of God is according to trueth, against them which comit such things.
And we know that God’s judgment falls unerringly upon those who do them.
3 And thinkest thou this, O thou man, that condemnest them which doe such thinges, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the iudgement of God?
You who judge those that do such things and yet are yourself guilty of them — do you suppose that you of all men will escape God’s judgment?
4 Or despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnesse, and patience, and long sufferance, not knowing that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Or do you think lightly of his abundant kindness, patience, and forbearance, not realising that his kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
5 But thou, after thine hardnesse, and heart that canot repent, heapest vp as a treasure vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath, and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God,
Hard-hearted and impenitent as you are, you are storing up for yourself Wrath on the ‘Day of Wrath,’ when God’s justice as a judge will be revealed;
6 Who wil reward euery man according to his woorkes:
for ‘he will give to every man what his actions deserve.’
7 That is, to them which through patience in well doing, seeke glorie, and honour, and immortalitie, euerlasting life: (aiōnios g166)
To those who, by perseverance in doing good, aim at glory, honour, and all that is imperishable, he will give Immortal Life; (aiōnios g166)
8 But vnto them that are contentious and disobey the trueth, and obey vnrighteousnesse, shalbe indignation and wrath.
while as to those who are factious, and disobedient to Truth but obedient to Evil, wrath and anger, distress and despair,
9 Tribulation and anguish shalbe vpon the soule of euery man that doeth euill: of the Iewe first, and also of the Grecian.
will fall upon every human being who persists in wrong-doing — upon the Jew first, but also upon the Greek.
10 But to euery man that doeth good, shalbe glory, and honour, and peace: to the Iew first, and also to the Grecian.
But there will be glory, honour, and peace for every one who does right — for the Jew first, but also for the Greek,
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
since God shows no partiality.
12 For as many as haue sinned without the Lawe, shall perish also without the Lawe: and as many as haue sinned in the Lawe, shall be iudged by the Lawe,
All who, when they sin, are without Law will also perish without Law; while all who, when they sin, are under Law, will be judged as being under Law.
13 (For the hearers of the Lawe are not righteous before God: but the doers of the Lawe shalbe iustified.
It is not those who hear the words of a Law that are righteous before God, but it is those who obey it that will be pronounced righteous.
14 For when the Gentiles which haue not the Lawe, doe by nature, the things conteined in the Lawe, they hauing not the Lawe, are a Lawe vnto themselues,
When Gentiles, who have no Law, do instinctively what the Law requires, they, though they have no Law, are a Law to themselves;
15 Which shew the effect of the Lawe written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witnes, and their thoughts accusing one another, or excusing, )
for they show the demands of the Law written upon their hearts; their consciences corroborating it, while in their thoughts they argue either in self-accusation or, it may be, in self-defence —
16 At the day when God shall iudge the secretes of men by Iesus Christ, according to my Gospel.
on the day when God passes judgment on men’s inmost lives, as the Good News that I tell declares that he will do through Christ Jesus.
17 Beholde, thou art called a Iewe, and restest in the Lawe, and gloriest in God,
But, perhaps, you bear the name of ‘Jew,’ and are relying upon Law, and boast of belonging to God, and understand his will,
18 And knowest his will, and triest the things that dissent from it, in that thou art instructed by the Lawe:
and, having been carefully instructed from the Law, have learned to appreciate the finer moral distinctions.
19 And persuadest thy selfe that thou art a guide of the blinde, a light of them which are in darkenesse,
Perhaps you are confident that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in the dark, an instructor of the unintelligent,
20 An instructer of them which lacke discretion, a teacher of the vnlearned, which hast the forme of knowledge, and of the truth in ye Law.
and a teacher of the childish, because in the Law you possess the outline of all Knowledge and Truth.
21 Thou therefore, which teachest another, teachest thou not thy selfe? thou that preachest, A man should not steale, doest thou steale?
Why, then, you teacher of others, do not you teach yourself? Do you preach against stealing, and yet steal?
22 Thou that saist, A man should not commit adulterie, doest thou commit adulterie? thou that abhorrest idoles, committest thou sacrilege?
Do you forbid adultery, and yet commit adultery? Do you loathe idols, and yet plunder temples?
23 Thou that gloriest in the Lawe, through breaking the Lawe, dishonourest thou God?
Boasting, as you do, of your Law, do you dishonour God by breaking the Law?
24 For ye Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
For, as Scripture says — ‘The name of God is reviled among the Gentiles because of you’!
25 For circucision verely is profitable, if thou do the Lawe: but if thou be a transgressour of the Lawe, thy circumcision is made vncircumcision.
Circumcision has its value, if you are obeying the Law. But, if you are a breaker of the Law, your circumcision is no better than uncircumcision.
26 Therefore if the vncircumcision keepe the ordinances of the Lawe, shall not his vncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
If, then, an uncircumcised man pays regard to the requirements of the Law, will not he, although not circumcised, be regarded by God as if he were?
27 And shall not vncircumcision which is by nature (if it keepe the Lawe) condemne thee which by the letter and circumcision art a transgressour of the Lawe?
Indeed, the man who, owing to his birth, remains uncircumcised, and yet scrupulously obeys the Law, will condemn you, who, for all your written Law and your circumcision, are yet a breaker of the Law.
28 For hee is not a Iewe, which is one outwarde: neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
For a man who is only a Jew outwardly is not a real Jew; nor is outward bodily circumcision real circumcision. The real Jew is the man who is a Jew in soul;
29 But he is a Iewe which is one within, and the circumcision is of the heart, in the spirite not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God.
and the real circumcision is the circumcision of the heart, a spiritual and not a literal thing. Such a man wins praise from God, though not from men.
