Romans 2
2
Let God Be the Judge
1So do you think that you can judge those other people? You are wrong. You too are guilty of sin. You judge them, but you do the same things they do. So when you judge them, you are really condemning yourself. 2God judges all who do such things, and we know his judgment is right. 3And since you do the same things as those people you judge, surely you understand that God will punish you too. How could you think you would be able to escape his judgment? 4God has been kind to you. He has been very patient, waiting for you to change. But you think nothing of his kindness. Maybe you don’t understand that God is kind to you so that you will decide to change your lives.
5But you are so stubborn! You refuse to change. So you are making your own punishment greater and greater. You will be punished on the day when God will show his anger. On that day everyone will see how right God is to judge people. 6He will reward or punish everyone for what they have done. 7Some people live for God’s glory, for honor, and for life that cannot be destroyed. They live for those things by always continuing to do good. God will give eternal life to them. 8But others are selfish and refuse to follow truth. They follow evil. God will show his anger and punish them. 9He will give trouble and suffering to everyone who does evil—to the Jews first and also to those who are not Jews. 10But he will give glory, honor, and peace to everyone who does good—to the Jews first and also to those who are not Jews. 11God judges everyone the same. It doesn’t matter who they are.
12People who have the law and those who have never heard of the law are all the same when they sin. People who don’t have the law and are sinners will be lost. And, in the same way, those who have the law and are sinners will be judged by the law. 13Hearing the law does not make people right with God. They will be right before him only if they always do what the law says.
14Those who are not Jews don’t have the law. But when they naturally do what the law commands without even knowing the law, then they are their own law. This is true even though they don’t have the written law. 15They show that in their hearts they know what is right and wrong, the same as the law commands, and their consciences agree. Sometimes their thoughts tell them that they have done wrong, and this makes them guilty. And sometimes their thoughts tell them that they have done right, and this makes them not guilty.
16All this will happen on the day when God will judge people’s secret thoughts through Jesus Christ. This is part of the Good News that I tell everyone.
The Jews and the Law
17What about you? You say you are a Jew. You trust in the law and proudly claim to be close to God. 18You know what God wants you to do. And you know what is important, because you have learned the law. 19You think you are a guide for people who don’t know the right way, a light for those who are in the dark. 20You think you can show foolish people what is right. And you think you are a teacher for those who are just beginning to learn. You have the law, and so you think you know everything and have all truth. 21You teach others, so why don’t you teach yourself? You tell them not to steal, but you yourself steal. 22You say they must not commit adultery, but you yourself are guilty of that sin. You hate idols, but you steal them from their temples. 23You are so proud that you have God’s law, but you bring shame to God by breaking his law. 24As the Scriptures say, “People in other nations insult God because of you.”#Quote from Isa. 52:5. See also Ezek. 36:20-23.
25If you follow the law, then your circumcision has meaning. But if you break the law, then it is as if you were never circumcised. 26Those who are not Jews are not circumcised. But if they do what the law says, it is as if they were circumcised. 27You have the written law and circumcision, but you break the law. So those who are not circumcised in their bodies, but still obey the law, will show that you are guilty.
28You are not a true Jew if you are only a Jew in your physical body. True circumcision is not only on the outside of the body. 29A true Jew is one who is a Jew inside. True circumcision is done in the heart. It is done by the Spirit, not by the written law. And anyone who is circumcised in the heart by the Spirit gets praise from God, not from people.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Romans 2
2
1WHEREFORE thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest. For wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself. For thou dost the same things which thou judgest.
2For we know that the judgment of God is, according to truth, against them that do such things.
3And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them who do such things, and dost the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
4Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and patience, and longsuffering? Knowest thou not, that the benignity of God leadeth thee to penance?
5But according to thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou treasurest up to thyself wrath, against the day of wrath, and revelation of the just judgment of God.
6Who will render to every man according to his works.
7To them indeed, who according to patience in good work, seek glory and honour and incorruption, eternal life:
8But to them that are contentious, and who obey not the truth, but give credit to iniquity, wrath and indignation.
9Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek.
10But glory, and honour, and peace to every one that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
11For there is no respect of persons with God.
12For whosoever have sinned without the law, shall perish without the law; and whosoever have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law.
13For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14For when the Gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature those things that are of the law; these having not the law are a law to themselves:
15Who shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness to them, and their thoughts between themselves accusing, or also defending one another,
16In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
17But if thou art called a Jew and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
18And knowest his will, and approvest the more profitable things, being instructed by the law,
19Art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them that are in darkness,
20An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, having the form of knowledge and of truth in the law.
21Thou therefore that teachest another, teachest not thyself: thou that preachest that men should not steal, stealest:
22Thou that sayest, men should not commit adultery, committest adultery: thou that abhorrest idols, committest sacrilege:
23Thou that makest thy boast of the law, by transgression of the law dishonourest God.
24(For the name of God through you is blasphemed among the Gentiles, as it is written.)
25Circumcision profiteth indeed, if thou keep the law; but if thou be a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
26If, then, the uncircumcised keep the justices of the law, shall not this uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
27And shall not that which by nature is uncircumcision, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision art a transgressor of the law?
28For it is not he is a Jew, who is so outwardly; nor is that circumcision which is outwardly in the flesh:
29But he is a Jew, that is one inwardly; and the circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.