The Righteous and Impartial Judgment of God

¹ Therefore you are without excuse, O man, every one of you who passes judgment. For in that which you pass judgment on someone else, you condemn yourself, for you who are passing judgment are doing the same things.

² Now we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who do such things.

³ But do you think this, O man who passes judgment on those who do such things, and who does the same things, that you will escape the judgment of God?

⁴ Or do you despise the wealth of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

⁵ But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

⁶ who will reward each one according to his works:

⁷ to those who, by perseverance in good work, seek glory and honor and immortality, eternal life,

⁸ but to those who act from selfish ambition and who disobey the truth, but who obey unrighteousness, wrath and anger.

⁹ There will be affliction and distress for every ⌞human being⌟¹ who does evil, of the Jew first and of the Greek,

1. Literally “soul of man”

¹⁰ but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and to the Greek.

¹¹ For there is no partiality with God.

¹² For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.

¹³ For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous.¹

1. Or “will be justified”

¹⁴ For whenever the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things of the law, these, although they¹ do not have the law, are a law to themselves,

1. *Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have”) which is understood as concessive

¹⁵ who show the work of the law written on their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts one after another accusing or even defending them

¹⁶ on the day when God judges the secret things of people, according to my gospel, through¹ Christ Jesus.

1. Or “by”

Jews also Condemned by the Law

¹⁷ But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God

¹⁸ and know his will and approve the things that are superior, because you¹ are instructed by the law,

1. *Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are instructed”) which is understood as causal

¹⁹ and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light of those in darkness,

²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth in the law.

²¹ Therefore, the one who teaches someone else, do you not teach yourself? The one who preaches not to steal, do you steal?

²² The one who says not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? The one who abhors idols, do you rob temples?

²³ Who boast in the law, by the transgression of the law you dishonor God!¹

1. Or “do you dishonor God?” (a number of translators and interpreters take this phrase as a final rhetorical question; the present translation regards it as a final summary statement to be taken ironically)

²⁴ For just as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”¹

1. A quotation from Isa 52:5

²⁵ For circumcision is of value if you do the law, but if you should be a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.

²⁶ Therefore, if the uncircumcised person follows the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be credited for circumcision?

²⁷ And the uncircumcised person by nature who carries out the law will judge you who, though provided with ⌞the precise written code⌟¹ and circumcision are a transgressor of the law.

1. Literally “the letter”

²⁸ For the Jew is not ⌞one outwardly⌟¹, nor is circumcision ⌞outwardly⌟², in the flesh.

1. Literally “in the open”
2. Literally “in the open”

²⁹ But the Jew ⌞is one inwardly⌟¹, and circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter, whose praise is not from people but from God.

1. Literally “in secret”