Romans 2:1–3:20

GOD’S RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT

2Therefore, every one of you^Ig who judges is without excuse.^h For when you judge another,ⁱ you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. ²Now we know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. ³Do you think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment? ⁴Or do you despise the riches of his kindness,^j restraint,^k and patience,^l not recognizing^J that God’s kindness^m is intended to lead you to repentance? ⁵Because of your hardened and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrathⁿ for yourself in the day of wrath,^o when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. ⁶He will repay each one according to his works:^{Kp 7}eternal life^q to those who by persistence in doing good^r seek glory, honor,^s and immortality;^{t 8}but wrath and anger to those who are self-seeking^u and disobey the truth^v while obeying unrighteousness. ⁹There will be affliction and distress^w for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek;^{x 10}but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. ¹¹For there is no favoritism with God.^y

¹²For all who sin without the law^z will also perish without the law, and all who sin under^A the law will be judged by the law. ¹³For the hearers of the law^aa are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified.^{B 14}So, when Gentiles, who do not by nature have the law,^ab do^C what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵They show that the work of the law^D is written on their hearts.^ac Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them^{E 16}on the day when God judges^ad what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.^ae

JEWISH VIOLATION OF THE LAW

¹⁷Now if^F you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the law,^af and boast in God, ¹⁸and know his will, and approve the things that are superior,^ag being instructed from the law, ¹⁹and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, ²⁰an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and truth^ah in the law—²¹you then, who teach another,^ai don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal”—do you steal? ²²You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob temples?^{aj 23}You who boast in the law,^ak do you dishonor God by breaking the law?^{G 24}For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.^Hal

CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART

²⁵Circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.^{am 26}So if an uncircumcised^an man keeps the law’s requirements,^ao will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? ²⁷A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who keeps the law, will judge you^ap who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision. ²⁸For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly,^aq and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. ²⁹On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly,^ar and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter.^Ias That person’s praise is not from people but from God.^at

PAUL ANSWERS AN OBJECTION

3So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? ²Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted^a with the very words of God.^{b 3}What then? If some were unfaithful,^c will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? ⁴Absolutely not!^d Let God be true, even though everyone is a liar,^e as it is written:

That you may be justified in your words

and triumph when you judge.^Af

⁵But if our unrighteousness highlights^B God’s righteousness,^g what are we to say?^h I am using a human argument:^Ci Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath? ⁶Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world?^{j 7}But if by my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?^{k 8}And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”?^l Their condemnation is deserved!

THE WHOLE WORLD GUILTY BEFORE GOD

⁹What then? Are we any better off?^D Not at all! For we have already charged that both Jews^m and Greeksⁿ are all under sin,^{Eo 10}as it is written:

There is no one righteous, not even one.

¹¹There is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.

¹²All have turned away;

all alike have become worthless.

There is no one who does what is good,

not even one.^Fp

¹³Their throat is an open grave;

they deceive with their tongues.^Gq

Vipers’ venom is under their lips.^Hr

¹⁴Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.^Is

¹⁵Their feet are swift to shed blood;

¹⁶ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,

¹⁷and the path of peace they have not known.^Jt

¹⁸There is no fear of God before their eyes.^Ku

¹⁹Now we know that whatever the law says,^v it speaks to those who are subject to the law,^Lw so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment.^{Mx 20}For no one will be justified^N in his sight by the works of the law,^y because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.^z