Romans 2:12–29

God’s Judgment and the Law

¹²For all who have sinned ^vwithout the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³For ^wit is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. ¹⁴For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, ^xby nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵They show that the work of the law is ^ywritten on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them ^16zon that day when, ^aaccording to my gospel, God judges ^bthe secrets of men ^cby Christ Jesus.

¹⁷But if you call yourself a Jew and ^drely on the law and boast in God ¹⁸and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; ¹⁹and if you are sure that you yourself are ^ea guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law ^fthe embodiment of ^gknowledge and truth— ^21hyou then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? ²²You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you ⁱrob temples? ²³You who ^jboast in the law ^kdishonor God by breaking the law. ²⁴For, ^las it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed ^mamong the Gentiles because of you.”

²⁵For circumcision indeed is of value ⁿif you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. ²⁶So, if ^oa man who is uncircumcised keeps ^pthe precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded² as circumcision? ²⁷Then he who is physically³ uncircumcised but keeps the law ^qwill condemn you who have ^rthe written code⁴ and circumcision but break the law. ²⁸For ^sno one is a Jew ^twho is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. ²⁹But a Jew is one ^uinwardly, and ^vcircumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. ^wHis praise is not from man but from God.