Chapter 2

The Impartiality of God

1 Therefore you have ano excuse, 1beveryone of you who passes judgment, for in that which cyou judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

2 And we know that the judgment of God 1rightly falls upon those who practice such things.

3 But do you suppose this, aO man, 1when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?

4 Or do you think lightly of athe riches of His bkindness and ctolerance and dpatience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

5 But 1because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart ayou are storing up wrath for yourself bin the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

6 awho will render to each person according to his deeds:

7 to those who by aperseverance in doing good seek for bglory and honor and cimmortality, deternal life;

8 but to those who are aselfishly ambitious and bdo not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.

9 There will be atribulation and distress 1for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew bfirst and also of the Greek,

10 but aglory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew bfirst and also to the Greek.

11 For athere is no partiality with God.

12 For all who have sinned 1awithout the Law will also perish 1without the Law, and all who have sinned 2under the Law will be judged 3by the Law;

13 for it is anot the hearers 1of the Law who are 2just before God, but the doers 1of the Law will be justified.

14 For when Gentiles who do not have 1the Law do 2ainstinctively the things of the Law, these, not having 1the Law, are a law to themselves,

15 in that they show athe work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,

16 on the day when, aaccording to my gospel, bGod will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

The Jew Is Condemned by the Law

17 But if you bear the name “Jew” and arely 1upon the Law and boast in God,

18 and know His will and 1aapprove the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law,

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

20 a 1corrector of the foolish, a teacher of 2the immature, having in the Law athe embodiment of knowledge and of the truth,

21 you, therefore, awho teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who 1preach that one shall not steal, do you steal?

22 You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you arob temples?

23 You who aboast 1in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God?

24 For “athe name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles bbecause of you,” just as it is written.

25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you apractice 1the Law; but if you are a transgressor 2of the Law, byour circumcision has become uncircumcision.

26 aSo if bthe 1uncircumcised man ckeeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

27 And ahe who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not bjudge you who 1though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor 2of the Law?

28 For ahe is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.

29 But ahe is a Jew who is one inwardly; and bcircumcision is that which is of the heart, by the cSpirit, not by the letter; dand his praise is not from men, but from God.