Romans 2–3

¹Therefore, thou art inexcusable, O man—every one who is judging—for in that in which thou dost judge the other, thyself thou dost condemn, for the same things thou dost practise who art judging, ²and we have known that the judgment of God is according to truth, upon those practising such things. ³And dost thou think this, O man, who art judging those who such things are practising, and art doing them, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? ⁴or the riches of His goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, dost thou despise?—not knowing that the goodness of God doth lead thee to reformation! ⁵but, according to thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou dost treasure up to thyself wrath, in a day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, ⁶who shall render to each according to his works; ⁷to those, indeed, who in continuance of a good work, do seek glory, and honour, and incorruptibility—life age-during; ⁸and to those contentious, and disobedient, indeed, to the truth, and obeying the unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, ⁹tribulation and distress, upon every soul of man that is working the evil, both of Jew first, and of Greek; ¹⁰and glory, and honour, and peace, to every one who is working the good, both to Jew first, and to Greek. ¹¹For there is no acceptance of faces with God, ¹²for as many as without law did sin, without law also shall perish, and as many as did sin in law, through law shall be judged, ¹³for not the hearers of the law are righteous before God, but the doers of the law shall be declared righteous:— ¹⁴For, when nations that have not a law, by nature may do the things of the law, these not having a law—to themselves are a law; ¹⁵who do shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also witnessing with them, and between one another the thoughts accusing or else defending, ¹⁶in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men, according to my good news, through Jesus Christ.

¹⁷Lo, thou art named a Jew, and dost rest upon the law, and dost boast in God, ¹⁸and dost know the will, and dost approve the distinctions, being instructed out of the law, ¹⁹and hast confidence that thou thyself art a leader of blind ones, a light of those in darkness, ²⁰an instructor of foolish ones, a teacher of babes, having the form of the knowledge and of the truth in the law. ²¹Thou, then, who art teaching another, thyself dost thou not teach? ²²thou who art preaching not to steal, dost thou steal? thou who art saying not to commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou who art abhorring the idols, dost thou rob temples? ²³thou who in the law dost boast, through the transgression of the law God dost thou dishonour? ²⁴for the name of God because of you is evil spoken of among the nations, according as it hath been written. ²⁵For circumcision, indeed, doth profit, if law thou mayest practise, but if a transgressor of law thou mayest be, thy circumcision hath become uncircumcision. ²⁶If, therefore the uncircumcision the righteousness of the law may keep, shall not his uncircumcision for circumcision be reckoned? ²⁷and the uncircumcision, by nature, fulfilling the law, shall judge thee who, through letter and circumcision, art a transgressor of law. ²⁸For he is not a Jew who is so outwardly, neither is circumcision that which is outward in flesh; ²⁹but a Jew is he who is so inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, in spirit, not in letter, of which the praise is not of men, but of God.

Chapter 3

¹What, then, is the superiority of the Jew? or what the profit of the circumcision? ²much in every way; for first, indeed, that they were intrusted with the oracles of God; ³for what, if certain were faithless? shall their faithlessness the faithfulness of god make useless? ⁴let it not be! and let God become true, and every man false, according as it hath been written, ‘That Thou mayest be declared righteous in Thy words, and mayest overcome in Thy being judged.’ ⁵And, if our unrighteousness God’s righteousness doth establish, what shall we say? is God unrighteous who is inflicting the wrath? (after the manner of a man I speak) ⁶let it not be! since how shall God judge the world? ⁷for if the truth of God in my falsehood did more abound to His glory, why yet am I also as a sinner judged? ⁸and not, as we are evil spoken of, and as certain affirm us to say—‘We may do the evil things, that the good ones may come?’ whose judgment is righteous. ⁹What, then? are we better? not at all! for we did before charge both Jews and Greeks with being all under sin, ¹⁰according as it hath been written—‘There is none righteous, not even one; ¹¹There is none who is understanding, there is none who is seeking after God. ¹²All did go out of the way, together they became unprofitable, there is none doing good, there is not even one. ¹³A sepulchre opened is their throat; with their tongues they used deceit; poison of asps is under their lips. ¹⁴Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. ¹⁵Swift are their feet to shed blood. ¹⁶Ruin and misery are in their ways. ¹⁷And a way of peace they did not know. ¹⁸There is no fear of God before their eyes.’

¹⁹And we have known that as many things as the law saith, to those in the law it doth speak, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may come under judgment to God; ²⁰wherefore by works of law shall no flesh be declared righteous before Him, for through law is a knowledge of sin. ²¹And now apart from law hath the righteousness of God been manifested, testified to by the law and the prophets, ²²and the righteousness of God is through the faith of Jesus Christ to all, and upon all those believing,—for there is no difference, ²³for all did sin, and are come short of the glory of God— ²⁴being declared righteous freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵whom God did set forth a mercy seat, through the faith in his blood, for the shewing forth of His righteousness, because of the passing over of the bygone sins in the forbearance of God— ²⁶for the shewing forth of His righteousness in the present time, for His being righteous, and declaring him righteous who is of the faith of Jesus. ²⁷Where then is the boasting? it was excluded; by what law? of works? no, but by a law of faith: ²⁸therefore do we reckon a man to be declared righteous by faith, apart from works of law. ²⁹The God of Jews only is He, and not also of nations? ³⁰yes, also of nations; since one is God who shall declare righteous the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through the faith. ³¹Law then do we make useless through the faith? let it not be! yea, we do establish law.

Chapter 4