Romans, 2

1. Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

1. Therefore, you have no excuse, whoever you are, if you are able to judge others. For in judging your neighbor, you condemn yourself, for you practice what you are judging.

2. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

2. We know that the condemnation of God will justly reach those who commit these things,

3. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

3. and do you think that by condemning others you will escape from the judgment of God, you who are doing the same?

4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

4. This would be taking advantage of God and his infinite goodness, patience and understanding, and not to realize that his goodness is in order to lead you to conversion.

5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

5. If your heart becomes hard and you refuse to change, then you are storing for yourself a great punishment on the day of judgment, when God will appear as just judge.

6. Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

6. He will give each one his due, according to his actions.

7. To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

7. He will give everlasting life to those who seek glory, honor and immortality and persevere in doing good.

8. But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

8. But anger and vengeance will be the lot of those who do not serve truth but injustice.

9. Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

9. There will be suffering and anguish for everyone committing evil, first the Jew, then the Greek.

10. But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

10. But God will give glory, honor and peace to whoever does good, first the Jew then the Greek,

11. For there is no respect of persons with God.

11. because one is not different from the other before God.

12. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;

12. Those who, without knowing the Law, committed sin, will perish without the Law, and whoever committed sin knowing the Law, will be judged by that Law.

13. (For not the hearers of the law [are] just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

13. What makes us righteous before God is not hearing the Law, but obeying it.

14. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

14. When the non-Jews, who do not have law, practice naturally what the Law commands, they are giving themselves a law,

15. Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and [their] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

15. showing that the commandments of the Law are engraved in their minds. Their conscience, speaking within them also shows it, when they condemn or approve their actions.

16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

16. The same is to happen on the day when God, according to my gospel, will judge people's secret actions in the person of Jesus Christ.

17. Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,

17. But suppose you call yourself a Jew: you have the Law as foundation and feel proud of your God.

18. And knowest [his] will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;

18. You know the will of God and the Law teaches you to distinguish what is better,

19. And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,

19. and so you believe you are the guide for the blind, light in darkness,

20. An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.

20. teacher of those who do not know, instructor of children, because you possess in the Law the formulation of true knowledge.

21. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

21. Well, then, you who teach others, why don't you teach yourself? If you say that one must not steal, why do you steal?

22. Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?

22. You say one must not commit adultery, yet you commit it! You say you hate idols, but you steal in their temples!

23. Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

23. You feel proud of the Law, yet you do not obey it, and you dishonor your God.

24. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

24. In fact, as the Scriptures say, the other nations despise the name of God because of you.

25. For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

25. Circumcision is of value to you if you obey the Law; but if you do not obey, it is as if you were not circumcised.

26. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

26. On the contrary, if those who are uncircumcised obey the commandments of the Law, do you not think that, in spite of being pagans, they make themselves like the circumcised?

27. And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

27. The one who obeys the Law without being marked in his body with circumcision, will judge you who have been marked with circumcision and who have the Law which you do not obey.

28. For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither [is that] circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

28. For external things do not make a true Jew nor is real circumcision that which is marked on the body.

29. But he [is] a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision [is that] of the heart, in the spirit, [and] not in the letter; whose praise [is] not of men, but of God.

29. A Jew must be so interiorly; the heart's circumcision belongs to spirit and not to a written law; he who lives in this way will be praised, not by people, but by God.