Open English Translation ROM Chapter 2

2 [ref]So there’s no excuse for anyone who judges others because you’re condemning yourselves if you’re doing those same things that you’re judging other for 2 because we know that God’s judgement is based on the factual accounts of what each person is doing. 3 But maybe you’re thinking that you can judge others doing these things and yet somehow escape God’s judgement when you do them yourself? 4 Or maybe you’re taking advantage of God’s kindness and patience without realising that his kindness was meant to lead you towards repentance? 5 But it’s your hardness and failure to repent that causing severe anger to be stored up for the day of God’s judgement when all will be revealed including his severe anger 6 [ref]as each person will be judged by their actions. 7 Those who’ve endured to do good expecting praise and honour and to escape destruction, will be given eternal life, 8 but those who’ve lived out their selfish ambition and refused to believe the truth but let themselves get persuaded by disobedience, will meet with severe anger and rage. 9 For every person doing evil, there will be tribulation and distress—to Jews first and then to non-Jews, 10 but to those who do good, there’ll be praise and honour and peace—to Jews first and then to non-Jews 11 [ref]because God doesn’t indulge in favouritism.

12 Those not under the Jewish laws and yet sinned, they’ll be judged without the law, and those who knew the laws and sinned, will be judged by the law, 13 because listening to the law doesn’t make people right with God, but rather it’s those who obey the law who will be declared guiltless. 14 Whenever other nations don’t have Jewish law but naturally obey what’s in the laws, then even those that don’t have our laws have their own law. 15 They demonstrate that they effectively have God’s law written in their minds and which matches their consciences, and between the two they’ll be either accused or defended 16 on the day when God through Messiah Yeshua, judges people’s private lives as I’ve shared as part of the good message.

17 But if you’re a Jew and trusting in the law and boasting about being chosen by God 18 and knowing his will and knowing what’s important because of familiarity with the law, 19 and if you’ve persuaded yourself that you’re a guide for the blind and a light to those who’re in darkness, 20 and that you’re an instructor to foolish people and a teacher of children, and that you appear to be knowledgeable about the truth of the law, 21 then why do you teach others when you haven’t even taught yourself? You announce that stealing is wrong, but you’re a thief. 22 You teach about not messing with other people’s spouses, yet you do it yourself. You detest idols, but you sneak money out of the temple. 23 You boast about being a student of the law, but you dishonour God by breaking the laws. 24 [ref]Yes, it’s been written: ‘God’s name is slandered among the nations because of you all.’

25 Circumcision is of value if you’re keeping the law, but if you’re breaking the laws, then your circumcision is just the same as if you’re uncircumcised, 26 so if uncircumcised peoples act justly according to the law, even though they’re not physically circumcised, God will consider them as his people. 27 Yes, those peoples who’re not circumcised but keep the law, will be judging you who were given the law in writing and are circumcised, yet break those laws. 28 A true Jew is not just a Jew on the outside, and circumcision isn’t just on the outside of the body, 29 [ref]but is a Jew even in their private life and through circumcision of their heart—by the spirit and not by the letter of the law—earning praise not from people, but from God.