1 W herefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judges another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest dost practise the same things.

Therefore you have no excuse or defense or justification, O man, whoever you are who judges and condemns another. For in posing as judge and passing sentence on another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge are habitually practicing the very same things.

2 A nd we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against them that practise such things.

we know that the judgment (adverse verdict, sentence) of God falls justly and in accordance with truth upon those who practice such things.

3 A nd reckonest thou this, O man, who judgest them that practise such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

And do you think or imagine, O man, when you judge and condemn those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape God’s judgment and elude His sentence and adverse verdict?

4 O r despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Or are you trifle with and presume upon and despise and underestimate the wealth of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering patience? Are you unmindful or actually ignorant that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repent ( to change your mind and inner man to accept God’s will)?

5 b ut after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

But by your callous stubbornness and impenitence of heart you are storing up wrath and indignation for yourself on the day of wrath and indignation, when God’s righteous judgment (just doom) will be revealed.

6 w ho will render to every man according to his works:

For He will render to every man according to his works:

7 t o them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life:

To those who by patient persistence in well-doing '> springing from piety] seek glory and honor and '> the eternal blessedness of] immortality, He will give eternal life.

8 b ut unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation,

But for those who are self-seeking and self-willed and disobedient to the Truth but responsive to wickedness, there will be indignation and wrath.

9 t ribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek;

there will be tribulation and anguish and calamity and constraint for every soul of man who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek (Gentile).

10 b ut glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek:

But glory and honor and peace shall be awarded to everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek (Gentile).

11 f or there is no respect of persons with God.

For God shows no partiality '> undue favor or unfairness; with Him one man is not different from another].

12 F or as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without the law: and as many as have sinned under the law shall be judged by the law;

All who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged and condemned by the Law.

13 f or not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified:

For it is not merely hearing the Law that makes one righteous before God, but it is the doers of the Law who will be held guiltless and acquitted and justified.

14 ( for when Gentiles that have not the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are the law unto themselves;

When Gentiles who have not the Law do instinctively what the Law requires, they are a law to themselves, since they do not have the Law.

15 i n that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith, and their thoughts one with another accusing or else excusing them);

They show that the essential requirements of the Law are written in their hearts and are operating there, with which their consciences (sense of right and wrong) also bear witness; and their decisions (their arguments of reason, their condemning or approving thoughts) will accuse or perhaps defend and excuse

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

On that day when, as my Gospel proclaims, God by Jesus Christ will judge men in regard to the things which they conceal (their hidden thoughts).

17 B ut if thou bearest the name of a Jew, and restest upon the law, and gloriest in God,

But if you bear the name of Jew and rely upon the Law and pride yourselves in God and your relationship to Him,

18 a nd knowest his will, and approvest the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,

And know and understand His will and discerningly approve the better things and have a sense of what is vital, because you are instructed by the Law;

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

And if you are confident that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, and [that

20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth;

You are] a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the childish, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—

21 t hou therefore that teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

Well then, you who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you teach against stealing, do you steal (take what does not really belong to you)?

22 t hou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou rob temples?

You who say not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery ? You who abhor and loathe idols, do you rob temples '> doing sacrilege]?

23 t hou who gloriest in the law, through thy transgression of the law dishonorest thou God?

You who boast in the Law, do you dishonor God by breaking the Law ?

24 F or the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, even as it is written.

For, as it is written, The name of God is maligned and blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you!

25 F or circumcision indeed profiteth, if thou be a doer of the law: but if thou be a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision is become uncircumcision.

Circumcision does indeed profit if you keep the Law; but if you habitually transgress the Law, your circumcision is made uncircumcision.

26 I f therefore the uncircumcision keep the ordinances of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be reckoned for circumcision?

So if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be credited to him as circumcision?

27 a nd shall not the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who with the letter and circumcision art a transgressor of the law?

Then those who are physically uncircumcised but keep the Law will condemn you who, although you have the code in writing and have circumcision, break the Law.

28 F or he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh:

For he is not a Jew who is only one outwardly and publicly, nor is circumcision something external and physical.

29 b ut he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, a spiritual and not a literal. His praise is not from men but from God.