1 P OR lo cual eres inexcusable, oh hombre, cuaquiera que juzgas: porque en lo que juzgas á otro, te condenas á ti mismo; porque lo mismo haces, tú que juzgas.

So you can say nothing because you are guilty when you say someone else is guilty. While you say someone is guilty, you are doing the same things he does.

2 M as sabemos que el juicio de Dios es según verdad contra los que hacen tales cosas.

We know that God will say those who do such things are guilty.

3 ¿ Y piensas esto, oh hombre, que juzgas á los que hacen tales cosas, y haces las mismas, que tú escaparás del juicio de Dios.?

Do you think God will punish others for doing wrong and let you keep sinning?

4 ¿ O menosprecias las riquezas de su benignidad, y paciencia, y longanimidad, ignorando que su benignidad te guía á arrepentimiento?

Do you forget about His loving-kindness to you? Do you forget how long He is waiting for you? You know that God is kind. He is trying to get you to be sorry for your sins and turn from them.

5 M as por tu dureza, y por tu corazón no arrepentido, atesoras para ti mismo ira para el día de la ira y de la manifestación del justo juicio de Dios;

Because you are not sorry for your sins and will not turn from them, you will be punished even more on the day of God’s anger. God will be right in saying you are guilty.

6 E l cual pagará á cada uno conforme á sus obras:

He will give to every man what he should get for the things he has done.

7 A los que perseverando en bien hacer, buscan gloria y honra e inmortalidad, la vida eterna.

Those who keep on doing good and are looking for His greatness and honor will receive life that lasts forever.

8 M as á los que son contenciosos, y no obedecen á la verdad, antes obedecen á la injusticia, enojo é ira;

Those who love only themselves and do not obey the truth, but do what is wrong, will be punished by God. His anger will be on them.

9 T ribulación y angustia sobre toda persona humana que obra lo malo, el Judío primeramente, y también el Griego.

Every Jew and every person who is not a Jew who sins will suffer and have great sorrow.

10 M as gloria y honra y paz á cualquiera que obra el bien, al Judío primeramente, y también al Griego.

But God will give His greatness and honor and peace to all those who obey the truth. Both Jews and those who are not Jews will receive this.

11 P orque no hay acepción de personas para con Dios.

God does not show favor to one man more than to another.

12 P orque todos lo que sin ley pecaron, sin ley también perecerán; y todos los que en la ley pecaron, por la ley serán juzgados:

Those who have sinned without having the Law will be lost without the Law being used. Those who have the Law and have sinned will be judged by the Law.

13 P orque no los oidores de la ley son justos para con Dios, mas los hacedores de la ley serán justificados.

Just to hear the Law does not make a man right with God. The man right with God is the one who obeys the Law.

14 P orque los Gentiles que no tienen ley, naturalmente haciendo lo que es de la ley, los tales, aunque no tengan ley, ellos son ley á sí mismos:

The people who are not Jews do not have the Law. When they do what the Law tells them to do, even if they do not have the Law, it shows they know what they should do.

15 M ostrando la obra de la ley escrita en sus corazones, dando testimonio juntamente sus conciencias, y acusándose y también excusándose sus pensamientos unos con otros;

They show that what the Law wants them to do is written in their hearts. Their own hearts tell them if they are guilty.

16 E n el día que juzgará el Señor lo encubierto de los hombres, conforme á mi evangelio, por Jesucristo.

There will be a day when God will judge because He knows the secret thoughts of men. He will do this through Jesus Christ. This is part of the Good News I preach.

17 H e aquí, tú tienes el sobrenombre de Judío, y estás reposado en la ley, y te glorías en Dios,

You are a Jew and think you are safe because of the Law. You tell others about how you know God.

18 Y sabes su voluntad, y apruebas lo mejor, instruído por la ley;

You know what He wants you to do. You understand how the Law works. You know right from wrong.

19 Y confías que eres guía de los ciegos, luz de los que están en tinieblas,

You think you can lead a blind man. You think you can give light to those in darkness.

20 E nseñador de los que no saben, maestro de niños, que tienes la forma de la ciencia y de la verdad en la ley:

You think you can teach foolish people and children about God. You have in the Law the plan of truth and wisdom.

21 T ú pues, que enseñas á otro, ¿no te enseñas á ti mismo? ¿Tú, que predicas que no se ha de hurtar, hurtas?

You teach others. Why do you not teach yourselves? You tell others not to steal. Do you steal?

22 ¿ Tú, que dices que no se ha de adulterar, adulteras? ¿Tú, que abominas los ídolos, cometes sacrilegio?

You say that no one should do sex sins. Do you do sex sins? You hate false gods. Do you rob the houses where they are kept?

23 ¿ Tú, que te jactas de la ley, con infracción de la ley deshonras á Dios?

You are proud of the Law. Do you take honor away from God when you do not obey the Law?

24 P orque el nombre de Dios es blasfemado por causa de vosotros entre los Gentiles, como está esctrito.

The Holy Writings say, “God’s name is hated by the people who are not Jews because of you.”

25 P orque la circuncisión en verdad aprovecha, si guardares la ley; mas si eres rebelde á la ley, tu circuncisión es hecha incircuncisión.

Going through the religious act of becoming a Jew is worth something if you obey the Law. If you do not obey the Law, it is worth nothing to you.

26 D e manera que, si el incircunciso guardare las justicias de la ley, ¿no será tenida su incircuncisión por circuncisión?

If a person who is not a Jew and has not gone through the act of becoming a Jew, obeys the Law, God will think of him as a Jew.

27 Y lo que de su natural es incircunciso, guardando perfectamente la ley, te juzgará á ti, que con la letra y con la circuncisión eres rebelde á la ley.

You Jews have the Law but do not obey it. You have gone through the religious act also. At the same time those who are not Jews obey the Law even if they have not gone through the religious act of becoming a Jew. In this way, these people show you are guilty.

28 P orque no es Judío el que lo es en manifiesto; ni la circuncisión es la que es en manifiesto en la carne:

A man is not a Jew just because he goes through the religious act of becoming a Jew.

29 M as es Judío el que lo es en lo interior; y la circuncisión es la del corazón, en espíritu, no en letra; la alabanza del cual no es de los hombres, sino de Dios.

The true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. The religious act of becoming a Jew must be done in the heart. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Law does not do that kind of work. The true Jew gets his thanks from God, not from men.