1 T herefore, 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,

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 have known that the judgment of God is according to truth, upon those practising 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 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?

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 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!

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, 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,

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 shall render to each according to his works;

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

7 t o those, indeed, who in continuance of a good work, do seek glory, and honour, and incorruptibility -- life age-during;

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 a nd to those contentious, and disobedient, indeed, to the truth, and obeying the unrighteousness -- indignation and wrath,

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 distress, upon every soul of man that is working the evil, both of Jew first, and of 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 a nd glory, and honour, and peace, to every one who is working the good, both to Jew first, and to 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 acceptance of faces 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 without law did sin, without law also shall perish, and as many as did sin in law, through law shall be judged,

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 righteous before God, but the doers of the law shall be declared righteous: --

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 F or, 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;

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 w ho 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,

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 good news, through 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 L o, thou art named a Jew, and dost rest upon the law, and dost boast 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 dost know the will, and dost approve the distinctions, 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 hast confidence that thou thyself art a leader of blind ones, a light of those 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 n instructor of foolish ones, a teacher of babes, having the form of the knowledge and of the truth in the law.

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, then, who art teaching another, thyself dost thou not teach?

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 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?

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 in the law dost boast, through the transgression of the law God dost thou dishonour?

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

24 f or the name of God because of you is evil spoken of among the nations, according as it hath been 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, doth profit, if law thou mayest practise, but if a transgressor of law thou mayest be, thy circumcision hath 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 the righteousness of the law may keep, shall not his uncircumcision for circumcision be reckoned?

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 the uncircumcision, by nature, fulfilling the law, shall judge thee who, through letter and circumcision, a transgressor of 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 outwardly, neither circumcision that which is outward in flesh;

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

29 b ut a Jew he who is inwardly, and circumcision of the heart, in spirit, not in letter, of which the 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.