God’s Righteous Judgment

2 Therefore you are ainexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, bfor in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise cthe riches of His goodness, dforbearance, and elongsuffering, fnot knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your 1impenitent heart gyou are 2treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who h“will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and ido not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew jfirst and also of the 3Greek; 10 kbut glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For lthere is no partiality with God.

12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law 13 (for mnot the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the nwork of the law written in their hearts, their oconscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 pin the day when God will judge the secrets of men qby Jesus Christ, raccording to my gospel.

The Jews Guilty as the Gentiles

17 4Indeed syou are called a Jew, and trest 5on the law, uand make your boast in God, 18 and vknow His will, and wapprove the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19 and xare confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, yhaving the form of knowledge and truth in the law. 21 zYou, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? 22 You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, ado you rob temples? 23 You who bmake your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? 24 For c“the name of God is dblasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written.

Circumcision of No Avail

25 eFor circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 Therefore, fif an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, gjudge you who, even with your 6written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? 28 For hhe is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew iwho is one inwardly; and jcircumcision is that of the heart, kin the Spirit, not in the letter; lwhose 7praise is not from men but from God.

God’s Judgment Defended

3 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because ato them were committed the 1oracles of God. 3 For what if bsome did not believe? cWill their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 dCertainly not! Indeed, let eGod be 2true but fevery man a liar. As it is written:

g“That You may be justified in Your words,

And may overcome when You are judged.”

5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? h(I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then ihow will God judge the world?

7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, j“Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their 3condemnation is just.

All Have Sinned

9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that kthey are all under sin.

10 As it is written:

l“There is none righteous, no, not one;

11 There is none who understands;

There is none who seeks after God.

12 They have all turned aside;

They have together become unprofitable;

There is none who does good, no, not one.”

13 “Their mthroat is an open 4tomb;

With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;

n“The poison of asps is under their lips”;

14 “Whose omouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”

15 “Their pfeet are swift to shed blood;

16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;

17 And the way of peace they have not known.”

18 “There qis no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever rthe law says, it says to those who are under the law, that severy mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become 5guilty before God. 20 Therefore tby the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.