Bible Gateway passage: Romans 2 - English Standard Version (2024)

God's Righteous Judgment

2Therefore you have ^(A)no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For ^(B)in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. ²We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. ³Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴Or do you presume on ^(C)the riches of his kindness and ^(D)forbearance and ^(E)patience, ^(F)not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? ⁵But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are ^(G)storing up ^(H)wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

^6(I)He will render to each one according to his works: ⁷to those who ^(J)by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; ⁸but for those who are self-seeking^[a] and ^(K)do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. ⁹There will be tribulation and distress ^(L)for every human being who does evil, the Jew ^(M)first and also the Greek, ¹⁰but glory and honor and ^(N)peace for everyone who does good, ^(O)the Jew first and also the Greek. ¹¹For ^(P)God shows no partiality.

God's Judgment and the Law

¹²For all who have sinned ^(Q)without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³For ^(R)it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. ¹⁴For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, ^(S)by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵They show that the work of the law is ^(T)written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them ^16(U)on that day when, ^(V)according to my gospel, God judges ^(W)the secrets of men ^(X)by Christ Jesus.

¹⁷But if you call yourself a Jew and ^(Y)rely on the law and boast in God ¹⁸and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; ¹⁹and if you are sure that you yourself are ^(Z)a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law ^(AA)the embodiment of ^(AB)knowledge and truth— ^21(AC)you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? ²²You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you ^(AD)rob temples? ²³You who ^(AE)boast in the law ^(AF)dishonor God by breaking the law. ²⁴For, ^(AG)as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed ^(AH)among the Gentiles because of you.”

²⁵For circumcision indeed is of value ^(AI)if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. ²⁶So, if ^(AJ)a man who is uncircumcised keeps ^(AK)the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded^[b] as circumcision? ²⁷Then he who is physically^[c] uncircumcised but keeps the law ^(AL)will condemn you who have ^(AM)the written code^[d] and circumcision but break the law. ²⁸For ^(AN)no one is a Jew ^(AO)who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. ²⁹But a Jew is one ^(AP)inwardly, and ^(AQ)circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. ^(AR)His praise is not from man but from God.