| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. | 1Therefore you are without excuse, whoever you are, when you judge someone else. For on whatever grounds you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things. |
| 2And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. | 2Now we know that God's judgment is in accordance with truth against those who practice such things. |
| 3Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? | 3And do you think, whoever you are, when you judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape God's judgment? |
| 4Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? | 4Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know that God's kindness leads you to repentance? |
| 5But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. | 5But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment is revealed! |
| 6He will judge everyone according to what they have done. | 6He will reward each one according to his works: |
| 7He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. | 7eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality, |
| 8But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. | 8but wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition and do not obey the truth but follow unrighteousness. |
| 9There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. | 9There will be affliction and distress on everyone who does evil, on the Jew first and also the Greek, |
| 10But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. | 10but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, for the Jew first and also the Greek. |
| 11For God does not show favoritism. | 11For there is no partiality with God. |
| 12When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. | 12For all who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. |
| 13For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. | 13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous before God, but those who do the law will be declared righteous. |
| 14Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. | 14For whenever the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things required by the law, these who do not have the law are a law to themselves. |
| 15They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. | 15They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend them, |
| 16And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life. The Jews and the Law | 16on the day when God will judge the secrets of human hearts, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus. |
| 17You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him. | 17But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relationship to God |
| 18You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law. | 18and know his will and approve the superior things because you receive instruction from the law, |
| 19You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness. | 19and if you are convinced that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, |
| 20You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth. | 20an educator of the senseless, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the essential features of knowledge and of the truth-- |
| 21Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? | 21therefore you who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? |
| 22You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples? | 22You who tell others not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? |
| 23You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. | 23You who boast in the law dishonor God by transgressing the law! |
| 24No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.” | 24For just as it is written, "the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." |
| 25The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God’s law. But if you don’t obey God’s law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile. | 25For circumcision has its value if you practice the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. |
| 26And if the Gentiles obey God’s law, won’t God declare them to be his own people? | 26Therefore if the uncircumcised man obeys the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? |
| 27In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God’s law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God’s law but don’t obey it. | 27And will not the physically uncircumcised man who keeps the law judge you who, despite the written code and circumcision, transgress the law? |
| 28For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. | 28For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something that is outward in the flesh, |
| 29No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. | 29but someone is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit and not by the written code. This person's praise is not from people but from God. |
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