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Romans 2:9-29
New King James Version
Romans 2:9-29
New King James Version
9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew (A)first and also of the [a]Greek; 10 (B)but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For (C)there 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 (D)not 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 (E)work of the law written in their hearts, their (F)conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 (G)in the day when God will judge the secrets of men (H)by Jesus Christ, (I)according to my gospel.
The Jews Guilty as the Gentiles
17 [b]Indeed (J)you are called a Jew, and (K)rest[c] on the law, (L)and make your boast in God, 18 and (M)know His will, and (N)approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19 and (O)are 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, (P)having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. 21 (Q)You, 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, (R)do you rob temples? 23 You who (S)make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? 24 For (T)“the name of God is (U)blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written.
Circumcision of No Avail
25 (V)For 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, (W)if 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, (X)judge you who, even with your [d]written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? 28 For (Y)he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew (Z)who is one inwardly; and (AA)circumcision is that of the heart, (AB)in the Spirit, not in the letter; (AC)whose [e]praise is not from men but from God.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Romans 2:9 Gentile
- Romans 2:17 NU But if
- Romans 2:17 rely
- Romans 2:27 Lit. letter
- Romans 2:29 A play on words—Jew is literally praise.
Romans 2:9-29
New American Standard Bible
Romans 2:9-29
New American Standard Bible
9 There will be (A)tribulation and distress [a]for every soul of mankind who does evil, [b]for the Jew (B)first and also [c]for the Greek, 10 but (C)glory, honor, and peace to everyone who does what is good, to the Jew (D)first and also to the Greek. 11 For (E)there is no partiality with God.
12 For all who have sinned [d](F)without the Law will also perish [e]without the Law, and all who have sinned [f]under the Law will be judged [g]by the Law; 13 for it is (G)not the hearers [h]of the Law who are [i]righteous before God, but the doers [j]of the Law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have [k]the Law [l](H)instinctively perform the requirements of the Law, these, though not having [m]the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show (I)the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, (J)according to my gospel, (K)God will judge the secrets of mankind through Christ Jesus.
The Jews under the Law
17 But if you call yourself a [n]Jew and (L)rely [o]upon the Law and boast in God, 18 and know His will and [p](M)distinguish the things that matter, being instructed from the Law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to people who are blind, a light to those in darkness, 20 a [q]corrector of the foolish, a teacher of [r]the immature, possessing in the Law (N)the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth— 21 you, therefore, (O)who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who [s]preach that one is not to steal, do you steal? 22 You who say that one is not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who loathe idols, do you (P)rob temples? 23 You who (Q)boast [t]in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? 24 For “(R)the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles (S)because of you,” just as it is written.
25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you (T)practice [u]the Law; but if you are a violator [v]of the Law, (U)your circumcision has turned into uncircumcision. 26 (V)So if (W)the [w]uncircumcised man (X)keeps the requirements of the Law, will his uncircumcision not be regarded as circumcision? 27 And (Y)he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not (Z)judge you who [x]though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a violator [y]of the Law? 28 For (AA)he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But (AB)he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and (AC)circumcision is of the heart, by the (AD)Spirit, not by the letter; (AE)and his praise is not from people, but from God.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Romans 2:9 Lit upon
- Romans 2:9 Lit of the
- Romans 2:9 Lit of the
- Romans 2:12 Or without law
- Romans 2:12 Or without law
- Romans 2:12 Or under law
- Romans 2:12 Or by law
- Romans 2:13 Or of law
- Romans 2:13 Or just
- Romans 2:13 Or of law
- Romans 2:14 Or law
- Romans 2:14 Lit by nature
- Romans 2:14 Or law
- Romans 2:17 Or Judean
- Romans 2:17 Or upon law
- Romans 2:18 Or approve
- Romans 2:20 Or instructor
- Romans 2:20 Lit infants
- Romans 2:21 Or proclaim
- Romans 2:23 Or in law
- Romans 2:25 Or law
- Romans 2:25 Or of law
- Romans 2:26 Lit uncircumcision
- Romans 2:27 Lit through the letter
- Romans 2:27 Or of law
Romans 2:9-29
New International Version
Romans 2:9-29
New International Version
9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil:(A) first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;(B) 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.(C) 11 For God does not show favoritism.(D)
12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law(E) will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey(F) the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law,(G) they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets(H) through Jesus Christ,(I) as my gospel(J) declares.
The Jews and the Law
17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;(K) 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?(L) 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?(M) 23 You who boast in the law,(N) do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”[a](O)
25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law,(P) but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.(Q) 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements,(R) will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?(S) 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you(T) who, even though you have the[b] written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.
28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly,(U) nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.(V) 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart,(W) by the Spirit,(X) not by the written code.(Y) Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.(Z)
Footnotes
- Romans 2:24 Isaiah 52:5 (see Septuagint); Ezek. 36:20,22
- Romans 2:27 Or who, by means of a
Romans 2:9-29
King James Version
Romans 2:9-29
King James Version
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
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New King James Version (NKJV) 
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New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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