1 So if you judge others you don't have any excuse, whoever you are! For in whatever way you condemn others, you're judging yourself, because you're doing the same things. 2 We know that God's judgment on those who do such things is based on truth. 3 When you judge them do you really think that you however can avoid God's judgment? 4 Or is it that you're treating his wonderful kindness, tolerance, and patience with contempt, not realizing that God in his kindness is trying to lead you to repent? 5 Due to your hard-hearted attitude and your refusal to repent, you're making things far worse for yourself on the day of retribution when God's judgment is demonstrated to be absolutely right. 6 God will make sure everyone receives what they deserve according to what they've done. 7 Those who have kept on trying to do what is good and right will receive glory and honor, immortality and eternal life. 8 But those who think only of themselves, rejecting the truth and deliberately choosing to do evil, will receive punishment and furious hostility. 9 Everyone who does evil will have trouble and suffering—the Jewish people first, and the foreigners too. 10 But everyone who does good will have glory, honor, and peace—the Jewish people first, and the foreigners too. 11 God has no favorites. 12 Those who sin even though they don't have the written law are still lost, while those who sin that do have the written law will be condemned by that law. 13 Just listening to what the law says doesn't make you right in God's sight. It's those who do what the law says who are made right. 14 The foreigners don't have the written law, but when they instinctively do what it says, they are following the law even without having the written law. 15 In this way they show how the law works that's written in their minds. As they think about what they're doing, their conscience either accuses them for doing wrong or defends them for doing what is good and right. 16 The good news I share is that a day is coming when God will judge, through Jesus Christ, everyone's secret thoughts. 17 What about you who call yourself a Jew? You rely on the written law and boast about having a special relationship to God. 18 You know what he wants; you do what's right because you've been taught from the law. 19 You're absolutely sure that you can guide the blind, and that you are a light to those in darkness. 20 You think you can set ignorant people straight, a teacher of “children,” because you know from the law all the truth there is to know. 21 So if you're busy teaching others, why don't you teach yourself? You tell people not to steal, but are you stealing? 22 You tell people not to commit adultery, but are you committing adultery? You tell people not to worship idols, but do you profane temples? 23 You boast about having the law, but don't you misrepresent God by breaking it? 24 As Scripture says, “God's character is defamed among the foreigners because of you.” 25 Being circumcised has value only if you do what the law says. But if you break the law, your circumcision is as worthless as those who are not circumcised at all. 26 If a man who is not circumcised keeps the law, he should be considered as being circumcised even though he's not. 27 The uncircumcised foreigners who keep the law will condemn you if you break the law, even though you have the written law and circumcision. 28 It's not what's on the outside that makes you a Jew; it's not the physical sign of circumcision. 29 What makes you a Jew is on the inside, a “circumcision of the heart” that doesn't follow the letter of the law but the Spirit. Someone like that is looking for praise from God, not from people.
Romans 2 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (29)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Luke 6:37; Romans 2:3; John 8:7–9; Romans 2:21–23; Matthew 7:1–5
- 2 Psalm 9:7–8; Zephaniah 3:5; Psalm 145:17; Jeremiah 12:1; Psalm 98:9
- 3 Proverbs 16:5; Luke 12:14; Romans 1:32–2:1; Matthew 23:33; Matthew 26:53
- 4 2 Peter 3:9; Isaiah 30:18; Exodus 34:6; Titus 3:4–6; Romans 9:22–23
- 5 Ecclesiastes 12:14; Romans 1:18; Romans 2:2–3; Hebrews 3:15; 2 Peter 3:7
- 6 Psalm 62:12; Jeremiah 32:19; Matthew 16:27; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Jeremiah 17:10
- 7 2 Timothy 4:7–8; Luke 8:15; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 2 Timothy 1:10; Revelation 2:10–11
- 8 1 Timothy 6:3–4; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; John 3:18–21; 1 Peter 4:17; Proverbs 13:10
- 9 1 Peter 4:17; Romans 3:29–30; Romans 1:16; Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 9:24
- 10 Isaiah 32:17; Isaiah 26:12; Numbers 6:26; 1 Peter 1:7; Romans 8:6
- 11 Deuteronomy 10:17; Acts 10:34; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Galatians 2:6; Job 34:19
- 12 1 Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 3:10; Romans 2:14–16; Galatians 2:16–19; Acts 17:30–31
- 13 James 1:22–25; 1 John 3:7; James 2:21–25; Romans 2:25; Luke 8:21
- 14 Romans 1:19–20; Romans 2:12; Romans 2:27; Acts 17:30; Acts 10:35
- 15 2 Corinthians 5:11; Romans 1:18–19; 2 Corinthians 1:12; Titus 1:15; 1 Timothy 4:2
- 16 Ecclesiastes 12:14; 1 Corinthians 4:5; Acts 17:31; Acts 10:42; Luke 8:17
- 17 Romans 2:23; Micah 3:11; Isaiah 48:1–2; Revelation 2:9; Romans 9:4–7
- 18 1 Thessalonians 5:21; James 4:17; Deuteronomy 4:8; Philippians 1:10; Hebrews 5:14
- 19 Revelation 3:17–18; Isaiah 5:21; Matthew 6:23; Proverbs 26:12; 1 Corinthians 8:1–2
- 20 2 Timothy 3:5; Titus 1:16; 2 Timothy 1:13; Romans 6:17; 1 Corinthians 3:1
- 21 1 Corinthians 9:27; Matthew 23:3–28; Luke 12:47; Micah 3:11; Titus 2:1–7
- 22 Malachi 3:8; Matthew 12:39; Jeremiah 9:2; Acts 19:37; Malachi 1:8
- 23 James 4:16–17; Romans 2:17; John 5:45; Romans 9:4; Romans 3:2
- 24 Ezekiel 36:20–23; Isaiah 52:5; 2 Peter 2:2; Lamentations 2:15–16; 2 Samuel 12:14
- 25 Galatians 5:3–6; Jeremiah 4:4; Galatians 6:15; Acts 7:51; Deuteronomy 30:6
- 26 Colossians 2:11; 1 Corinthians 7:18–19; Romans 8:4; Ephesians 2:11; Acts 11:3–18
- 27 Matthew 12:41–42; Romans 7:6–8; Romans 8:4; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Romans 2:29
- 28 Galatians 6:15; Matthew 3:9; Revelation 2:9; Romans 9:6–8; Romans 4:10–12
- 29 Deuteronomy 30:6; Philippians 3:3; Deuteronomy 10:16; Colossians 2:11–12; Jeremiah 4:4
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
After saying that the Gentile wanteth nothing appertaining to salvation if he be a doer of the Law, and after making that wonderful comparison, he goes on to set down the glories of the Jews, owing to which they thought scorn of the Gentiles: and first the very name itself, which was of great majesty, as the name Christian is …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
Those, on the other hand, who depart from Him, and despise His precepts, and by their deeds bring dishonour on Him who made them, and by their opinions blaspheme Him who nourishes them, heap up against themselves most righteous judgment. He therefore (i.e., the spiritual man) sifts and tries them all, but he himself is tried by no man: he …
And who is this but Thee, our God, the sweetness and well-spring of righteousness, who renderest "to every man according to his deeds," and despisest not "a broken and a contrite heart!"
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
For as teaching without doing condemns the teacher (for "thou which teachest another," it is said, "teachest thou not thyself"?) so doing but not guiding others, lessens our reward.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
For Jesus the King when about to become our Physician, girded Himself with the linen of humanity, and healed that which was sick. The perfect Teacher of babes became a babe among babes, that He might give wisdom to the foolish.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)