1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoeuer thou art that condemnest: for in that that thou condemnest another, thou condemnest thy selfe: for thou that condemnest, doest the same things. 2 But we know that the iudgement of God is according to trueth, against them which comit such things. 3 And thinkest thou this, O thou man, that condemnest them which doe such thinges, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the iudgement of God? 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnesse, and patience, and long sufferance, not knowing that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5 But thou, after thine hardnesse, and heart that canot repent, heapest vp as a treasure vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath, and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God, 6 Who wil reward euery man according to his woorkes: 7 That is, to them which through patience in well doing, seeke glorie, and honour, and immortalitie, euerlasting life: 8 But vnto them that are contentious and disobey the trueth, and obey vnrighteousnesse, shalbe indignation and wrath. 9 Tribulation and anguish shalbe vpon the soule of euery man that doeth euill: of the Iewe first, and also of the Grecian. 10 But to euery man that doeth good, shalbe glory, and honour, and peace: to the Iew first, and also to the Grecian. 11 For there is no respect of persons with God. 12 For as many as haue sinned without the Lawe, shall perish also without the Lawe: and as many as haue sinned in the Lawe, shall be iudged by the Lawe, 13 (For the hearers of the Lawe are not righteous before God: but the doers of the Lawe shalbe iustified. 14 For when the Gentiles which haue not the Lawe, doe by nature, the things conteined in the Lawe, they hauing not the Lawe, are a Lawe vnto themselues, 15 Which shew the effect of the Lawe written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witnes, and their thoughts accusing one another, or excusing,) 16 At the day when God shall iudge the secretes of men by Iesus Christ, according to my Gospel. 17 Beholde, thou art called a Iewe, and restest in the Lawe, and gloriest in God, 18 And knowest his will, and triest the things that dissent from it, in that thou art instructed by the Lawe: 19 And persuadest thy selfe that thou art a guide of the blinde, a light of them which are in darkenesse, 20 An instructer of them which lacke discretion, a teacher of the vnlearned, which hast the forme of knowledge, and of the truth in ye Law. 21 Thou therefore, which teachest another, teachest thou not thy selfe? thou that preachest, A man should not steale, doest thou steale? 22 Thou that saist, A man should not commit adulterie, doest thou commit adulterie? thou that abhorrest idoles, committest thou sacrilege? 23 Thou that gloriest in the Lawe, through breaking the Lawe, dishonourest thou God? 24 For ye Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. 25 For circucision verely is profitable, if thou do the Lawe: but if thou be a transgressour of the Lawe, thy circumcision is made vncircumcision. 26 Therefore if the vncircumcision keepe the ordinances of the Lawe, shall not his vncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27 And shall not vncircumcision which is by nature (if it keepe the Lawe) condemne thee which by the letter and circumcision art a transgressour of the Lawe? 28 For hee is not a Iewe, which is one outwarde: neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Iewe which is one within, and the circumcision is of the heart, in the spirite not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Romans 2 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
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)