Passage

Romans 2

Book: Romans · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"1. Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judges another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest dost practise the same things. 2. And we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against them that practise such things. 3. And reckonest thou this, O man, who judgest them that practise such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5. but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6. who will render to every man according to his works: 7. to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life: 8. but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation, 9. tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek; 10. but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek: 11. for there is no respect of persons with God. 12. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without the law: and as many as have sinned under 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 Gentiles that have not the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are the law unto themselves; 15. in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith, and their thoughts one with another accusing or else excusing them); 16. in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men, according to my gospel, by Jesus Christ. 17. But if thou bearest the name of a Jew, and restest upon the law, and gloriest in God, 18. and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19. and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them that are in darkness, 20. a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth; 21. thou therefore that 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 rob temples? 23. thou who gloriest in the law, through thy transgression of the law dishonorest thou God? 24. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, even as it is written. 25. For circumcision indeed profiteth, if thou be a doer of the law: but if thou be a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision is become uncircumcision. 26. If therefore the uncircumcision keep the ordinances of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be reckoned for circumcision? 27. and shall not the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who with the letter and circumcision art a transgressor of the law? 28. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: 29. but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." (Romans 2:1-29, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"1. Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. 2. We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3. Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such things, and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4. Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5. But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God; 6. who “will pay back to everyone according to their works:” 7. to those who by perseverance in well-doing seek for glory, honor, and incorruptibility, eternal life; 8. but to those who are self-seeking, and don’t obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath and indignation, 9. oppression and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 10. But glory, honor, and peace go to every man who does good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 11. For there is no partiality with God. 12. For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without the law. As many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13. For it isn’t the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified 14. (for when Gentiles who don’t have the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15. in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves accusing or else excusing them) 16. in the day when God will judge the secrets of men, according to my Good News, by Jesus Christ. 17. Indeed you bear the name of a Jew, and rest on the law, and glory in God, 18. and know his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19. and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20. a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babies, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth. 21. You therefore who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach that a man shouldn’t steal, do you steal? 22. You who say a man shouldn’t commit adultery. Do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23. You who glory in the law, through your disobedience of the law do you dishonor God? 24. For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written. 25. For circumcision indeed profits, if you are a doer of the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26. If therefore the uncircumcised keep the ordinances of the law, won’t his uncircumcision be accounted as circumcision? 27. Won’t the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfills the law, judge you, who with the letter and circumcision are a transgressor of the law? 28. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; 29. but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God." (Romans 2:1-29, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"1. Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6. Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7. To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8. But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9. Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; ^{Gentile: Gr. Greek} 10. But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: ^{Gentile: Gr. Greek} 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;) ^{their conscience: or, the conscience witnessing with them} ^{the mean: or, between themselves} 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; ^{approvest: or, triest the things that differ} 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." (Romans 2:1-29, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"1. Therefore, thou art inexcusable, O man, every one who is judging, for in that in which thou dost judge the other, thyself thou dost condemn, for the same things thou dost practise who art judging, 2. and we have known that the judgment of God is according to truth, upon those practising such things. 3. And dost thou think this, O man, who art judging those who such things are practising, and art doing them, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4. or the riches of His goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, dost thou despise?, not knowing that the goodness of God doth lead thee to reformation! 5. but, according to thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou dost treasure up to thyself wrath, in a day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6. who shall render to each according to his works; 7. to those, indeed, who in continuance of a good work, do seek glory, and honour, and incorruptibility, life age-during; 8. and to those contentious, and disobedient, indeed, to the truth, and obeying the unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9. tribulation and distress, upon every soul of man that is working the evil, both of Jew first, and of Greek; 10. and glory, and honour, and peace, to every one who is working the good, both to Jew first, and to Greek. 11. For there is no acceptance of faces with God, 12. for as many as without law did sin, without law also shall perish, and as many as did sin in law, through law shall be judged, 13. for not the hearers of the law [are] righteous before God, but the doers of the law shall be declared righteous:, 14. For, when nations that have not a law, by nature may do the things of the law, these not having a law, to themselves are a law; 15. who do shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also witnessing with them, and between one another the thoughts accusing or else defending, 16. in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men, according to my good news, through Jesus Christ. 17. Lo, thou art named a Jew, and dost rest upon the law, and dost boast in God, 18. and dost know the will, and dost approve the distinctions, being instructed out of the law, 19. and hast confidence that thou thyself art a leader of blind ones, a light of those in darkness, 20. an instructor of foolish ones, a teacher of babes, having the form of the knowledge and of the truth in the law. 21. Thou, then, who art teaching another, thyself dost thou not teach? 22. thou who art preaching not to steal, dost thou steal? thou who art saying not to commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou who art abhorring the idols, dost thou rob temples? 23. thou who in the law dost boast, through the transgression of the law God dost thou dishonour? 24. for the name of God because of you is evil spoken of among the nations, according as it hath been written. 25. For circumcision, indeed, doth profit, if law thou mayest practise, but if a transgressor of law thou mayest be, thy circumcision hath become uncircumcision. 26. If, therefore the uncircumcision the righteousness of the law may keep, shall not his uncircumcision for circumcision be reckoned? 27. and the uncircumcision, by nature, fulfilling the law, shall judge thee who, through letter and circumcision, [art] a transgressor of law. 28. For he is not a Jew who is [so] outwardly, neither [is] circumcision that which is outward in flesh; 29. but a Jew [is] he who is [so] inwardly, and circumcision [is] of the heart, in spirit, not in letter, of which the praise is not of men, but of God." (Romans 2:1-29, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: TBD
Audience: TBD
Location: TBD
Time period: TBD

Theological reading

Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

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Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.