Romans 2:12

Amplified Bible

For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without [regard to] the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged and condemned by the Law.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
People who have the law and those who have never heard of the law are all the same when they sin. People who don't have the law and are sinners will be lost. And, in the same way, those who have the law and are sinners will be judged by the law.

Revised Standard Version
All who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And as many as haue synned vnder the lawe shalbe iudged by the lawe.

Hebrew Names Version
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.

International Standard Version
For 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.

New American Standard Bible
For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law;

New Century Version
People who do not have the law and who are sinners will be lost, although they do not have the law. And, in the same way, those who have the law and are sinners will be judged by the law.

Update Bible Version
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;

Webster's Bible Translation
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,

English Standard Version
For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.

World English Bible
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.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For as many as have sinned without the law, shall also perish without the law; and as many as have sinned under the law, shall be judged by the law.

Weymouth's New Testament
For all who have sinned apart from the Law will also perish apart from the Law, and all who have sinned whilst living under the Law, will be judged by the Law.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For who euere han synned without the lawe, schulen perische withouten the lawe; and who euere han synned in the lawe, thei schulen be demyd bi the lawe.

English Revised Version
For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned under law shall be judged by law;

Berean Standard Bible
All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.

Contemporary English Version
Those people who don't know about God's Law will still be punished for what they do wrong. And the Law will be used to judge everyone who knows what it says.

American Standard Version
For as many as have sinned without the law shall also perish without the law: and as many as have sinned under the law shall be judged by the law;

Bible in Basic English
All those who have done wrong without the law will get destruction without the law: and those who have done wrong under the law will have their punishment by the law;

Complete Jewish Bible
All who have sinned outside the framework of Torah will die outside the framework of Torah; and all who have sinned within the framework of Torah will be judged by Torah.

Darby Translation
For as many as have sinned without law shall perish also without law; and as many as have sinned under law shall be judged by law,

Etheridge Translation
For they who without the law have sinned, without the law also will perish: and they who in the law have sinned, by the law will be judged.

Murdock Translation
for those without law, who sin, will also perish without law; and those under the law, who sin, will be judged by the law,

King James Version (1611)
For as many as haue sinned without Law, shall also perish without Law: and as many as haue sinned in the Law, shalbe iudged by the Law.

New Living Translation
When 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.

New Life Bible
Those who have sinned without having the Law will be lost without the Law being used. Those who have the Law and have sinned will be judged by the Law.

New Revised Standard
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.

Geneva Bible (1587)
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,

George Lamsa Translation
For those who have sinned without law, shall also perish without law: and those who have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, as many as without law sinned, without law, also shall perish, and, as many as within law sinned, through law, shall be judged;

Douay-Rheims Bible
For whosoever have sinned without the law shall perish without the law: and whosoever have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For whosoeuer hath sinned without lawe, shall also perishe without lawe: And as many as haue sinned in ye lawe, shalbe iudged by the lawe.

Good News Translation
The Gentiles do not have the Law of Moses; they sin and are lost apart from the Law. The Jews have the Law; they sin and are judged by the Law.

Christian Standard Bible®
All who sin without the law will also perish without the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.

King James Version
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;

Lexham English Bible
For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.

Literal Translation
For as many as sinned without Law will also perish without Law. And as many as sinned within Law will be judged through Law.

Young's Literal Translation
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,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
shal perish also without lawe: and whosoeuer haue synned in the lawe, shalbe iudged by the lawe.

Mace New Testament (1729)
For as many as have sinned without the law, shall also perish without the law: and as many as have sinned under the law, shall be condemned by the law,

THE MESSAGE
If you sin without knowing what you're doing, God takes that into account. But if you sin knowing full well what you're doing, that's a different story entirely. Merely hearing God's law is a waste of your time if you don't do what he commands. Doing, not hearing, is what makes the difference with God.

New English Translation
For 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.

New King James Version
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

Simplified Cowboy Version
Ignorance is no longer an excuse. Sin is sin and will be judged accordingly.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law;

Legacy Standard Bible
For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law.

Contextual Overview

¹Therefore you have no excuse or justification, everyone of you who [hypocritically] judges and condemns others; for in passing judgment on another person, you condemn yourself, because you who judge [from a position of arrogance or self-righteousness] are habitually practicing the very same things [which you denounce]. ²And we know that the judgment of God falls justly and in accordance with truth on those who practice such things. ³But do you think this, O man, when you judge and condemn those who practice such things, and yet do the same yourself, that you will escape God's judgment and elude His verdict? ⁴Or do you have no regard for the wealth of His kindness and tolerance and patience [in withholding His wrath]? Are you [actually] unaware or ignorant [of the fact] that God's kindness leads you to repentance [that is, to change your inner self, your old way of thinking—seek His purpose for your life]? ⁵But because of your callous stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are [deliberately] storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. ⁶He WILL PAY BACK TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS [justly, as his deeds deserve]: ⁷to those who by persistence in doing good seek [unseen but certain heavenly] glory, honor, and immortality, [He will give the gift of] eternal life. ⁸But for those who are selfishly ambitious and self-seeking and disobedient to the truth but responsive to wickedness, [there will be] wrath and indignation. ⁹There will be tribulation and anguish [torturing confinement] for every human soul who does [or permits] evil, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, ¹⁰but glory and honor and inner peace [will be given] to everyone who habitually does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

For: Romans 2:14, Romans 2:15, Romans 1:18-21, Romans 1:32, Ezekiel 16:49, Ezekiel 16:50, Matthew 11:22, Matthew 11:24, Luke 10:12-15, Luke 12:47, Luke 12:48, John 19:11, Acts 17:30, Acts 17:31

in the law: Romans 2:16, Romans 3:19, Romans 3:20, Romans 4:15, Romans 7:7-11, Romans 8:3, Deuteronomy 27:26, 2 Corinthians 3:7-9, Galatians 2:16-19, Galatians 3:10, Galatians 3:22, James 2:10, Revelation 20:12-15

Reciprocal: Judges 4:16 - pursued 2 Chronicles 15:3 - without law Jeremiah 39:18 - because Matthew 25:32 - before John 5:45 - there John 7:19 - yet 1 Corinthians 9:21 - them

Cross-References

Exodus 28:20
and the fourth row a beryl and an onyx and a jasper; they shall be set in gold filigree.

Exodus 39:13
and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper; they were mounted in settings of gold filigree.

Numbers 11:7
The manna was like coriander seed, and it looked like bdellium.

Job 28:16
"It cannot be valued in [terms of] the gold of Ophir, In the precious onyx or beryl, or the sapphire.

Ezekiel 28:13
"You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and your sockets, Was in you. They were prepared On the day that you were created.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For as many as have sinned without law,.... This is an instance of the strict justice of God, and proves him to be no respecter of persons; for the Gentiles, who were "without law", the written law of Moses, not without the law of nature in their breasts, nor without some civil laws and statutes of their own; inasmuch as they "sinned" against the God of nature, and the law and light of nature, they

shall also perish without law: not that their condemnation and perdition will be illegal, or not in due course of law; but it will not proceed upon, or according to the law of Moses, they never had; and much less for not believing in Christ, of whom they never heard; but their perdition will be for their sins committed without the law of Moses, against the law of nature: their not having the written law of Moses will be no plea in their favour, or be a reason why they should not be condemned; their persons will not be regarded as with or without the law, but their sins committed by them, to which facts their consciences will bear witness:

and, so on the other hand,

as many as have sinned in the law; who have been in and under the law of Moses, and have sinned against it, meaning the Jews:

shall be judged by the law; and condemned by it, as they were in this world, and will be hereafter: their having this law will be no bar against their condemnation, but rather an aggravation of it; their hearing of it will be no plea in their favour; nor their doing of it neither, unless they could have done it to perfection; for perfect obedience it requires, as a justifying righteousness, otherwise it curses, condemns, and adjudges to death.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For - This is used to give a reason for what he had just said, or to show on what principles God would treat man, so as not to be a respecter of persons.

As many - Whosoever. This includes all who have done it, and evidently has respect to the Gentile world. It is of the more importance to remark this, because he does not say that it is applicable to a few only, or to great and incorrigible instances of pagan wickedness, but it is a universal, sweeping declaration, obviously including all.

Have sinned - Have been guilty of crimes of any kind toward God or man. Sin is the transgression of a rule of conduct, however made known to mankind.

Without law - ἀνόμως anomōs. This expression evidently means without revealed or written law, as the apostle immediately says that they had a law of nature, Romans 2:14-15. The word “law,” νόμος nomos. is often used to denote the revealed Law of God, the Scriptures, or revelation in general; Matthew 12:5; Luke 2:23-24; Luke 10:26; John 8:5, John 8:17.

Shall also perish - ἀπολοῦνται apolountai. The Greek word used here occurs frequently in the New Testament. It means to destroy, to lose, or to corrupt, and is applied to life, Matthew 10:39; to a reward of labor, Matthew 10:42; to wisdom 1 Corinthians 1:19; to bottles, Matthew 9:17. It is also used to denote future punishment, or the destruction of soul and body in hell, Matthew 10:28; Matthew 18:14; John 3:15, where it is opposed to eternal life, and therefore denotes eternal death; Romans 14:15; John 17:12. In this sense the word is evidently used in this verse. The connection demands that the reference should be to a future judgment to be passed on the pagan. It will be remarked here that the apostle does not say they shall be saved without law. He does not give even an intimation respecting their salvation. The strain of the argument, as well as this express declaration, shows that they who had sinned - and in the first chapter he had proved that all the pagan were sinners - would be punished. If any of the pagan are saved, it will be, therefore, an exception to the general rule in regard to them. The apostles evidently believed that the great mass of them would be destroyed. On this ground they evinced such zeal to save them; on this ground the Lord Jesus commanded the gospel to be preached to them; and on this ground Christians are now engaged in the effort to bring them to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. It may be added here, that all modern investigations have gone to confirm the position that the pagan are as degraded now as they were in the time of Paul.

Without law - That is, they shall not be judged by a law which they have not. They shall not be tried and condemned by the revelation which the Jews had. They shall be condemned only according to the knowledge and the Law which they actually possess. This is the equitable rule on which God will judge the world. According to this, it is not to be apprehended that they will suffer as much as those who have the revealed will of God; compare Matthew 10:15; Matthew 11:24; Luke 10:12.

Have sinned in the law - Have sinned having the revealed will of God, or endowed with greater light and privileges than the pagan world. The apostle here has undoubted reference to the Jews, who had the Law of God, and who prided themselves much on its possession.

Shall be judged by the law - This is an equitable and just rule; and to this the Jews could make no objection. Yet the admission of this would have led directly to the point to which Paul was conducting his argument, to show that they also were under condemnation, and needed a Saviour. It will be observed here, that the apostle uses a different expression in regard to the Jews from what he does of the Gentiles. He says of the former, that they “shall be judged;” of the latter, that they “shall perish.” It is not certainly known why he varied this expression. But if conjecture may be allowed, it may have been for the following reasons.

(1) If he had a affirmed of the Jews that they should perish, it would at once have excited their prejudice, and have armed them against the conclusion to which he was about to come. Yet they could bear the word to be applied to the pagan, for it was in accordance with their own views and their own mode of speaking, and was strictly true.

(2) The word “judged” is apparently more mild, and yet really more severe. It would arouse no prejudice to say that they would be judged by their Law. It was indeed paying a sort of tribute or regard to that on which they prided themselves so much, the possession of the Law of God. Still, it was a word. implying all that he wished to say, and involving the idea that they would be punished and destroyed. If it was admitted that the pagan would perish; and if God was to judge the Jews by an unerring rule, that is, according to their privileges and light; then it would follow that they would also be condemned, and their own minds would come at once to the conclusion. The change of words here may indicate, therefore, a nice tact, or delicate address in argument, urging home to the conscience an offensive truth rather by the deduction of the mind of the opponent himself than by a harsh and severe charge of the writer. In instances of this, the Scriptures abound; and it was this especially that so eminently characterized the arguments of our Saviour.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 2:12. For as many as have sinned without law, c.] They, viz. the Gentiles, who shall be found to have transgressed against the mere light of nature, or rather, that true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world, John 1:9, shall not come under the same rule with those, the Jews, who have in addition to this enjoyed an extraordinary revelation but they shall be dealt with according to the inferior dispensation, under which they lived: while those, the Jews, who have sinned against the law-the positive Divine revelation granted to them, shall be judged by that law, and punished proportionably to the abuse of such an extraordinary advantage.