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God's Righteous Judgment

¹ Therefore you have ^(a)no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For ^(b)in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. ² We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. ³ Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or do you presume on ^(c)the riches of his kindness and ^(d)forbearance and ^(e)patience, ^(f)not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? ⁵ But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are ^(g)storing up ^(h)wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

^6 (i)He will render to each one according to his works: ⁷ to those who ^(j)by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; ⁸ but for those who are self-seeking^[a] and ^(k)do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. ⁹ There will be tribulation and distress ^(l)for every human being who does evil, the Jew ^(m)first and also the Greek, ¹⁰ but glory and honor and ⁽ⁿ⁾peace for everyone who does good, ^(o)the Jew first and also the Greek. ¹¹ For ^(p)God shows no partiality.

God's Judgment and the Law

¹² For all who have sinned ^(q)without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³ For ^(r)it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. ¹⁴ For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, ^(s)by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the work of the law is ^(t)written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them ^16 (u)on that day when, ^(v)according to my gospel, God judges ^(w)the secrets of men ^(x)by Christ Jesus.

¹⁷ But if you call yourself a Jew and ^(y)rely on the law and boast in God ¹⁸ and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; ¹⁹ and if you are sure that you yourself are ^(z)a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law ^(aa)the embodiment of ^(ab)knowledge and truth— ^21 (ac)you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? ²² You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you ^(ad)rob temples? ²³ You who ^(ae)boast in the law ^(af)dishonor God by breaking the law. ²⁴ For, ^(ag)as it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed ^(ah)among the Gentiles because of you."

²⁵ For circumcision indeed is of value ^(ai)if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. ²⁶ So, if ^(aj)a man who is uncircumcised keeps ^(ak)the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded^[b] as circumcision? ²⁷ Then he who is physically^[c] uncircumcised but keeps the law ^(al)will condemn you who have ^(am)the written code^[d] and circumcision but break the law. ²⁸ For ^(an)no one is a Jew ^(ao)who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. ²⁹ But a Jew is one ^(ap)inwardly, and ^(aq)circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. ^(ar)His praise is not from man but from God.