King James Version KJV
Good News Translation GNT
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.
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Do you, my friend, pass judgment on others? You have no excuse at all, whoever you are. For when you judge others and then do the same things which they do, you condemn yourself.
2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
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We know that God is right when he judges the people who do such things as these.
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?
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But you, my friend, do those very things for which you pass judgment on others! Do you think you will escape God's judgment?
4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
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Or perhaps you despise his great kindness, tolerance, and patience. Surely you know that God is kind, because he is trying to lead you to repent.
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;
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But you have a hard and stubborn heart, and so you are making your own punishment even greater on the Day when God's anger and righteous judgments will be revealed.
6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
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For God will reward each of us according to what we have done.
7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
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Some people keep on doing good, and seek glory, honor, and immortal life; to them God will give eternal life.
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
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Other people are selfish and reject what is right, in order to follow what is wrong; on them God will pour out his anger and fury.
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
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There will be suffering and pain for all those who do what is evil, for the Jews first and also for the Gentiles.
10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
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But God will give glory, honor, and peace to all who do what is good, to the Jews first and also to the Gentiles.
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
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For God judges everyone by the same standard.
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;
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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.
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
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For it is not by hearing the Law that people are put right with God, but by doing what the Law commands.
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:
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The Gentiles do not have the Law; but whenever they do by instinct what the Law commands, they are their own law, even though they do not have the Law.
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;)
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Their conduct shows that what the Law commands is written in their hearts. Their consciences also show that this is true, since their thoughts sometimes accuse them and sometimes defend them.
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
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And so, according to the Good News I preach, this is how it will be on that Day when God through Jesus Christ will judge the secret thoughts of all.
17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
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What about you? You call yourself a Jew; you depend on the Law and boast about God;
18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
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you know what God wants you to do, and you have learned from the Law to choose what is right;
19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
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you are sure that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who 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.
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an instructor for the foolish, and a teacher for the ignorant. You are certain that in the Law you have the full content of knowledge and of truth.
21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
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You teach others - why don't you teach yourself? You preach, "Do not steal" - but do you yourself steal?
22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
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You say, "Do not commit adultery" - but do you commit adultery? You detest idols - but do you rob temples?
23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
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You boast about having God's law - but do you bring shame on God by breaking his law?
24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
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The scripture says, "Because of you Jews, the Gentiles speak evil of God."
25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
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If you obey the Law, your circumcision is of value; but if you disobey the Law, you might as well never have been circumcised.
26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
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If the Gentile, who is not circumcised, obeys the commands of the Law, will not God regard him as though he were circumcised?
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?
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And so you Jews will be condemned by the Gentiles because you break the Law, even though you have it written down and are circumcised; but they obey the Law, even though they are not physically circumcised.
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
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After all, who is a real Jew, truly circumcised? It is not the man who is a Jew on the outside, whose circumcision is a physical thing.
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.
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Rather, the real Jew is the person who is a Jew on the inside, that is, whose heart has been circumcised, and this is the work of God's Spirit, not of the written Law. Such a person receives praise from God, not from human beings.