1 That is why ˢyou, O fellow member of the human race, have absolutely no excuse—any human being who concludes another to be worthy of condemnation. To the extent that ˢyou condemn someone else, you see, it is actually yourself whom you are condemning, in view of the fact that you, the one who condemns, are guilty of doing the very same things. 2 Now we know that when God judges, he renders accurate and impartial judgment against those who do such things. 3 Well, do ˢyou really imagine, you puny sinful human—you who condemn those who do such things even though you are guilty of the same—that you yourself will somehow escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do ˢyou dare snub your nose at the incomparably vast and precious riches of his kindness and restraint and patience, failing to understand that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 Because of ˢyour hardness and your heart’s refusal to repent, however, you are storing up punishment for yourself in the Day when God will pour out his wrath and reveal his righteous judgment 6 and “repay each person according to his deeds.”+ 7 To those who, by keeping to what is right, continually set their hearts on these—glory and honor and immortality—he will grant life in the age to come. 8 Upon those who are driven by selfish ambition and refuse to obey the truth, however, who instead obey what is wicked, he will pour out his wrath and fury. 9 There will come upon all the evildoers of mankind great affliction and anguish—upon Jews first, and also+ upon Gentiles. 10 There will be granted to everyone who persists in doing what is right, however, glory and honor and peace—to Jews first, and also to Gentiles. 11 God judges all people by the same standard, you see. 12 All who bear guilt for sin, you see, outside of a formal subjection to and knowledge of Torah, will without reference to Torah also be consigned to utter ruin, while all who bear guilt for sin, indeed, as those formally subject to and knowledgeable of Torah, will on the basis of Torah be condemned. 13 It is not those who merely hear Torah, after all, who are held to be righteous in the eyes of God, but it is those who obey Torah who will be held as such. 14 Indeed, when Gentiles, who aren’t in possession of Torah, do the things taught by Torah as a matter of natural disposition, these Gentiles, even though they don’t have Torah, are functioning as a kind of covenantal instruction to themselves; 15 they demonstrate that the conduct stipulated in Torah is written on their hearts, their consciences bearing additional witness, and at different moments their thoughts telling them, “no, that was wrong,” or even, “yes, that was right.” 16 The Day is coming when God will judge the innermost thoughts and motives of the human race, according to my gospel, through Messiah Jesus.

17 Now if ˢyou are called a Jew, and rely on Torah and praise the deeds of God 18 and know his will and can discern the things that are of greater value and importance, because you are instructed in Torah; 19 if you are convinced that you yourself are a guide indeed for the blind, a light for those who are in darkness, 20 someone who can whip the foolish into shape, a teacher of the ignorant, because you have in your possession the essential features of knowledge and truth in Torah— 21 well then, ˢyou who teach others, are you failing to teach yourself? ˢYou who are always condemning stealing, are you guilty of stealing? 22 ˢYou who are always saying, “don’t commit adultery,” are you guilty of adultery? ˢYou who loathe idols, are you guilty of robbing temples? 23 ˢYou who pride yourself so much in Torah, by disregarding Torah, are subjecting God to dishonor. 24 As it is written, “It is because of ᵖyou that the name of God is constantly profaned among the Gentiles.”+ 25  Circumcision does have its benefits, you see, but only if ˢyou obey Torah. If ˢyou disregard Torah, however, ˢyou might as well have never even been circumcised.

26 If a Gentile’s way of life conforms, therefore, to the righteous statutes of Torah, he will be regarded, will he not, even though he is uncircumcised, as a member of God’s covenant people? 27 In fact, a Gentile who is uncircumcised in his body, and yet whose inward life is submitted to God’s instruction in obedience, will condemn ˢyou who have these—letters on scrolls and bodily circumcision—and yet disregard Torah. 28 It isn’t the things that can be seen on the outside, you see, that make a Jew a Jew, nor is it the circumcision that can be seen in the body that makes a Jew acceptable to God. 29 No, it is the Jew who is faithful here—on the inside, where no man can see—who is a Jew, and the critical circumcision is that of the heart, accomplished through the work of the Spirit, not letters on scrolls. This person’s praise comes not from mere men, but from God.