| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Therefore 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. | 1Therefore, any one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. |
| 2But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. | 2We know that God's judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. |
| 3And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? | 3Do you really think--anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same--that you will escape God's judgment? |
| 4Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? | 4Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? |
| 5But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; | 5But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment is revealed. |
| 6Who will render to every man according to his deeds: | 6He will repay each one according to his works: |
| 7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: | 7eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality; |
| 8But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, | 8but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth but are obeying unrighteousness; |
| 9Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; | 9affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek; |
| 10But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: | 10but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. |
| 11For there is no respect of persons with God. | 11There is no favoritism with God. |
| 12For 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; | 12All those who sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all those who sinned under the law will 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. | 13For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous. |
| 14For 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: | 14So, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, instinctively do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. |
| 15Which 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;) | 15They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts will either accuse or excuse them |
| 16In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. | 16on the day when God judges what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus. |
| 17Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, | 17Now if you call yourself a Jew, and rest in the law, boast in God, |
| 18And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; | 18know His will, and approve the things that are superior, being instructed from the law, |
| 19And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, | 19and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, |
| 20An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. | 20an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the full expression of knowledge and truth in the law-- |
| 21Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? | 21you then, who teach another, don't you teach yourself? You who preach, "You must not steal"--do you steal? |
| 22Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? | 22You who say, "You must not commit adultery"--do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples? |
| 23Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? | 23You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? |
| 24For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. | 24For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you. |
| 25For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. | 25For circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. |
| 26Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? | 26Therefore if an uncircumcised man keeps the law's requirements, will his uncircumcision not be counted as circumcision? |
| 27And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? | 27A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who fulfills the law, will judge you who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision. |
| 28For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: | 28For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. |
| 29But 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. | 29On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart--by the Spirit, not the letter. That man's praise is not from men but from God. |
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