Romans 2 : Easy-to-Read Version
You Jews Also Are Sinful
2 1If you think that you can judge those other people, then you are wrong. You too are guilty of sin. You judge those people, but you do the same bad things they do. So when you judge them, you are really judging yourself guilty. 2God judges the people that do those wrong things. And we know that God's judgment is right. 3You also judge the people that do those wrong things. But you do those wrong things too. So surely you understand that God will judge you. You will not be able to escape. 4God has been very kind to you. And he has been patient with you. God has been waiting for you to change. But you think nothing of his kindness. Maybe you don't understand that God is kind to you so that you will change your hearts and lives. 5But you people are hard and stubborn. You refuse to change. So you are making your own punishment greater and greater. You will get that punishment on the day when God will show his anger. On that day people will see God's right judgments. 6God will reward or punish every person for the things that person has done. 7Some people live for God's glory, for honor, and for life that cannot be destroyed. Those people live for those things by always continuing to do good. God will give life forever to those people. 8But other people are selfish and refuse to follow truth. Those people follow evil. God will give those people his punishment and anger. 9God will give trouble and suffering to every person that does evil--to the Jews first and also to the non-Jews. 10But God will give glory, honor, and peace to every person that does good--to the Jews first and also to the non-Jews. 11God judges all people the same. 12People that have the law* and people that have never heard of the law are all the same when they sin. People that don't have the law and are sinners will be lost. And, in the same way, people that have the law and are sinners will be judged by the law. 13Hearing the law does not make people right with God. The law makes people right with God only if those people always obey everything the law says. 14(The non-Jews don't have the law. But when they freely do things that the law commands without even knowing the law, then they are the law for themselves. This is true even though they don't have the law. 15They show that in their hearts they know what is right and wrong, the same as the law commands. And those people also show this by the way they feel about right and wrong. Sometimes their thoughts tell them that they did wrong, and this makes them guilty. And sometimes their thoughts tell them that they did right, and this makes them not guilty.) 16All these things will happen on the day when God will judge the secret things inside of people. The Good News* that I tell people says that God will judge people through Christ Jesus.
The Jews and the Law
17What about you? You say you are a Jew. You trust in the law and boast that you are close to God. 18You know what God wants you to do. And you know the things that are important, because you have learned the law. 19You think you are a guide for people that don't know the right way. You think you are a light for people that are in darkness (sin). 20You think you can show foolish people what is right. And you think you are a teacher for people that still need to learn. You have the law and so you think that you know everything and have all truth. 21You teach other people. So why don't you teach yourself? You tell people not to steal. But you yourselves steal. 22You say that people must not do the sin of adultery.* But you yourselves are guilty of that sin. You hate idols.* But you steal from temples.* 23You boast about God's law. But you bring shame to God by breaking his law. 24It is written in the Scriptures*: "The non-Jews say bad things about God because of you [Jews]."* 25If you follow the law,* then your circumcision* has meaning. But if you break the law, then it is like you were never circumcised. 26The non-Jews are not circumcised. But if they do what the law says, then it is like they were circumcised. 27You Jews have the written law and circumcision, but you break the law. So the people that are not circumcised in their bodies, but still obey the law, will show that you people are guilty. 28A person is not a true Jew if he is only a Jew in his physical body. True circumcision* is not only on the outside of the body. 29A person is a true Jew only if he is a Jew inside. True circumcision is done in the heart. It is done by the Spirit,* not by the written law. And a person that is circumcised in the heart by the Spirit gets praise from God, not from people.
law God's law. It is represented in the law of Moses. Good News The news that God has made a way for people to have their sins forgiven and live with him forever. adultery Breaking a marriage promise by sexual sin. idols The false gods that the non-Jewish people worship. temples Places where people worship. Scripture(s) Holy Writings--the Old Testament. "The non-Jews ... Jews" Quote from Isa. 52:5. circumcision, circumcised To have the foreskin cut off. This was done to every Jewish baby boy. It was a mark of the agreement God made with Abraham (Gen. 17:9-14). Spirit, Holy Spirit Also called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, and the Comforter. Joined with God and Christ, he does God's work among people in the world.