Romans 2

₁You say other people are doing wrong but you, yes you, are also guilty. You say that they are doing wrong, but you are doing the same things. If you say they are doing wrong, it means that you are also guilty because you do the same things that are wrong. ₂We know it is right when God punishes people who are doing those wrong things. ₃You say other people are doing wrong, but you are doing the same things, so then you should know that God will also punish you, and you will not be able to flee from God's judgement. ₄God is good. He does not punish people immediately. He is patient because He wants you to turn to Him. Don't you know how important this is to you? ₅You do not listen to God, and you do not live as God wants. That is why God will punish you on that day when He will punish all the people, on that day when everyone will see that the punishment of God is fair. ₆God knows what each person has done and He will judge him on what he has done. ₇Some people are patient and they do good things, because they are thinking about God. They want God to make them like kings so that everyone will respect them, and they want to live with God forever. God will give them eternal_life. ₈But some people are selfish. They know what is the right way of living, but they don't do it. They like doing bad things. God will stay angry with them and He will punish them. ₉Yes, God will punish all the people who do wrong. He will make them suffer and they will have lots of trouble. They will all suffer, first the Jews and then the people who are not Jews. ₁₀But God will be very good to people who do good things. They will be like kings. Everyone will respect them and God will give them peace, first to the Jews and then to all the people who are not Jews. ₁₁Yes, God does not think that one person is more important than the other person.

₁₂God did not give his laws to all people. There are people who do not have God's laws and if they sin, they will be lost. But some people have God's laws and if they sin, the laws will judge them and show that they have done wrong and God will punish them. ₁₃God forgives people and says they are righteous, but He does not do it only because they know the laws or listen to them. No, God sets people right with Him if they do what the laws say. ₁₄The Gentiles do not have God's laws, but sometimes they decide to do what is right and then they are doing things that the laws say. They do not have God's laws, but sometimes they live like people who have God's laws. ₁₅They do things that show that God's laws are in their hearts. They know what is right and what is wrong and they can tell themselves that what they are doing is right or wrong. ₁₆This will happen on that day when God will tell Jesus Christ to look at all the bad things that people thought and judge them. This is what the Good_News, the message that I am preaching, tells us.

₁₇You say you are a Jew and that God's laws are very important to you and you boast and say that God is your God. ₁₈You know what God wants you to do. You know what the right things are because people teach you what the laws say. ₁₉You think you can help other people, like someone who helps a blind person or someone who shines a light for people who are in the dark. ₂₀You think you are like someone who teaches other people who understand nothing. You think you are like a teacher who teaches children. You think you know everything that people must know, and all the truth, because it is in the laws of God that you have.

₂₁But you are wrong. You teach other people, but you don't teach yourself. You tell other people not to steal, but you steal. ₂₂You tell other people not to commit_adultery, but you yourself commit adultery. You say you hate idols, but you steal things from their temples. ₂₃You boast because you have God's laws, but you don't do what the laws say and so you show that you do not honour God. ₂₄It happens as it is written in the Old_Testament where it says:

₂₅If you do what God's laws say, then it is good that you are circumcised. But if you don't do what God's laws say, then it is worthless that you are circumcised, and you are like the people who are not circumcised. ₂₆If people are not circumcised but they do what God's laws say, then God will say it does not_matter that they are not circumcised. Then they are the same to God as those people who are circumcised. ₂₇The people who are not circumcised and do what God's laws say will show that you are wrong. You have the laws of God and you are circumcised, but you don't do what the laws say.

_28-29Who are the true Jews? They are not the people who look like Jews to other people. No, they must be true Jews in their hearts. People whose bodies are circumcised are not_really circumcised yet. Their hearts must be circumcised and that means: It is not important that people's bodies are circumcised as the laws say. It is important that the Holy_Spirit has circumcised their hearts. Then God will praise those people. It will not be people who praise them.