Romans 1:18-3:19

New King James Version

God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

¹⁸^(A)For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and ^(B)unrighteousness of men, who ^[a]suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹because ^(C)what may be known of God is ^[b]manifest ^[c]in them, for ^(D)God has shown it to them. ²⁰For since the creation of the world ^(E)His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and ^[d]Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but ^(F)became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²²^(G)Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³and changed the glory of the ^(H)incorruptible ^(I)God into an image made like ^[e]corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

²⁴^(J)Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, ^(K)to dishonor their bodies ^(L)among themselves, ²⁵who exchanged ^(M)the truth of God ^(N)for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

²⁶For this reason God gave them up to ^(O)vile passions. For even their ^[f]women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. ²⁷Likewise also the ^[g]men, leaving the natural use of the ^[h]woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

²⁸And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things ^(P)which are not fitting; ²⁹being filled with all unrighteousness, ^[i]sexual immorality, wickedness, ^[j]covetousness, ^[k]maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹^[l]undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, ^[m]unforgiving, unmerciful; ³²who, ^(Q)knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things ^(R)are deserving of death, not only do the same but also ^(S)approve of those who practice them.

God’s Righteous Judgment

2 Therefore you are ^(T)inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, ^(U)for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. ²But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. ³And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴Or do you despise ^(V)the riches of His goodness, ^(W)forbearance, and ^(X)longsuffering, ^(Y)not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? ⁵But in accordance with your hardness and your ^[n]impenitent heart ^(Z)you are ^[o]treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, ⁶who ^(AA)“will render to each one according to his deeds”: ⁷eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; ⁸but to those who are self-seeking and ^(AB)do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, ⁹tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew ^(AC)first and also of the ^[p]Greek; ¹⁰^(AD)but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹¹For ^(AE)there is no partiality with God.

¹²For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law ¹³(for ^(AF)not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; ¹⁴for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, ¹⁵who show the ^(AG)work of the law written in their hearts, their ^(AH)conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) ¹⁶^(AI)in the day when God will judge the secrets of men ^(AJ)by Jesus Christ, ^(AK)according to my gospel.

The Jews Guilty as the Gentiles

¹⁷^[q]Indeed ^(AL)you are called a Jew, and ^(AM)rest^[r] on the law, ^(AN)and make your boast in God, ¹⁸and ^(AO)know His will, and ^(AP)approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, ¹⁹and ^(AQ)are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, ^(AR)having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. ²¹^(AS)You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? ²²You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, ^(AT)do you rob temples? ²³You who ^(AU)make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? ²⁴For ^(AV)“the name of God is ^(AW)blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written.

Circumcision of No Avail

²⁵^(AX)For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. ²⁶Therefore, ^(AY)if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? ²⁷And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, ^(AZ)judge you who, even with your ^[s]written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? ²⁸For ^(BA)he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; ²⁹but he is a Jew ^(BB)who is one inwardly; and ^(BC)circumcision is that of the heart, ^(BD)in the Spirit, not in the letter; ^(BE)whose ^[t]praise is not from men but from God.

God’s Judgment Defended

3 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? ²Much in every way! Chiefly because ^(BF)to them were committed the ^[u]oracles of God. ³For what if ^(BG)some did not believe? ^(BH)Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? ⁴^(BI)Certainly not! Indeed, let ^(BJ)God be ^[v]true but ^(BK)every man a liar. As it is written:

^(BL)“That You may be justified in Your words,
And may overcome when You are judged.”

⁵But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? ^(BM)(I speak as a man.) ⁶Certainly not! For then ^(BN)how will God judge the world?

⁷For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? ⁸And why not say, ^(BO)“Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their ^[w]condemnation is just.

All Have Sinned^(BP)

⁹What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that ^(BQ)they are all under sin.

¹⁰As it is written:

^(BR)“There is none righteous, no, not one;
¹¹There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
¹²They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
¹³“Their^(BS) throat is an open ^[x]tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
^(BT)“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
¹⁴“Whose^(BU) mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
¹⁵“Their^(BV) feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶Destruction and misery are in their ways;
¹⁷And the way of peace they have not known.”
¹⁸“There^(BW) is no fear of God before their eyes.”

¹⁹Now we know that whatever ^(BX)the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that ^(BY)every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become ^[y]guilty before God.