2 Do you judge another people? You your-selves have done wrong things. So when you judge others, you judge yourselves, because you do the same things. You judge them and yet you do the same things.

² We know that God judges people who do such things. And he judges them by what is true.

³ Man, you judge people who do such things and yet you do them yourself. Do you think that God will not judge you?

⁴ Or do you not respect him for being kind, very patient, and for waiting a long time? Do you not know that God is kind, and he wants to lead you away from doing wrong things?

⁵ But your hearts are hard. You will not stop. That is why God will be angry with you. He will be angry on the day when people will see that he judges in the right way.

⁶ He will pay every man for what he has done.

⁷ He will give life for ever to people who keep on doing good. These people want to have glory and honour from God, and to live for ever.

⁸ But God will be very angry with the people who think of themselves first before others. They do not obey what is right. They do wrong things.

⁹ Every one who does what is wrong will have much trouble and a hard time. This will happen to the Jews first, then to those who are not Jews.

¹⁰ And every one who does what is good, will be made great. He will have honour and peace. This will happen to the Jews first and then to those who are not Jews.

¹¹ God does not love some people more than others.

¹² All those who do not know the law [of God given to Moses] and did what was wrong, will die. But they will not be judged by the law. All those who know the law and did what was wrong will be judged by the law.

¹³ (God does not say people are good because they have heard the law. But people who obey the law will be called good people.

¹⁴ Some people do not have the law. But they do what the law says because their own hearts tell them to. They have a law of their own, even though they do not know the law.

¹⁵ They show that the law is written in their hearts. They know what is right to do and what is wrong to do. Their own thoughts tell them they have done what is wrong or what is not wrong.)

¹⁶ This will be on the day when God judges the things men have kept secret. Jesus Christ will be the judge. That is part of the good news I tell people.

¹⁷ But you call yourselves Jews. You believe the law. You are proud of your God.

¹⁸ You know what he wants people to do. You know the thoughts that are good because you have been taught the law.

¹⁹ You are sure that you can lead people who are like blind men. You are like a light for people who are in the dark.

²⁰ You are sure that you can tell foolish people what is right. You can teach people who are like children. You know what you need to know and you know what is true because you have the law.

²¹ You teach another person. Do you not teach yourself? You say people must not steal. Do you steal?

²² You say people must not commit adultery. Do you commit adultery? You hate idols. Do you steal things from the houses of idols?

²³ You are proud that you have the law. Do you break the law, and in that way show you do not honour God?

²⁴ The holy writings say, `People who are not Jews say wrong things about the name of God. They do it because of what you Jews do.'

²⁵ Circumcision of the body is a good thing if you obey the law. But if you break the law, you are like a man who has not been circumcised with this mark of the Jew.

²⁶ So if a man who has not been circumcised obeys the law, will he not be like a man who has been circumcised?

²⁷ Some people have not been circumcised, but they obey the law. They will show that you should be punished. You have the written law and you have been circumcised, and yet you break the law.

²⁸ If a person is a Jew only on the outside, he is not really a Jew. And true circumcision is not something that is done on the outside of the body.

²⁹ If a person is a Jew inside, he is really a Jew. It is God who praises him, not people. True circumcision is done in the heart. It is in the spirit, not in the body. Such people are not praised; but God praises them.