Romans 2 – NIRV & AKCB

New International Reader’s Version

Romans 2:1-29

God Judges Fairly

1If you judge someone else, you have no excuse for it. When you judge another person, you are judging yourself. You do the same things you blame others for doing. 2We know that when God judges those who do evil things, he judges fairly. 3Though you are only a human being, you judge others. But you yourself do the same things. So how do you think you will escape when God judges you? 4Do you disrespect God’s great kindness and favor? Do you disrespect God when he is patient with you? Don’t you realize that God’s kindness is meant to turn you away from your sins?

5But you are stubborn. In your heart you are not sorry for your sins. You are storing up anger against yourself. The day of God’s anger is coming. Then his way of judging fairly will be shown. 6God “will pay back each person in keeping with what they have done.” (Psalm 62:12; Proverbs 24:12) 7God will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good. They want glory, honor, and life that never ends. 8But there are others who only look out for themselves. They don’t accept the truth. They go astray. God will pour out his great anger on them. 9There will be trouble and suffering for everyone who does evil. That is meant first for the Jews. It is also meant for the Gentiles. 10But there will be glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good. That is meant first for the Jews. It is also meant for the Gentiles. 11God treats everyone the same.

12Some people do not know God’s law when they sin. They will not be judged by the law when they die. Others do know God’s law when they sin. They will be judged by the law. 13Hearing the law does not make a person right with God. People are considered to be right with God only when they obey the law. 14Gentiles do not have the law. Sometimes they just naturally do what the law requires. They are a law for themselves. This is true even though they don’t have the law. 15They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts. The way their minds judge them proves this fact. Sometimes their thoughts find them guilty. At other times their thoughts find them not guilty. 16This will happen on the day God appoints Jesus Christ to judge people’s secret thoughts. That’s part of my good news.

The Jews and the Law

17Suppose you call yourself a Jew. You trust in the law. You brag that you know God. 18You know what God wants. You agree with what is best because the law teaches you. 19You think you know so much more than the people you teach. You think you’re helping blind people. You think you are a light for those in the dark. 20You think you can make foolish people wise. You act like you’re teaching little children. You think that the law gives you all knowledge and truth. 21You claim to teach others, but you don’t even teach yourself! You preach against stealing. But you steal! 22You say that people should not commit adultery. But you commit adultery! You hate statues of gods. But you rob temples! 23You brag about the law. But when you break it, you rob God of his honor! 24It is written, “The Gentiles say evil things against God’s name because of you.” (Isaiah 52:5; Ezekiel 36:22)

25Circumcision has value if you obey the law. But if you break the law, it is just as if you hadn’t been circumcised. 26And sometimes those who aren’t circumcised do what the law requires. Won’t God accept them as if they had been circumcised? 27Many are not circumcised physically, but they obey the law. They will prove that you are guilty. You are breaking the law, even though you have the written law and are circumcised.

28A person is not a Jew if they are a Jew only on the outside. And circumcision is more than just something done to the outside of a man’s body. 29No, a person is a Jew only if they are a Jew on the inside. And true circumcision means that the heart has been circumcised by the Holy Spirit. The person whose heart has been circumcised does more than obey the written law. The praise that matters for that kind of person does not come from other people. It comes from God.

Akuapem Twi Contemporary Bible

Romafo 2:1-29

1Mo a mubu afoforo atɛn no, munni anoyi biara. Ɔkwan biara a mobɛfa so abu afoforo atɛn no, ɛnam saa ɔkwan no ara so ma mode atemmu ba mo ho so. Efisɛ bɔne a ɛma mubu afoforo atɛn no, mo nso moyɛ saa bɔne koro no ara bi. 2Yenim sɛ, sɛ Onyankopɔn bu wɔn a wɔte saa ara no atɛn a na ne kwan so ara ne no. 3Na wo, onipa, wubu afoforo atɛn wɔ nneɛma koro no ara a woyɛ bi no ho a, wususuw sɛ Onyankopɔn remmu wo atɛn ana? 4Anaasɛ, ebia wummu nʼayamye, nʼabodwokyɛre ne ne boasetɔ? Wunnim sɛ Onyankopɔn yɛ mmɔborɔhunufo a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔkyerɛ wo ɔkwan a wobɛfa so anu wo ho?

5Nanso esiane wo komaden ne komapirim nti, woboaboa abufuwhyew ano ma wo ho wɔ Onyankopɔn abufuwhyew da no, da no a ɔbɛda nʼatɛntrenee adi no. 6Nea obiara ayɛ no so akatua na Onyankopɔn bɛma no anya. 7Wɔn a wɔde boasetɔ yɛ papa de hwehwɛ anuonyam, nidi ne nea ɛmporɔw no, ɔbɛma wɔn nkwa a enni awiei. 8Nanso wɔn a wɔyɛ pɛsɛmenkominya ne wɔn a wɔpo nokware no kodi bɔne akyi no, abufuwhyew ne amanehunu bɛba wɔn so. 9Yudafo ne amanamanmufo a wɔkɔ so yɛ bɔne no nyinaa behu amane na wɔn werɛ nso bɛhow. 10Nanso wɔn a wotie no no, sɛ wɔyɛ Yudafo anaa amanamanmufo no, wobenya anuonyam, nidi ne asomdwoe afi Onyankopɔn nkyɛn. 11Onyankopɔn nyɛ nyiyimu na ɔnyɛ nhwɛanim nso wɔ nʼatemmu mu.

12Wɔn a wonnim mmara no na wɔyɛ bɔne no, wɔbɛkwati mmara no abu wɔn atɛn ara, na wɔn a wonim mmara no na wɔyɛ bɔne no, wɔnam mmara no so bebu wɔn atɛn. 13Ɛnyɛ mmaratiefo na wɔteɛ wɔ Onyankopɔn anim, na mmom ɛyɛ wɔn a wɔyɛ osetie ma mmara no na wobebu wɔn bem. 14Amanamanmufo no nni mmara, nanso wofi wɔn awosu mu yɛ nea mmara no hwehwɛ sɛ wɔyɛ a, ɛwɔ mu sɛ wonni mmara de, nanso eyinom bɛyɛ mmara ama wɔn. 15Esiane sɛ wɔn abrabɔ kyerɛ sɛ, nea mmara no hwehwɛ no, wɔakyerɛw wɔ wɔn koma mu no nti, wɔn ahonim di adanse sɛ wodi bem anaasɛ wɔabu wɔn fɔ. 16Enti asɛmpa a meka no kyerɛ sɛ, sɛ da no du a, saa na Onyankopɔn nam Yesu Kristo so bebu nnipa kokoamsɛm ho atɛn.

17Mo Yudafo de, mususuw sɛ mo ne Onyankopɔn te no yiye, efisɛ ɔde ne mmara a monam so benya nkwagye no maa mo. Na moka wɔ mo anofafa nso se, moyɛ ne nnamfonom sononko bi. 18Munim nea Onyankopɔn hwehwɛ sɛ moyɛ. Moasua afi Mmara no mu ahu nea eye. 19Mofa mo ho sɛ moyɛ akwankyerɛfo ma anifuraefo, na moyɛ hann nso ma wɔn a wɔte sum mu. 20Mugye di sɛ mubetumi akyerɛ adwenharefo ne mmofra Onyankopɔn akwan, efisɛ munim ne mmara a osuahu ne nokware ahyɛ no ma no. 21Mokyerɛkyerɛ afoforo. Na adɛn nti na muntumi nkyerɛkyerɛ mo ho mo ho? Moka kyerɛ afoforo se wɔmmmɔ korɔn. Mo nso mobɔ korɔn ana? 22Mo a moka se aguamammɔ nye. Mo nso mobɔ aguaman ana? Mo a moka se mukyi ahoni no, mobɔ korɔn wɔ hyiadan mu ana? 23Mo a mohoahoa mo ho wɔ mmara no mu no, monam mmara no so bu so bu Onyankopɔn animtiaa ana? 24Ɛnyɛ nwonwa sɛ Kyerɛwsɛm no ka se mo nti wiasefo kasa tia Onyankopɔn.

25Sɛ woyɛ Yudani na wudi Onyankopɔn mmara no so a, ɛyɛ ade a ɛsom bo. Na sɛ moanni so a, nsonoe biara nni mo ne momonotofo ntam. 26Sɛ momonotofo di Onyankopɔn mmara so a, wɔremmu wɔn sɛ Onyankopɔn nkurɔfo ana? 27Enti momonotoni a odi mmara no so no bɛkasa atia mo, Yudafo a munim Onyankopɔn mmara a wɔakyerɛw no, nanso munni so no.

28Fa a wɔde mo afa Yudasom mu atwa mo twetia, anaasɛ Yudafo na wɔwoo mo no nkyerɛ sɛ moyɛ Yudafo kann. 29Yudani kann no ne nea ɔyɛ no wɔ ne mu. Ɛnyɛ ɔhonam mu twetiatwa ne twetiatwa turodoo, na mmom koma mu nsakrae a efi Onyankopɔn Honhom mu ba no. Nsakrae yi mfi di a obi di mmara bi a wɔakyerɛw mu. Saa onipa no ayeyi mfi nnipa afoforo bi, na mmom, efi Onyankopɔn.