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.
God’s righteous judgment
1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realising that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
5But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6God ‘will repay each person according to what they have done.’2:6 Psalm 62:12; Prov. 24:12 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10but glory, honour and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11For God does not show favouritism.
12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
The Jews and the law
17Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; 18if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth – 21you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23You who boast in the law, do you dishonour God by breaking the law? 24As it is written: ‘God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’2:24 Isaiah 52:5 (see Septuagint); Ezek. 36:20,22
25Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the2:27 Or who, by means of a written code and circumcision, are a law-breaker.
28A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.
