28 And even as they did not like to retain the worship of that God whom they must, from his wonderful works, have known; so he gave them over to a reprobate mind, by which they were led to such great wickedness;

29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 Without understanding in real wisdom, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

32 Who knowing that God would judge and punish for such things, and that they who commit them are worthy of death, not only are led by sudden temptation to the commission of them, but take their pleasure and delight in them who do them.

CHAP. II.

1 FOR this reason, then, O Jew, thou art without excuse in judging the Gentile, for in judging him thou condemnest thyself, for thou doest the same things.

2 For we are sure that the judgment of God is righteous against all who do transgress.

3 And thinkest thou, O Jew, judging others and doing the same thyself, that thou shalt escape punishment?

4 Or dost thou despise the great goodness of God towards thee, (his bearing with thee so long, and making thee the keeper of his law;) dost thou not know that this goodness ought to lead thee first of all to repentance?

5 But according to the hardness and impenitence of thy heart, thou hast treasured up to thyself wrath on that day when the righteous judgment of God shall be revealed.

6 For God will render to every man, Jew and Gentile, according to his deeds:

7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory and honour and immortality; eternal life.

8 But to those who contend against and will not obey the truth, [declared to all men by nature and revelation], but love to obey unrighteousness, upon them shall be God's indignation and anger.

9 Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil, upon the Jew first, as having rejected the offered mercy of God, and also upon the Gentile ;

10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that doeth good, to the Jew first, God's chosen people, and also to the Gentile.

11 For there is no respect of persons with God, all are equal in his sight.

12 For as many as have sinned without the knowledge of the written law of God, shall receive a just judgment according to the law which they have, the law of nature; and as many as have sinned against

the revelation of God, the written law, shall be thereby judged.

13 (For not those who hear the law shall be accounted just before God, but those who do it, whether it be the written law or the law of nature.

14 For when the Gentiles, who have not the written law, do [from what by nature they observe of God] those things which are in the revealed will of the Almighty, they have formed a law unto themselves.

15 They shew a sense of God's law written in their hearts, conscience bearing witness of what is right, and their own natural thoughts teaching them to judge each other.)

16 All shall be judged [with or without the written law], on that day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to the gospel, which I am appointed to preach.

17 Behold, I speak to thee, who art called a Jew, who dependest on the written law, and makest thy boast that thou art of God's people,

18 And knowest his will, and givest thy approving assent to the excellent things taught thee by his law;

19 And feelest sure that by the advantage of having the law, thou art exalted to be a guide to those who have it not, whom thou calledst blind; that thou art a light to the Gentiles who are in ignorance of it;

20 That thou art fit to be an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of those who are but children in the knowledge of God's ways; because thou hast the whole plan of God's truth and wisdom.

21 Thou therefore who presumest to teach others,

teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that professest to hate idols, dost thou worship them?

23 Thou that makest thy boast of knowing the law, the written law of God, dost thou dishonour God by breaking it?

24 For through your scandalous wickedness the name of God is blasphemed by the Gentiles, as it is written, Isa. lii. 5, And my name continually every day is blasphemed; and Ezek. xxxvi. 23, And I will sanctify my great name which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them, &c.

25 For the ceremony of circumcision, whereby you Jews are sealed as God's people, will really profit you if 'you keep his law, but if you break the law you are as the heathen, your privilege is nothing.

26 Therefore if the heathen keeps the righteousness of the law, shall not his honest and good conduct be to him in the place of your privilege [circumcision]?

27 And shall not natural goodness, if it keep the law, judge thee, who under the written law and the privilege of circumcision dost transgress?

28 For he is not a Jew [not chosen of God] who is one outwardly, nor is that circumcision [any title to God's favour] which is only an outward mark of the flesh.

29 But he is a Jew [a man chosen of the Almighty]

who is one inwardly, whose heart is right before God; and circumcision, the door of admission into the number of God's people, is by an impression upon the heart and upon the spirit, and not by outward form; the praise of which is not of men but of God.

CHAP. III.

1 WHAT advantage then hath the Jew? the man born of the people of God: or what profit is there in circumcision?

2 Much every way: because to the Jews, the oracles of God, the Scriptures of the Old Testament, have been committed, they have had the prophecies in their hands, the promises always before them.

3 What though some did not [would not] believe, shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

4 God forbid! I say, let God be true, and every opposition to his will a lie; as David says, Ps. li. 4, That thou, O God, mayest be right in all thou sayest, and none contend against thy judgment.

5 But perhaps you may object and say, if our unrighteousness does thus set forth and make clear the righteousness of God, shall we not say God is wrong to take vengeance on that which so glorifies him? I speak as some Jew might speak.

6 God forbid! how then shall God judge the world as a righteous judge?

7 For, as

some profane person might say, if