Bible in Basic English
Because the work of the law is seen in their hearts, their sense of right and wrong giving witness to it, while their minds are at one time judging them and at another giving them approval;
In the day when God will be a judge of the secrets of men, as it says in the good news of which I am a preacher, through Jesus Christ.
But as for you who have the name of Jew, and are resting on the law, and take pride in God,
And have knowledge of his desires, and are a judge of the things which are different, having the learning of the law,
In the belief that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those in the dark,
A teacher of the foolish, having in the law the form of knowledge and of what is true;
You who give teaching to others, do you give it to yourself? you who say that a man may not take what is not his, do you take what is not yours?
You who say that a man may not be untrue to his wife, are you true to yours? you who are a hater of images, do you do wrong to the house of God?
You who take pride in the law, are you doing wrong to the honour of God by behaviour which is against the law?
For the name of God is shamed among the Gentiles because of you, as it is said in the holy Writings.
It is true that circumcision is of use if you keep the law, but if you go against the law it is as if you had it not.
If those who have not circumcision keep the rules of the law, will it not be credited to them as circumcision?
And they, by their keeping of the law without circumcision, will be judges of you, by whom the law is broken though you have the letter of the law and circumcision.
The true Jew is not one who is only so publicly, and circumcision is not that which may be seen in the flesh:
But he is a Jew who is a secret one, whose circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.
— Romans 2:15-1964, Bible in Basic English
“They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend them, on the day when God will judge the secrets of human hearts, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus. The Condemnation of the Jew But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relationship to God and know his will and approve the superior things because you receive instruction from the law, and if you are convinced that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an educator of the senseless, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the essential features of knowledge and of the truth– therefore you who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who tell others not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by transgressing the law! For just as it is written,“the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” For circumcision has its value if you practice the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Therefore if the uncircumcised man obeys the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? The physically uncircumcised man, by keeping the law, will judge you to be the transgressor of the law, even though you have the letter and circumcision! For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something that is outward in the flesh, but someone is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit and not by the letter. This person’s praise is not from people but from God.”
All those who have done wrong without the law will get destruction without the law: and those who have done wrong under the law will have their punishment by the law;
For it is not the hearers of the law who will be judged as having righteousness before God, but only the doers:
For when the Gentiles without the law have a natural desire to do the things in the law, they are a law to themselves;
Because the work of the law is seen in their hearts, their sense of right and wrong giving witness to it, while their minds are at one time judging them and at another giving them approval;
In the day when God will be a judge of the secrets of men, as it says in the good news of which I am a preacher, through Jesus Christ.
But as for you who have the name of Jew, and are resting on the law, and take pride in God,
And have knowledge of his desires, and are a judge of the things which are different, having the learning of the law,
In the belief that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those in the dark,
A teacher of the foolish, having in the law the form of knowledge and of what is true;
You who give teaching to others, do you give it to yourself? you who say that a man may not take what is not his, do you take what is not yours?
You who say that a man may not be untrue to his wife, are you true to yours? you who are a hater of images, do you do wrong to the house of God?
You who take pride in the law, are you doing wrong to the honour of God by behaviour which is against the law?
For the name of God is shamed among the Gentiles because of you, as it is said in the holy Writings.
It is true that circumcision is of use if you keep the law, but if you go against the law it is as if you had it not.
If those who have not circumcision keep the rules of the law, will it not be credited to them as circumcision?
And they, by their keeping of the law without circumcision, will be judges of you, by whom the law is broken though you have the letter of the law and circumcision.
The true Jew is not one who is only so publicly, and circumcision is not that which may be seen in the flesh:
But he is a Jew who is a secret one, whose circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.