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Romans 1:20-2:11 NWT
20 For his invisible [qualities] are clearly seen from the world's creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship, so that they are inexcusable; 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God nor did they thank him, but they became empty-headed in their reasonings and their unintelligent heart became darkened. 22 Although asserting they were wise, they became foolish 23 and turned the glory of the incorruptible God into something like the image of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed creatures and creeping things. 24 Therefore God, in keeping with the desires of their hearts, gave them up to uncleanness, that their bodies might be dishonored among them, 25 even those who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and venerated and rendered sacred service to the creation rather than the One who created, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 That is why God gave them up to disgraceful sexual appetites, for both their females changed the natural use of themselves into one contrary to nature; 27 and likewise even the males left the natural use of the female and became violently inflamed in their lust toward one another, males with males, working what is obscene and receiving in themselves the full recompense, which was due for their error. 28 And just as they did not approve of holding God in accurate knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mental state, to do the things not fitting, 29 filled as they were with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, badness, being full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malicious disposition, being whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, insolent, haughty, self-assuming, inventors of injurious things, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, false to agreements, having no natural affection, merciless. 32 Although these know full well the righteous decree of God, that those practicing such things are deserving of death, they not only keep on doing them but also consent with those practicing them. 2:1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are, if you judge; for in the thing in which you judge another, you condemn yourself, inasmuch as you that judge practice the same things. 2 Now we know that the judgment of God is, in accord with truth, against those who practice such things. 3 But do you have this idea, O man, while you judge those who practice such things and yet you do them, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and long-suffering, because you do not know that the kindly [quality] of God is trying to lead you to repentance? 5 But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and of the revealing of God's righteous judgment. 6 And he will render to each one according to his works: [Psalm 62:12; Prov 24:12] 7 everlasting life to those who are seeking glory and honor and incorruptibleness by endurance in work that is good; 8 however, for those who are contentious and who disobey the truth but obey unrighteousness there will be wrath and anger, 9 tribulation and distress, upon the soul of every man who works what is injurious, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who works what is good, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.
Romans 1:20-2:11 GNB
(20) Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. So those people have no excuse at all!
(21) They know God, but they do not give him the honor that belongs to him, nor do they thank him. Instead, their thoughts have become complete nonsense, and their empty minds are filled with darkness.
(22) They say they are wise, but they are fools;
(23) instead of worshiping the immortal God, they worship images made to look like mortals or birds or animals or reptiles.
(24) And so God has given those people over to do the filthy things their hearts desire, and they do shameful things with each other.
(25) They exchange the truth about God for a lie; they worship and serve what God has created instead of the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever! Amen.
(26) Because they do this, God has given them over to shameful passions. Even the women pervert the natural use of their sex by unnatural acts.
(27) In the same way the men give up natural sexual relations with women and burn with passion for each other. Men do shameful things with each other, and as a result they bring upon themselves the punishment they deserve for their wrongdoing.
(28) Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to corrupted minds, so that they do the things that they should not do.
(29) They are filled with all kinds of wickedness, evil, greed, and vice; they are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, deceit, and malice. They gossip
(30) and speak evil of one another; they are hateful to God, insolent, proud, and boastful; they think of more ways to do evil; they disobey their parents;
(31) they have no conscience; they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness or pity for others.
(32) They know that God's law says that people who live in this way deserve death. Yet, not only do they continue to do these very things, but they even approve of others who do them.
Romans 2:1-11 GNB
(1) Do you, my friend, pass judgment on others? You have no excuse at all, whoever you are. For when you judge others and then do the same things which they do, you condemn yourself.
(2) We know that God is right when he judges the people who do such things as these.
(3) But you, my friend, do those very things for which you pass judgment on others! Do you think you will escape God's judgment?
(4) Or perhaps you despise his great kindness, tolerance, and patience. Surely you know that God is kind, because he is trying to lead you to repent.
(5) But you have a hard and stubborn heart, and so you are making your own punishment even greater on the Day when God's anger and righteous judgments will be revealed.
(6) For God will reward each of us according to what we have done. [Psalm 62:12; Prov 24:12]
(7) Some people keep on doing good, and seek glory, honor, and immortal life; to them God will give eternal life.
(8) Other people are selfish and reject what is right, in order to follow what is wrong; on them God will pour out his anger and fury.
(9) There will be suffering and pain for all those who do what is evil, for the Jews first and also for the Gentiles.
(10) But God will give glory, honor, and peace to all who do what is good, to the Jews first and also to the Gentiles.
(11) For God judges everyone by the same standard.
Romans 1:20-2:11 CEV
(20) God's eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown what these are like by all he has made. That's why those people don't have any excuse.
(21) They know about God, but they don't honor him or even thank him. Their thoughts are useless, and their stupid minds are in the dark.
(22) They claim to be wise, but they are fools.
(23) They don't worship the glorious and eternal God. Instead, they worship idols that are made to look like humans who cannot live forever, and like birds, animals, and reptiles.
(24) So God let these people go their own way. They did what they wanted to do, and their filthy thoughts made them do shameful things with their bodies.
(25) They gave up the truth about God for a lie, and they worshiped God's creation instead of God, who will be praised forever. Amen.
(26) God let them follow their own evil desires. Women no longer wanted to have sex in a natural way, and they did things with each other that were not natural.
(27) Men behaved in the same way. They stopped wanting to have sex with women and had strong desires for sex with other men. They did shameful things with each other, and what has happened to them is punishment for their foolish deeds.
(28) Since these people refused even to think about God, he let their useless minds rule over them. That's why they do all sorts of indecent things.
(29) They are evil, wicked, and greedy, as well as mean in every possible way. They want what others have, and they murder, argue, cheat, and are hard to get along with. They gossip,
(30) say cruel things about others, and hate God. They are proud, conceited, and boastful, always thinking up new ways to do evil. These people don't respect their parents.
(31) They are stupid, unreliable, and don't have any love or pity for others.
(32) They know God has said that anyone who acts this way deserves to die. But they keep on doing evil things, and they even encourage others to do them.
Romans 2:1-11 CEV
(1) Some of you accuse others of doing wrong. But there is no excuse for what you do. When you judge others, you condemn yourselves, because you are guilty of doing the very same things.
(2) We know that God is right to judge everyone who behaves in this way.
(3) Do you really think God won't punish you, when you behave exactly like the people you accuse?
(4) You surely don't think much of God's wonderful goodness or of his patience and willingness to put up with you. Don't you know that the reason God is good to you is because he wants you to turn to him?
(5) But you are stubborn and refuse to turn to God. So you are making things even worse for yourselves on that day when he will show how angry he is and will judge the world with fairness.
(6) God will reward each of us for what we have done. [Psalm 62:12; Prov 24:12]
(7) He will give eternal life to everyone who has patiently done what is good in the hope of receiving glory, honor, and life that lasts forever.
(8) But he will show how angry and furious he can be with every selfish person who rejects the truth and wants to do evil.
(9) All who are wicked will be punished with trouble and suffering. It doesn't matter if they are Jews or Gentiles.
(10) But all who do right will be rewarded with glory, honor, and peace, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.
(11) God doesn't have any favorites!
Romans 1:20-2:11 ALT
(20) For from [the] creation of [the] world His invisible [attributes] are plainly seen, being understood by the [things] made, both His eternal power and divinity, so that they are without excuse.
(21) For this reason, having known God, they did not glorify [Him] as God nor did they give thanks, but they were given over to deception in their thought processes [or, they became futile in their speculations], and their foolish heart [fig., inner self, and throughout book] was darkened.
(22) Professing to be wise, they were made fools,
(23) and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for a likeness of an image of corruptible people and of birds and of four-footed animals and of reptiles.
(24) And so God also gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity [or, immorality], to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves;
(25) who exchanged the truth of God for the lie [or, changed the truth of God into a lie], and worshipped and sacredly served the creation rather than the One having created, who is blessed into the ages [fig., forever]. So be it!
(26) For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable, lustful passions, for even their females exchanged the natural use for the [use] against nature,
(27) and likewise also the males having left the natural use of the female were inflamed in their craving for one another; males with males committing shameful behavior and receiving back in themselves the penalty which was fitting [for] their deception [or, perversion].
(28) And just as they did not think it was worthwhile to be having [or, keeping] God in [their] true knowledge [or, consciousness], God gave them over to a disapproved [fig., debased] mind to be doing the [things] not proper,
(29) having been filled with all unrighteousness, sexual sin, wickedness, covetous desire [or, greed], malice; full of envy, murder, bitter conflict, deceit [or, treachery], maliciousness; gossips,
(30) back-biters, God-haters, insolent persons, arrogant boasters, schemers of evil [things], disobedient to parents,
(31) foolish, untrustworthy, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful;
(32) who having known the righteous judgment of God, that the ones practicing such things are deserving of death, not only are doing them, but they are also approving of the ones practicing [them].
Romans 2:1-11 ALT
(1) For this reason, you are without excuse [or, defense], O person, every [one] judging, for in what you judge [or, pass sentence on] the other, you condemn yourself, for the same [things] you, the one judging, are practicing!
(2) But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth upon the ones practicing such [things].
(3) But do you think this, O person (the one judging the ones practicing such things yet doing them), that you will escape the judgment of God?
(4) Or do you despise [or, think lightly of] the riches of His goodness and tolerance and patience, failing to understand [or, disregarding] that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
(5) But according to your hardness [fig., obstinacy] and impenitent heart, you are storing up for yourself wrath in [the] day of wrath and of revelation and of [the] righteous judgment of God,
(6) who 'will render to each [person] according to his works,' [Psalm 62:12; Prov 24:12]
(7) to the [ones] on the one hand [who] by perseverance of good work seek glory and honor and incorruptibility [or, immortality], eternal life;
(8) but on the other hand to the [ones who are] selfishly ambitious and [who are] refusing to believe the truth, but obey unrighteousness, anger and wrath,
(9) affliction and distress upon every soul of a person, the one working the evil, both of Jew first and of Greek;
(10) but glory and honor and peace to every [one who] works the good, both to Jew first and to Greek.
(11) For [there] is no accepting of faces [fig., prejudice] with God.
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You will note the reference windows often include more than one translation of the Bible. The reason is to strive to gain the best possible understanding of the original Hebrew and Greek. Since we don't speak those languages, we rely on those who have come before and made the effort to translate those texts into English for us. Considering several translations gives the benefit of the understanding of several translation committees or individuals.
The Translations we quote are:
ALT - Analytical Literal Translation
ASV - American Standard Version (by the American revision committee in 1897).
Darby - 1889 Darby Bible
DRB - 1899 Douay-Rheims Bible
BBE - 1965 Bible in Basic English
LITV - Literal Translation of the Holy Bible
KJV - King James Version
MKJV - Modern King James Version
NWT - New World Translation
Webster - 1833 Webster Bible
RV - Revised Version
YLT - Young's Literal Translation