¹Therefore, thou art inexcusable, O man — every one who is judging — for in that in which thou dost judge the other, thyself thou dost condemn, for the same things thou dost practise who art judging,

¹Basi, rafiki, kama unawahukumu wengine, huwezi kamwe kujitetea haidhuru wewe ni nani. Kwa maana, kwa kuwahukumu wengine, unajilaani wewe mwenyewe kwa vile nawe unayafanya mambo yaleyale unayohukumu.

²and we have known that the judgment of God is according to truth, upon those practising such things.

²Tunajua kwamba hukumu ya Mungu kwa wale wanaofanya mambo kama hayo ni hukumu ya haki.

³And dost thou think this, O man, who art judging those who such things are practising, and art doing them, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

³Lakini wewe, rafiki, unayewahukumu wale wanaofanya mambo kama hayo bali wewe pia unayafanya, je unadhani utaiepa hukumu ya Mungu?

⁴or the riches of His goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, dost thou despise? — not knowing that the goodness of God doth lead thee to reformation!

⁴Au labda unaudharau wema wake mkuu, uvumilivu wake na saburi yake, bila kutambua kwamba wema wake huo una shabaha ya kukuongoza upate kutubu?

⁵but, according to thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou dost treasure up to thyself wrath, in a day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

⁵Lakini unao ugumu na ukaidi wa moyo, na hivyo unajilundikia adhabu kwa Siku ile ambayo ghadhabu ya Mungu na hukumu zake za haki vitadhihirishwa.

⁶who shall render to each according to his works;

⁶Siku hiyo Mungu atamlipa kila mmoja kufuatana na matendo yake.

⁷to those, indeed, who in continuance of a good work, do seek glory, and honour, and incorruptibility — life age-during;

⁷Wale wanaozingatia kutenda mema, kutafuta utukufu na heshima ya Mungu na kutokufa, watapata uzima wa milele.

⁸and to those contentious, and disobedient, indeed, to the truth, and obeying the unrighteousness — indignation and wrath,

⁸Lakini wale wengine wenye ubinafsi, wenye kukataa mambo ya haki na kufuata uovu, wataangukiwa na ghadhabu na hasira ya Mungu.

⁹tribulation and distress, upon every soul of man that is working the evil, both of Jew first, and of Greek;

⁹Mateso na maumivu yatampata binadamu yeyote atendaye uovu. Yatawapata Wayahudi kwanza, na watu wa mataifa mengine pia.

¹⁰and glory, and honour, and peace, to every one who is working the good, both to Jew first, and to Greek.

¹⁰Lakini Mungu atawapa utukufu, heshima na amani wale wanaotenda mema; Wayahudi kwanza, na watu wa mataifa mengine pia.

¹¹For there is no acceptance of faces with God,

¹¹Maana Mungu hambagui mtu yeyote.

¹²for as many as without law did sin, without law also shall perish, and as many as did sin in law, through law shall be judged,

¹²Wale wanaotenda dhambi bila kuijua Sheria ya Mose wataangamia ingawaje hawajui Sheria. Na wale wanaotenda dhambi wakiwa wanaijua Sheria watahukumiwa kisheria.

¹³for not the hearers of the law [are] righteous before God, but the doers of the law shall be declared righteous: —

¹³Mtu hafanywi kuwa mwadilifu mbele yake Mungu kwa kuisikia Sheria, bali kwa kuitii Sheria.

¹⁴For, when nations that have not a law, by nature may do the things of the law, these not having a law — to themselves are a law;

¹⁴Mathalan: watu wa mataifa mengine hawana Sheria ya Mose; lakini kila wanapotimiza matakwa ya Sheria wakiongozwa na dhamiri zao, wao wenyewe wanakuwa kipimo cha Sheria ingawa hawaijui Sheria.

¹⁵who do shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also witnessing with them, and between one another the thoughts accusing or else defending,

¹⁵Mwenendo wao unaonyesha kwamba matakwa ya Sheria yameandikwa mioyoni mwao. Dhamiri zao zinashuhudia pia jambo hilo, maana fikira zao mara nyingine huwashtaki, na mara nyingine huwatetea.

¹⁶in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men, according to my good news, through Jesus Christ.

¹⁶Hivyo, kufuatana na hii Habari Njema ninayohubiri, ndivyo itakavyokuwa wakati Mungu atakapohukumu mambo ya siri ya binadamu kwa njia ya Yesu Kristo.

¹⁷Lo, thou art named a Jew, and dost rest upon the law, and dost boast in God,

¹⁷Na wewe, je? Wewe mwenyewe unajiita Myahudi; unaitumainia Sheria na kujivunia kuwa wa Mungu;

¹⁸and dost know the will, and dost approve the distinctions, being instructed out of the law,

¹⁸kwa njia ya Sheria unajua matakwa ya Mungu na unaweza kuchagua jambo jema;

¹⁹and hast confidence that thou thyself art a leader of blind ones, a light of those in darkness,

¹⁹wewe unajiona kuwa kiongozi wa vipofu na mwanga kwa wale walio gizani;

²⁰an instructor of foolish ones, a teacher of babes, having the form of the knowledge and of the truth in the law.

²⁰unajiona kuwa mkufunzi wa wajinga na mwalimu wa wale wasiokomaa bado. Unayo katika Sheria picha kamili ya elimu na ukweli.

²¹Thou, then, who art teaching another, thyself dost thou not teach?

²¹Basi, wewe unawafundisha wengine; kwa nini hujifundishi wewe mwenyewe? Unawahubiria wengine wasiibe, lakini kumbe wewe mwenyewe unaiba.

²²thou who art preaching not to steal, dost thou steal? thou who art saying not to commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou who art abhorring the idols, dost thou rob temples?

²²Unasema: "Msizini," na huku wewe unazini; unachukia sanamu za miungu hali wewe unajitajirisha kwa kuiba katika nyumba za miungu.

²³thou who in the law dost boast, through the transgression of the law God dost thou dishonour?

²³Kwa kujigamba ati unayo Sheria ya Mungu, je huoni kwamba kwa kuivunja Sheria unamdharau Mungu?

²⁴for the name of God because of you is evil spoken of among the nations, according as it hath been written.

²⁴Kama vile Maandiko Matakatifu yasemavyo: "Watu wa mataifa mengine wamelikufuru jina la Mungu kwa sababu yenu ninyi Wayahudi!"

²⁵For circumcision, indeed, doth profit, if law thou mayest practise, but if a transgressor of law thou mayest be, thy circumcision hath become uncircumcision.

²⁵Kutahiriwa kwako kutakuwa na maana kama ukiitii Sheria. Lakini kama unaivunja Sheria, basi, ni afadhali ungalibaki bila kutahiriwa.

²⁶If, therefore the uncircumcision the righteousness of the law may keep, shall not his uncircumcision for circumcision be reckoned?

²⁶Kama mtu wa mataifa mengine ambaye hakutahiriwa akitimiza matakwa ya Sheria, hakika atafikiriwa kana kwamba ametahiriwa.

²⁷and the uncircumcision, by nature, fulfilling the law, shall judge thee who, through letter and circumcision, [art] a transgressor of law.

²⁷Watu wa mataifa mengine watakuhukumu wewe Myahudi kama ukiivunja Sheria, ingawaje unayo maandishi ya Sheria na umetahiriwa, hali wao wanaitii Sheria ingawa hawakutahiriwa.

²⁸For he is not a Jew who is [so] outwardly, neither [is] circumcision that which is outward in flesh;

²⁸Ndiyo kusema, si kila anayeonekana kwa nje kuwa Myahudi ni Myahudi wa kweli, wala mtu hawi Myahudi wa kweli ati kwa kuwa ametahiriwa kimwili.

²⁹but a Jew [is] he who is [so] inwardly, and circumcision [is] of the heart, in spirit, not in letter, of which the praise is not of men, but of God.

²⁹Myahudi wa kweli ni yule aliye Myahudi kwa ndani, yaani yule ambaye ametahiriwa moyoni. Hili ni jambo la Roho, na si jambo la maandishi ya Sheria. Mtu wa namna hiyo anapata sifa, si kutoka kwa watu, bali kutoka kwa Mungu.