¹Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things.

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.

²We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.

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

³Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such things, and do the same, that you will 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 do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

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 your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and 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 “will pay back to everyone according to their works:” Psalm 62:12; Proverbs 24:12

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

⁷to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory, honor, and incorruptibility, eternal life;

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

⁸but to those who are self-seeking, and don’t obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath and indignation,

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

⁹oppression and anguish, on every soul of man who works evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

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

¹⁰But glory, honor, and peace go to every man who works good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

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

¹¹For there is no partiality with God.

¹¹Maana Mungu hambagui mtu yeyote.

¹²For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without the law. As many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.

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

¹³For it isn’t the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified

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

¹⁴(for when Gentiles who don’t have the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are a law to themselves,

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.

¹⁵in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves accusing or else excusing them)

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 will judge the secrets of men, according to my Good News, by Jesus Christ.

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

¹⁷Indeed you bear the name of a Jew, and rest on the law, and glory in God,

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

¹⁸and know his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,

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

¹⁹and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,

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

²⁰a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babies, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth.

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

²¹You therefore who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach that a man shouldn’t steal, do you steal?

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

²²You who say a man shouldn’t commit adultery. Do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

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

²³You who glory in the law, through your disobedience of the law do you dishonor God?

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

²⁴For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” Isaiah 52:5; Ezekiel 36:22 just as it is written.

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

²⁵For circumcision indeed profits, if you are a doer of the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.

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

²⁶If therefore the uncircumcised keep the ordinances of the law, won’t his uncircumcision be accounted as circumcision?

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

²⁷Won’t the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfills the law, judge you, who with the letter and circumcision are a transgressor of the 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 one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the 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 he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from 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.