Romans 2:4-9

2:4 Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know¹ that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? 2:5 But because of your stubbornness² and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed!³ 2:6 He⁴ will reward⁵ each one according to his works:⁶ 2:7 eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality, 2:8 but⁷ wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition⁸ and do not obey the truth but follow⁹ unrighteousness. 2:9 There will be¹⁰ affliction and distress on everyone¹¹ who does evil, on the Jew first and also the Greek,¹²

¹tn Grk “being unaware.”

²tn Grk “hardness.” Concerning this imagery, see Jer 4:4; Ezek 3:7; 1 En. 16:3.

³tn Grk “in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”

⁴tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

⁵tn Or “will render,” “will recompense.” In this context Paul is setting up a hypothetical situation, not stating that salvation is by works.

⁶sn A quotation from Ps 62:12; Prov 24:12; a close approximation to Matt 16:27.

⁷tn This contrast is clearer and stronger in Greek than can be easily expressed in English.

⁸tn Grk “those who [are] from selfish ambition.”

⁹tn Grk “are persuaded by, obey.”

¹⁰tn No verb is expressed in this verse, but the verb “to be” is implied by the Greek construction. Literally “suffering and distress on everyone…”

¹¹tn Grk “every soul of man.”

¹²sn Paul uses the term Greek here and in v. 10 to refer to non-Jews, i.e., Gentiles.