Romans 2:13 “For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but…”

Romans 2:13

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

World English Bible

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

American Standard Version

for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified;

Geneva Bible 1599

(For the hearers of the Lawe are not righteous before God: but the doers of the Lawe shalbe iustified.

Darby Translation

(for not the hearers of the law [are] just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Young's Literal Translation

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

Bible in Basic English

For it is not the hearers of the law who will be judged as having righteousness before God, but only the doers:

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Cross references

“For not”

James 1:22–25 1 John 3:7 Romans 2:25 Luke 8:21 1 John 2:29 Deuteronomy 4:1

James 1:22–25 · BSB

Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.

1 John 3:7 · BSB

Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.

Romans 2:25 · BSB

Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.

Luke 8:21 · BSB

But He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and carry it out.”

1 John 2:29 · BSB

If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.

Deuteronomy 4:1 · BSB

Hear now, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live and may enter and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

“but the”

Romans 10:5 Luke 10:25–29 Romans 3:20 Romans 3:23 Galatians 3:11 Galatians 3:12

Romans 10:5 · BSB

For concerning the righteousness that is by the law, Moses writes: “The man who does these things will live by them.”

Luke 10:25–29 · BSB

One day an expert in the law stood up to test Him. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Romans 3:20 · BSB

Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.

Romans 3:23 · BSB

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Galatians 3:11 · BSB

Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”

Galatians 3:12 · BSB

The law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”

“justified”

James 2:21–25 Galatians 2:16 Romans 3:30 Romans 4:2–5 Psalm 143:2 Acts 13:39

James 2:21–25 · BSB

Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

Galatians 2:16 · BSB

know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of…

Romans 3:30 · BSB

since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.

Romans 4:2–5 · BSB

If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God.

Psalm 143:2 · BSB

Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one alive is righteous before You.

Acts 13:39 · BSB

Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.

14Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.

Read Romans 2