17. What about you? You call yourself a Jew; you depend on the Law and boast about God;
18. you know what God wants you to do, and you have learnt from the Law to choose what is right;
19. you are sure that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in darkness,
20. an instructor for the foolish, and a teacher for the ignorant. You are certain that in the Law you have the full content of knowledge and of truth.
21. You teach others — why don't you teach yourself? You preach, “Do not steal” — but do you yourself steal?
22. You say, “Do not commit adultery” — but do you commit adultery? You detest idols — but do you rob temples?
23. You boast about having God's law — but do you bring shame on God by breaking his law?
24. The scripture says, “Because of you Jews, the Gentiles speak evil of God.”
25. If you obey the Law, your circumcision is of value; but if you disobey the Law, you might as well never have been circumcised.
26. If the Gentile, who is not circumcised, obeys the commands of the Law, will God not regard him as though he were circumcised?
27. And so you Jews will be condemned by the Gentiles because you break the Law, even though you have it written down and are circumcised; but they obey the Law, even though they are not physically circumcised.