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21 Those people really knew about God. But they did not respect him as a great God, and they did not thank him. They did not even think clearly any more. Their minds became confused and they did not understand God's message. 22 They said that they were wise, but really they became fools. 23 They refused to worship the great God who can never die. Instead, they made false gods for themselves. They worshipped idols that were like people who must die. They also made idols that looked like birds, animals and snakes, and they worshipped them.

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21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.(A) 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools(B) 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images(C) made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

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21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but (A)became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 (B)Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the (C)incorruptible (D)God into an image made like [a]corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 1:23 perishable

21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts[a] were darkened. 22 Although they claimed[b] to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings[c] or birds or four-footed animals[d] or reptiles.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 1:21 tn Grk “heart.”
  2. Romans 1:22 tn The participle φάσκοντες (phaskontes) is used concessively here.
  3. Romans 1:23 tn Grk “exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God in likeness of an image of corruptible man.” Here there is a wordplay on the Greek terms ἄφθαρτος (aphthartos, “immortal, imperishable, incorruptible”) and φθαρτός (phthartos, “mortal, corruptible, subject to decay”).
  4. Romans 1:23 sn Possibly an allusion to Ps 106:19-20.