¹⁶ When we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.^(A)

³ The next day we put in at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to go to his friends to be cared for.^(A)

²³ Then he ordered the centurion to keep him in custody but to let him have some liberty and not to prevent any of his friends from taking care of his needs.^(A)

⁷ To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.^(A)

Prayer of Thanksgiving

⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world.^{(B) 9} For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel^[a] of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers,^{(C) 10} asking that by God’s will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you. ¹¹ For I long to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift so that you may be strengthened— ¹² or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. ¹³ I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you, as I have among the rest of the gentiles. ¹⁴ I am obligated both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish, ¹⁵ hence my eagerness to proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

³⁰ He lived there two whole years at his own expense^[a] and welcomed all who came to him, ³¹ proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

¹⁸ The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”^(A)

⁹ “This calls for a mind that has wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; also, they are seven kings,^(A)

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

²² This is the reason that I have so often been hindered from coming to you. ²³ But now, with no further place for me in these regions, I desire, as I have for many years, to come to you^{(A) 24} when I go to Spain. For I do hope to see you on my journey and to be sent on by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a little while. ²⁵ At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem in a ministry to the saints,^{(B) 26} for Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to share their resources with the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.^{(C) 27} They were pleased to do this, and indeed they owe it to them, for if the gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material things.^{(D) 28} So, when I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,^[a] I will set out by way of you to Spain, ²⁹ and I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing^[b] of Christ.

⁴³ but the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land^(A)

³¹ Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.”