The Beginning

Adam and Eve

⁴ This is the account^(CR) of the heavens and the earth when they were created,^(CS) when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.

⁵ Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth^[b] and no plant had yet sprung up,^(CT) for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth^(CU) and there was no one to work the ground, ⁶ but streams^[c] came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. ⁷ Then the Lord God formed^(CV) a man^[d](CW) from the dust^(CX) of the ground^(CY) and breathed into his nostrils the breath^(CZ) of life,^(DA) and the man became a living being.^(DB)

⁸ Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden;^(DC) and there he put the man he had formed. ⁹ The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees^(DD) that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life^(DE) and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.^(DF)

¹⁰ A river^(DG) watering the garden flowed from Eden;^(DH) from there it was separated into four headwaters. ¹¹ The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah,^(DI) where there is gold. ¹² (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin^[e](DJ) and onyx are also there.) ¹³ The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush.^{[f] 14} The name of the third river is the Tigris;^(DK) it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.^(DL)

¹⁵ The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden^(DM) to work it and take care of it. ¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;^{(DN) 17} but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,^(DO) for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”^(DP)

¹⁸ The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”^(DQ)

¹⁹ Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals^(DR) and all the birds in the sky.^(DS) He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called^(DT) each living creature,^(DU) that was its name. ²⁰ So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam^[g] no suitable helper^(DV) was found. ²¹ So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep;^(DW) and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs^[h] and then closed up the place with flesh. ²² Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib^[i](DX) he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

²³ The man said,

²⁴ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united^(EB) to his wife, and they become one flesh.^(EC)

²⁵ Adam and his wife were both naked,^(ED) and they felt no shame.

Unlawful Sexual Relations

18 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God.^{(A) 3} You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.^{(B) 4} You must obey my laws^(C) and be careful to follow my decrees.^(D) I am the Lord your God.^{(E) 5} Keep my decrees and laws,^(F) for the person who obeys them will live by them.^(G) I am the Lord.

⁶ “‘No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the Lord.

⁷ “‘Do not dishonor your father^(H) by having sexual relations with your mother.^(I) She is your mother; do not have relations with her.

⁸ “‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s wife;^(J) that would dishonor your father.^(K)

⁹ “‘Do not have sexual relations with your sister,^(L) either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.^(M)

¹⁰ “‘Do not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter; that would dishonor you.

¹¹ “‘Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife, born to your father; she is your sister.

¹² “‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister;^(N) she is your father’s close relative.

¹³ “‘Do not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister,^(O) because she is your mother’s close relative.

¹⁴ “‘Do not dishonor your father’s brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt.^(P)

¹⁵ “‘Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law.^(Q) She is your son’s wife; do not have relations with her.^(R)

¹⁶ “‘Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife;^(S) that would dishonor your brother.

¹⁷ “‘Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter.^(T) Do not have sexual relations with either her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness.

¹⁸ “‘Do not take your wife’s sister^(U) as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.

¹⁹ “‘Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness^(V) of her monthly period.^(W)

²⁰ “‘Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife^(X) and defile yourself with her.

²¹ “‘Do not give any of your children^(Y) to be sacrificed to Molek,^(Z) for you must not profane the name of your God.^(AA) I am the Lord.^(AB)

²² “‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman;^(AC) that is detestable.^(AD)

²³ “‘Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.^(AE)

²⁴ “‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you^(AF) became defiled.^{(AG) 25} Even the land was defiled;^(AH) so I punished it for its sin,^(AI) and the land vomited out its inhabitants.^{(AJ) 26} But you must keep my decrees and my laws.^(AK) The native-born and the foreigners residing among you must not do any of these detestable things, ²⁷ for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. ²⁸ And if you defile the land,^(AL) it will vomit you out^(AM) as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

²⁹ “‘Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people. ³⁰ Keep my requirements^(AN) and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.^(AO)’”

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle^(A) and set apart^(B) for the gospel of God^(C)— ² the gospel he promised beforehand^(D) through his prophets^(E) in the Holy Scriptures^{(F) 3} regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life^[a](G) was a descendant of David,^{(H) 4} and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power^[b](I) by his resurrection from the dead:^(J) Jesus Christ our Lord.^{(K) 5} Through him we received grace^(L) and apostleship to call all the Gentiles^(M) to the obedience that comes from^[c] faith^(N) for his name’s sake. ⁶ And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.^(O)

⁷ To all in Rome who are loved by God^(P) and called to be his holy people:^(Q)

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

Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome

⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you,^(S) because your faith is being reported all over the world.^{(T) 9} God, whom I serve^(U) in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness^(V) how constantly I remember you ¹⁰ in my prayers at all times;^(W) and I pray that now at last by God’s will^(X) the way may be opened for me to come to you.^(Y)

¹¹ I long to see you^(Z) so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift^(AA) to make you strong— ¹² that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. ¹³ I do not want you to be unaware,^(AB) brothers and sisters,^[d](AC) that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now)^(AD) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

¹⁴ I am obligated^(AE) both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. ¹⁵ That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.^(AF)

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel,^(AG) because it is the power of God^(AH) that brings salvation to everyone who believes:^(AI) first to the Jew,^(AJ) then to the Gentile.^{(AK) 17} For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed^(AL)—a righteousness that is by faith^(AM) from first to last,^[e] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”^[f](AN)

God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity

¹⁸ The wrath of God^(AO) is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.^{(AP) 20} For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,^(AQ) so that people are without excuse.^(AR)

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.^{(AS) 22} Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools^{(AT) 23} and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images^(AU) made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

²⁴ Therefore God gave them over^(AV) in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.^{(AW) 25} They exchanged the truth about God for a lie,^(AX) and worshiped and served created things^(AY) rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.^(AZ) Amen.^(BA)

²⁶ Because of this, God gave them over^(BB) to shameful lusts.^(BC) Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.^{(BD) 27} In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.^(BE)

²⁸ Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over^(BF) to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,^{(BG) 30} slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;^{(BH) 31} they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love,^(BI) no mercy. ³² Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death,^(BJ) they not only continue to do these very things but also approve^(BK) of those who practice them.