Romans 1
New Matthew Bible
Paul declares his love for the Romans, shows what the gospel is with the fruit of it, and reproves the base nature of the flesh.
1 Paul, the servant of Jesus Christ called to be an apostle, put apart to preach the gospel of God – 2 the gospel that he promised before by his prophets in the holy scriptures 3 that speak of his Son, who was begotten of the seed of David as to the flesh, 4 and was with power identified as the Son of God by the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies since the time that Jesus Christ our Lord rose up from death. 5 By him we have received grace and apostleship to bring all manner of heathen peoples to the obedience of faith, which is in his name. 6 Of such peoples you are a part also, who are Jesus Christ’s by calling.
7 To all you of Rome, beloved of God and saints by calling. Grace be with you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
8 First, truly I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is spoken of throughout all the world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10 asking that at one time or another a successful journey (by the will of God) might enable me to go to you. 11 For I long to see you, so that I may bestow among you some spiritual gift to strengthen you with; 12 that is, so I may have consolation together with you through the common faith, which both you and I have.
13 I want you to know, brethren, that I have often hoped to go to you (but have been prevented so far) to have some fruit among you, as I have among other of the Gentiles. 14 For I am a debtor both to the Greeks and to those who are not Greek, to the learned and also to the unlearned. 15 So then, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you of Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe, namely to the Jew and also to the Gentile. 17 For by it the righteousness which comes from God is unveiled, from faith to faith. As it is written: The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of God appears from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 seeing that what may be known of God is manifest among them. For God did show it unto them. 20 For his invisible things – that is to say, his eternal power and Godhead – are understood and seen from the works of the creation of the world. So they are without excuse, 21 inasmuch as when they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, neither were thankful, but increased full of vain imaginations, and their foolish hearts were blinded. 22 When they counted themselves wise, they became fools, 23 and turned the glory of the immortal God into the similitude of the image of mortal man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and serpents.
24 For this God likewise gave them up to their heart’s lusts, unto uncleanness, to defile their own bodies between themselves – 25 those who turned his truth to a lie, and venerated and served created things more than the Maker, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up to shameful lusts. For even their women turned from the natural way to the unnatural. 27 And likewise also the men left the natural way with a woman, and burned in their lusts for one another. And man with man wrought uncleanness, and received in themselves the reward of their error accordingly.
28 And as it did not seem good to them to acknowledge God, so God delivered them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which were not right, 29 being full of all unrighteous doing: of fornication, wickedness, covetousness, vice; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit; evil-natured, whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, doers of wrong, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to father and mother, 31 without understanding, covenant breakers, unloving, truce breakers, and merciless. 32 Which people, though they knew the righteousness of God, that those who do such things are worthy of death, yet not only do the same, but also have pleasure in those who do them.
Romans 1
Authorized (King James) Version
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, 2 (which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 3 concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: 5 by whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: 6 among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: 7 to all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; 10 making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 12 that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.