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Romans 1-10
New Living Translation

Greetings from Paul

1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 2 God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. 3 The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4 and he was shown to be[a] the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.[b] He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through Christ, God has given us the privilege[c] and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.

6 And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people.

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

God’s Good News

8 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart[d] by spreading the Good News about his Son.

10 One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. 11 For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. 12 When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.

13 I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters,[e] that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. 14 For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world,[f] to the educated and uneducated alike. 15 So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.

16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.[g] 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”[h]

God’s Anger at Sin

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.[i] 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.

28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

God’s Judgment of Sin

2 You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. 2 And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. 3 Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? 4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. 9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.[j] 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.

12 When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. 13 For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. 14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. 15 They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. 16 And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.

The Jews and the Law

17 You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him. 18 You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law. 19 You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness. 20 You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth.

21 Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? 22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples?[k] 23 You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. 24 No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.”[l]

25 The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God’s law. But if you don’t obey God’s law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile. 26 And if the Gentiles obey God’s law, won’t God declare them to be his own people? 27 In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God’s law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God’s law but don’t obey it.

28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. 29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise[m] from God, not from people.

God Remains Faithful

3 Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? 2 Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.[n]

3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? 4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,

“You will be proved right in what you say,
    and you will win your case in court.”[o]

5 “But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) 6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? 7 “But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?” 8 And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.

All People Are Sinners

9 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles,[p] are under the power of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say,

“No one is righteous—
    not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
    no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away;
    all have become useless.
No one does good,
    not a single one.”[q]
13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
    Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”[r]
14     “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[s]
15 “They rush to commit murder.
16     Destruction and misery always follow them.
17 They don’t know where to find peace.”[t]
18     “They have no fear of God at all.”[u]

19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

Christ Took Our Punishment

21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses[v] and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. 30 There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.[w] 31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

The Faith of Abraham

4 Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? 2 If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. 3 For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”[x]

4 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. 6 David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:

7 “Oh, what joy for those
    whose disobedience is forgiven,
    whose sins are put out of sight.
8 Yes, what joy for those
    whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”[y]

9 Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles?[z] Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith. 10 But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised!

11 Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. 12 And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.

13 Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. 14 If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. 15 For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)

16 So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. 17 That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.”[aa] This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

18 Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”[ab] 19 And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.

20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. 23 And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded 24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

Faith Brings Joy

5 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace[ac] with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Adam and Christ Contrasted

12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 14 Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. 15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

20 God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. 21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sin’s Power Is Broken

6 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

12 Do not let sin control the way you live;[ad] do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

19 Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.

20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. 21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

No Longer Bound to the Law

7 Now, dear brothers and sisters[ae]—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living? 2 For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. 3 So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries.

4 So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. 5 When we were controlled by our old nature,[af] sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

God’s Law Reveals Our Sin

7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.”[ag] 8 But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. 9 At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, 10 and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. 11 Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. 12 But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.

13 But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.

Struggling with Sin

14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[ah] I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power[ai] within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Life in the Spirit

8 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power[aj] of the life-giving Spirit has freed you[ak] from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature.[al] So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) 10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life[am] because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters,[an] you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature,[ao] you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children[ap] of God.

15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.[aq] Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”[ar] 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

The Future Glory

18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children,[as] including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope[at] for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers[au] in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together[av] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn[aw] among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”[ax]) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[ay] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God’s Selection of Israel

9 With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. 2 My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief 3 for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters.[az] I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them. 4 They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children.[ba] God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises. 5 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.[bb]

6 Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God’s people! 7 Being descendants of Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted,”[bc] though Abraham had other children, too. 8 This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children. 9 For God had promised, “I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”[bd]

10 This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins.[be] 11 But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; 12 he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.”[bf] 13 In the words of the Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.”[bg]

14 Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! 15 For God said to Moses,

“I will show mercy to anyone I choose,
    and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”[bh]

16 So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.

17 For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.”[bi] 18 So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.

19 Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?”

20 No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? 22 In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. 23 He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. 24 And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.

25 Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea,

“Those who were not my people,
    I will now call my people.
And I will love those
    whom I did not love before.”[bj]

26 And,

“Then, at the place where they were told,
    ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called
    ‘children of the living God.’”[bk]

27 And concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out,

“Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore,
    only a remnant will be saved.
28 For the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth
    quickly and with finality.”[bl]

29 And Isaiah said the same thing in another place:

“If the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
    had not spared a few of our children,
we would have been wiped out like Sodom,
    destroyed like Gomorrah.”[bm]

Israel’s Unbelief

30 What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. 31 But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. 32 Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law[bn] instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. 33 God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said,

“I am placing a stone in Jerusalem[bo] that makes people stumble,
    a rock that makes them fall.
But anyone who trusts in him
    will never be disgraced.”[bp]

10 Dear brothers and sisters,[bq] the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. 2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.[br] As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

Salvation Is for Everyone

5 For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.[bs] 6 But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). 7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” 8 In fact, it says,

“The message is very close at hand;
    it is on your lips and in your heart.”[bt]

And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”[bu] 12 Jew and Gentile[bv] are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[bw]

14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”[bx]

16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?”[by] 17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. 18 But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have:

“The message has gone throughout the earth,
    and the words to all the world.”[bz]

19 But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God said,

“I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation.
    I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles.”[ca]

20 And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying,

“I was found by people who were not looking for me.
    I showed myself to those who were not asking for me.”[cb]

21 But regarding Israel, God said,

“All day long I opened my arms to them,
    but they were disobedient and rebellious.”[cc]

Footnotes

  1. 1:4a Or and was designated.
  2. 1:4b Or by the Spirit of holiness; or in the new realm of the Spirit.
  3. 1:5 Or the grace.
  4. 1:9 Or in my spirit.
  5. 1:13 Greek brothers.
  6. 1:14 Greek to Greeks and barbarians.
  7. 1:16 Greek also the Greek.
  8. 1:17 Or “The righteous will live by faith.” Hab 2:4.
  9. 1:18 Or who, by their wickedness, prevent the truth from being known.
  10. 2:9 Greek also for the Greek; also in 2:10.
  11. 2:22 Greek do you steal from temples?
  12. 2:24 Isa 52:5 (Greek version).
  13. 2:29 Or receives praise.
  14. 3:2 Greek the oracles of God.
  15. 3:4 Ps 51:4 (Greek version).
  16. 3:9 Greek or Greeks.
  17. 3:10-12 Pss 14:1-3; 53:1-3 (Greek version).
  18. 3:13 Pss 5:9 (Greek version); 140:3.
  19. 3:14 Ps 10:7 (Greek version).
  20. 3:15-17 Isa 59:7-8.
  21. 3:18 Ps 36:1.
  22. 3:21 Greek in the law.
  23. 3:30 Greek whether they are circumcised or uncircumcised.
  24. 4:3 Gen 15:6.
  25. 4:7-8 Ps 32:1-2 (Greek version).
  26. 4:9 Greek is this blessing only for the circumcised, or is it also for the uncircumcised?
  27. 4:17 Gen 17:5.
  28. 4:18 Gen 15:5.
  29. 5:1 Some manuscripts read let us have peace.
  30. 6:12 Or Do not let sin reign in your body, which is subject to death.
  31. 7:1 Greek brothers; also in 7:4.
  32. 7:5 Greek When we were in the flesh.
  33. 7:7 Exod 20:17; Deut 5:21.
  34. 7:18 Greek my flesh; also in 7:25.
  35. 7:23 Greek law; also in 7:23b.
  36. 8:2a Greek the law; also in 8:2b.
  37. 8:2b Some manuscripts read me.
  38. 8:3 Greek our flesh; similarly in 8:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12.
  39. 8:10 Or your spirit is alive.
  40. 8:12 Greek brothers; also in 8:29.
  41. 8:13 Greek deeds of the body.
  42. 8:14 Greek sons; also in 8:19.
  43. 8:15a Greek you received a spirit of sonship.
  44. 8:15b Abba is an Aramaic term for “father.”
  45. 8:23 Greek wait anxiously for sonship.
  46. 8:24 Some manuscripts read wait.
  47. 8:27 Greek for God’s holy people.
  48. 8:28 Some manuscripts read And we know that everything works together.
  49. 8:29 Or would be supreme.
  50. 8:36 Ps 44:22.
  51. 8:38 Greek nor rulers.
  52. 9:3 Greek my brothers.
  53. 9:4 Greek chosen for sonship.
  54. 9:5 Or May God, the one who rules over everything, be praised forever. Amen.
  55. 9:7 Gen 21:12.
  56. 9:9 Gen 18:10, 14.
  57. 9:10 Greek she conceived children through this one man.
  58. 9:12 Gen 25:23.
  59. 9:13 Mal 1:2-3.
  60. 9:15 Exod 33:19.
  61. 9:17 Exod 9:16 (Greek version).
  62. 9:25 Hos 2:23.
  63. 9:26 Greek sons of the living God. Hos 1:10.
  64. 9:27-28 Isa 10:22-23 (Greek version).
  65. 9:29 Isa 1:9 (Greek version).
  66. 9:32 Greek by works.
  67. 9:33a Greek in Zion.
  68. 9:33b Isa 8:14; 28:16 (Greek version).
  69. 10:1 Greek Brothers.
  70. 10:4 Or For Christ is the end of the law.
  71. 10:5 See Lev 18:5.
  72. 10:6-8 Deut 30:12-14.
  73. 10:11 Isa 28:16 (Greek version).
  74. 10:12 Greek and Greek.
  75. 10:13 Joel 2:32.
  76. 10:15 Isa 52:7.
  77. 10:16 Isa 53:1.
  78. 10:18 Ps 19:4.
  79. 10:19 Deut 32:21.
  80. 10:20 Isa 65:1 (Greek version).
  81. 10:21 Isa 65:2 (Greek version).
Listen to Romans 1-9
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Romans 1-9
New International Version

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.

God’s Righteous Judgment

2 You, therefore, have no excuse,(BL) you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.(BM) 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches(BN) of his kindness,(BO) forbearance(BP) and patience,(BQ) not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?(BR)

5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath(BS), when his righteous judgment(BT) will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”[g](BU) 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor(BV) and immortality,(BW) he will give eternal life.(BX) 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil,(BY) there will be wrath and anger.(BZ) 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil:(CA) first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;(CB) 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.(CC) 11 For God does not show favoritism.(CD)

12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law(CE) will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey(CF) the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law,(CG) they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets(CH) through Jesus Christ,(CI) as my gospel(CJ) declares.

The Jews and the Law

17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;(CK) 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?(CL) 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?(CM) 23 You who boast in the law,(CN) do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”[h](CO)

25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law,(CP) but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.(CQ) 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements,(CR) will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?(CS) 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you(CT) who, even though you have the[i] written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly,(CU) nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.(CV) 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart,(CW) by the Spirit,(CX) not by the written code.(CY) Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.(CZ)

God’s Faithfulness

3 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way!(DA) First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.(DB)

3 What if some were unfaithful?(DC) Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?(DD) 4 Not at all! Let God be true,(DE) and every human being a liar.(DF) As it is written:

“So that you may be proved right when you speak
    and prevail when you judge.”[j](DG)

5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly,(DH) what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)(DI) 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?(DJ) 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory,(DK) why am I still condemned as a sinner?”(DL) 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”?(DM) Their condemnation is just!

No One Is Righteous

9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage?(DN) Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.(DO) 10 As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11     there is no one who understands;
    there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
    they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
    not even one.”[k](DP)
13 “Their throats are open graves;
    their tongues practice deceit.”[l](DQ)
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[m](DR)
14     “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[n](DS)
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16     ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[o](DT)
18     “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[p](DU)

19 Now we know that whatever the law says,(DV) it says to those who are under the law,(DW) so that every mouth may be silenced(DX) and the whole world held accountable to God.(DY) 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;(DZ) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.(EA)

Righteousness Through Faith

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God(EB) has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.(EC) 22 This righteousness(ED) is given through faith(EE) in[q] Jesus Christ(EF) to all who believe.(EG) There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,(EH) 23 for all have sinned(EI) and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified(EJ) freely by his grace(EK) through the redemption(EL) that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[r](EM) through the shedding of his blood(EN)—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished(EO)— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

27 Where, then, is boasting?(EP) It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.(EQ) 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,(ER) 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.(ES) 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Abraham Justified by Faith

4 What then shall we say(ET) that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh,(EU) discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.(EV) 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[s](EW)

4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift(EX) but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.(EY) 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessed are those
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”[t](EZ)

9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?(FA) We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.(FB) 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.(FC) So then, he is the father(FD) of all who believe(FE) but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise(FF) that he would be heir of the world,(FG) but through the righteousness that comes by faith.(FH) 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless,(FI) 15 because the law brings wrath.(FJ) And where there is no law there is no transgression.(FK)

16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace(FL) and may be guaranteed(FM) to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.(FN) 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”[u](FO) He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life(FP) to the dead and calls(FQ) into being things that were not.(FR)

18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations,(FS) just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”[v](FT) 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead(FU)—since he was about a hundred years old(FV)—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.(FW) 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened(FX) in his faith and gave glory to God,(FY) 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.(FZ) 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”(GA) 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us,(GB) to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him(GC) who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.(GD) 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins(GE) and was raised to life for our justification.(GF)

Peace and Hope

5 Therefore, since we have been justified(GG) through faith,(GH) we[w] have peace(GI) with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,(GJ) 2 through whom we have gained access(GK) by faith into this grace in which we now stand.(GL) And we[x] boast in the hope(GM) of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[y] also glory in our sufferings,(GN) because we know that suffering produces perseverance;(GO) 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope(GP) does not put us to shame, because God’s love(GQ) has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,(GR) who has been given to us.

6 You see, at just the right time,(GS) when we were still powerless,(GT) Christ died for the ungodly.(GU) 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.(GV)

9 Since we have now been justified(GW) by his blood,(GX) how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath(GY) through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies,(GZ) we were reconciled(HA) to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!(HB) 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.(HC)

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man,(HD) and death through sin,(HE) and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned(HF)—

13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law.(HG) 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam,(HH) who is a pattern of the one to come.(HI)

15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man,(HJ) how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ,(HK) overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death(HL) reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life(HM) through the one man, Jesus Christ!

18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people,(HN) so also one righteous act resulted in justification(HO) and life(HP) for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man(HQ) the many were made sinners,(HR) so also through the obedience(HS) of the one man the many will be made righteous.

20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase.(HT) But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,(HU) 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death,(HV) so also grace(HW) might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life(HX) through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

6 What shall we say, then?(HY) Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?(HZ) 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin;(IA) how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized(IB) into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death(IC) in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead(ID) through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.(IE)

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.(IF) 6 For we know that our old self(IG) was crucified with him(IH) so that the body ruled by sin(II) might be done away with,[z] that we should no longer be slaves to sin(IJ)— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.(IK)

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.(IL) 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead,(IM) he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.(IN) 10 The death he died, he died to sin(IO) once for all;(IP) but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin(IQ) but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign(IR) in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness,(IS) but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.(IT) 14 For sin shall no longer be your master,(IU) because you are not under the law,(IV) but under grace.(IW)

Slaves to Righteousness

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace?(IX) By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey(IY)—whether you are slaves to sin,(IZ) which leads to death,(JA) or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God(JB) that, though you used to be slaves to sin,(JC) you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching(JD) that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin(JE) and have become slaves to righteousness.(JF)

19 I am using an example from everyday life(JG) because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness(JH) leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin,(JI) you were free from the control of righteousness.(JJ) 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!(JK) 22 But now that you have been set free from sin(JL) and have become slaves of God,(JM) the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.(JN) 23 For the wages of sin is death,(JO) but the gift of God is eternal life(JP) in[aa] Christ Jesus our Lord.

Released From the Law, Bound to Christ

7 Do you not know, brothers and sisters(JQ)—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him.(JR) 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress.(JS) But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law(JT) through the body of Christ,(JU) that you might belong to another,(JV) to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh,[ab](JW) the sinful passions aroused by the law(JX) were at work in us,(JY) so that we bore fruit for death.(JZ) 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law(KA) so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.(KB)

The Law and Sin

7 What shall we say, then?(KC) Is the law sinful? Certainly not!(KD) Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.(KE) For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”[ac](KF) 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,(KG) produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.(KH) 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life(KI) actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,(KJ) deceived me,(KK) and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.(KL)

13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good(KM) to bring about my death,(KN) so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,(KO) sold(KP) as a slave to sin.(KQ) 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.(KR) 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.(KS) 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.(KT) 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[ad](KU) For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.(KV) 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.(KW)

21 So I find this law at work:(KX) Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being(KY) I delight in God’s law;(KZ) 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war(LA) against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin(LB) at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?(LC) 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!(LD)

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law,(LE) but in my sinful nature[ae] a slave to the law of sin.(LF)

Life Through the Spirit

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation(LG) for those who are in Christ Jesus,(LH) 2 because through Christ Jesus(LI) the law of the Spirit who gives life(LJ) has set you[af] free(LK) from the law of sin(LL) and death. 3 For what the law was powerless(LM) to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[ag](LN) God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh(LO) to be a sin offering.[ah](LP) And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement(LQ) of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.(LR)

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires;(LS) but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.(LT) 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death,(LU) but the mind governed by the Spirit is life(LV) and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God;(LW) it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh(LX) cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh(LY) but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.(LZ) And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,(MA) they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you,(MB) then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[ai] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead(MC) is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies(MD) because of[aj] his Spirit who lives in you.

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.(ME) 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die;(MF) but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body,(MG) you will live.(MH)

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God(MI) are the children of God.(MJ) 15 The Spirit(MK) you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;(ML) rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[ak] And by him we cry, “Abba,[al] Father.”(MM) 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit(MN) that we are God’s children.(MO) 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs(MP)—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings(MQ) in order that we may also share in his glory.(MR)

Present Suffering and Future Glory

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.(MS) 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God(MT) to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it,(MU) in hope 21 that[am] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay(MV) and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.(MW)

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning(MX) as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,(MY) groan(MZ) inwardly as we wait eagerly(NA) for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.(NB) 24 For in this hope we were saved.(NC) But hope that is seen is no hope at all.(ND) Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.(NE)

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit(NF) himself intercedes for us(NG) through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts(NH) knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes(NI) for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good(NJ) of those who love him, who[an] have been called(NK) according to his purpose.(NL) 29 For those God foreknew(NM) he also predestined(NN) to be conformed to the image of his Son,(NO) that he might be the firstborn(NP) among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined,(NQ) he also called;(NR) those he called, he also justified;(NS) those he justified, he also glorified.(NT)

More Than Conquerors

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things?(NU) If God is for us,(NV) who can be against us?(NW) 32 He who did not spare his own Son,(NX) but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge(NY) against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns?(NZ) No one. Christ Jesus who died(OA)—more than that, who was raised to life(OB)—is at the right hand of God(OC) and is also interceding for us.(OD) 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?(OE) Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?(OF) 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[ao](OG)

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors(OH) through him who loved us.(OI) 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[ap] neither the present nor the future,(OJ) nor any powers,(OK) 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God(OL) that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.(OM)

Paul’s Anguish Over Israel

9 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying,(ON) my conscience confirms(OO) it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself(OP) were cursed(OQ) and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people,(OR) those of my own race,(OS) 4 the people of Israel.(OT) Theirs is the adoption to sonship;(OU) theirs the divine glory,(OV) the covenants,(OW) the receiving of the law,(OX) the temple worship(OY) and the promises.(OZ) 5 Theirs are the patriarchs,(PA) and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah,(PB) who is God over all,(PC) forever praised![aq](PD) Amen.

God’s Sovereign Choice

6 It is not as though God’s word(PE) had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.(PF) 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”[ar](PG) 8 In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children,(PH) but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.(PI) 9 For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”[as](PJ)

10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac.(PK) 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad(PL)—in order that God’s purpose(PM) in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”[at](PN) 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”[au](PO)

14 What then shall we say?(PP) Is God unjust? Not at all!(PQ) 15 For he says to Moses,

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
    and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”[av](PR)

16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.(PS) 17 For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”[aw](PT) 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.(PU)

19 One of you will say to me:(PV) “Then why does God still blame us?(PW) For who is able to resist his will?”(PX) 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?(PY) “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,(PZ) ‘Why did you make me like this?’”[ax](QA) 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?(QB)

22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience(QC) the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?(QD) 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory(QE) known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory(QF)— 24 even us, whom he also called,(QG) not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?(QH) 25 As he says in Hosea:

“I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people;
    and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,”[ay](QI)

Footnotes

  1. Romans 1:3 Or who according to the flesh
  2. Romans 1:4 Or was declared with power to be the Son of God
  3. Romans 1:5 Or that is
  4. Romans 1:13 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 7:1, 4; 8:12, 29; 10:1; 11:25; 12:1; 15:14, 30; 16:14, 17.
  5. Romans 1:17 Or is from faith to faith
  6. Romans 1:17 Hab. 2:4
  7. Romans 2:6 Psalm 62:12; Prov. 24:12
  8. Romans 2:24 Isaiah 52:5 (see Septuagint); Ezek. 36:20,22
  9. Romans 2:27 Or who, by means of a
  10. Romans 3:4 Psalm 51:4
  11. Romans 3:12 Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccles. 7:20
  12. Romans 3:13 Psalm 5:9
  13. Romans 3:13 Psalm 140:3
  14. Romans 3:14 Psalm 10:7 (see Septuagint)
  15. Romans 3:17 Isaiah 59:7,8
  16. Romans 3:18 Psalm 36:1
  17. Romans 3:22 Or through the faithfulness of
  18. Romans 3:25 The Greek for sacrifice of atonement refers to the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant (see Lev. 16:15,16).
  19. Romans 4:3 Gen. 15:6; also in verse 22
  20. Romans 4:8 Psalm 32:1,2
  21. Romans 4:17 Gen. 17:5
  22. Romans 4:18 Gen. 15:5
  23. Romans 5:1 Many manuscripts let us
  24. Romans 5:2 Or let us
  25. Romans 5:3 Or let us
  26. Romans 6:6 Or be rendered powerless
  27. Romans 6:23 Or through
  28. Romans 7:5 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
  29. Romans 7:7 Exodus 20:17; Deut. 5:21
  30. Romans 7:18 Or my flesh
  31. Romans 7:25 Or in the flesh
  32. Romans 8:2 The Greek is singular; some manuscripts me
  33. Romans 8:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 4-13.
  34. Romans 8:3 Or flesh, for sin
  35. Romans 8:10 Or you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive
  36. Romans 8:11 Some manuscripts bodies through
  37. Romans 8:15 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture; also in verse 23.
  38. Romans 8:15 Aramaic for father
  39. Romans 8:21 Or subjected it in hope. 21 For
  40. Romans 8:28 Or that all things work together for good to those who love God, who; or that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who
  41. Romans 8:36 Psalm 44:22
  42. Romans 8:38 Or nor heavenly rulers
  43. Romans 9:5 Or Messiah, who is over all. God be forever praised! Or Messiah. God who is over all be forever praised!
  44. Romans 9:7 Gen. 21:12
  45. Romans 9:9 Gen. 18:10,14
  46. Romans 9:12 Gen. 25:23
  47. Romans 9:13 Mal. 1:2,3
  48. Romans 9:15 Exodus 33:19
  49. Romans 9:17 Exodus 9:16
  50. Romans 9:20 Isaiah 29:16; 45:9
  51. Romans 9:25 Hosea 2:23
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