1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, having been separated to the good news of God --

² which He announced before through His prophets in holy writings --

³ concerning His Son, (who is come of the seed of David according to the flesh,

⁴ who is marked out Son of God in power, according to the Spirit of sanctification, by the rising again from the dead,) Jesus Christ our Lord;

⁵ through whom we did receive grace and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations, in behalf of his name;

⁶ among whom are also ye, the called of Jesus Christ;

⁷ to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called saints; Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and [from] the Lord Jesus Christ!

⁸ first, indeed, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is proclaimed in the whole world;

⁹ for God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the good news of His Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you,

¹⁰ always in my prayers beseeching, if by any means now at length I shall have a prosperous journey, by the will of God, to come unto you,

¹¹ for I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, that ye may be established;

¹² and that is, that I may be comforted together among you, through the faith in one another, both yours and mine.

¹³ And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, that many times I did purpose to come unto you -- and was hindered till the present time -- that some fruit I might have also among you, even as also among the other nations.

¹⁴ Both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to wise and to thoughtless, I am a debtor,

¹⁵ so, as much as in me is, I am ready also to you who [are] in Rome to proclaim good news,

¹⁶ for I am not ashamed of the good news of the Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to every one who is believing, both to Jew first, and to Greek.

¹⁷ For the righteousness of God in it is revealed from faith to faith, according as it hath been written, `And the righteous one by faith shall live,'

¹⁸ for revealed is the wrath of God from heaven upon all impiety and unrighteousness of men, holding down the truth in unrighteousness.

¹⁹ Because that which is known of God is manifest among them, for God did manifest [it] to them,

²⁰ for the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world, by the things made being understood, are plainly seen, both His eternal power and Godhead -- to their being inexcusable;

²¹ because, having known God they did not glorify [Him] as God, nor gave thanks, but were made vain in their reasonings, and their unintelligent heart was darkened,

²² professing to be wise, they were made fools,

²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of fowls, and of quadrupeds, and of reptiles.

²⁴ Wherefore also God did give them up, in the desires of their hearts, to uncleanness, to dishonour their bodies among themselves;

²⁵ who did change the truth of God into a falsehood, and did honour and serve the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed to the ages. Amen.

²⁶ Because of this did God give them up to dishonourable affections, for even their females did change the natural use into that against nature;

²⁷ and in like manner also the males having left the natural use of the female, did burn in their longing toward one another; males with males working shame, and the recompense of their error that was fit, in themselves receiving.

²⁸ And, according as they did not approve of having God in knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mind, to do the things not seemly;

²⁹ having been filled with all unrighteousness, whoredom, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil dispositions; whisperers,

³⁰ evil-speakers, God-haters, insulting, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

³¹ unintelligent, faithless, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful;

³² who the righteous judgment of God having known -- that those practising such things are worthy of death -- not only do them, but also have delight with those practising them.

2 Therefore, thou art inexcusable, O man -- every one who is judging -- for in that in which thou dost judge the other, thyself thou dost condemn, for the same things thou dost practise who art judging,

² and we have known that the judgment of God is according to truth, upon those practising such things.

³ And dost thou think this, O man, who art judging those who such things are practising, and art doing them, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

⁴ or the riches of His goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, dost thou despise? -- not knowing that the goodness of God doth lead thee to reformation!

⁵ but, according to thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou dost treasure up to thyself wrath, in a day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

⁶ who shall render to each according to his works;

⁷ to those, indeed, who in continuance of a good work, do seek glory, and honour, and incorruptibility -- life age-during;

⁸ and to those contentious, and disobedient, indeed, to the truth, and obeying the unrighteousness -- indignation and wrath,

⁹ tribulation and distress, upon every soul of man that is working the evil, both of Jew first, and of Greek;

¹⁰ and glory, and honour, and peace, to every one who is working the good, both to Jew first, and to Greek.

¹¹ For there is no acceptance of faces with God,

¹² for as many as without law did sin, without law also shall perish, and as many as did sin in law, through law shall be judged,

¹³ for not the hearers of the law [are] righteous before God, but the doers of the law shall be declared righteous: --

¹⁴ For, when nations that have not a law, by nature may do the things of the law, these not having a law -- to themselves are a law;

¹⁵ who do shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also witnessing with them, and between one another the thoughts accusing or else defending,

¹⁶ in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men, according to my good news, through Jesus Christ.

¹⁷ Lo, thou art named a Jew, and dost rest upon the law, and dost boast in God,

¹⁸ and dost know the will, and dost approve the distinctions, being instructed out of the law,

¹⁹ and hast confidence that thou thyself art a leader of blind ones, a light of those in darkness,

²⁰ an instructor of foolish ones, a teacher of babes, having the form of the knowledge and of the truth in the law.

²¹ Thou, then, who art teaching another, thyself dost thou not teach?

²² thou who art preaching not to steal, dost thou steal? thou who art saying not to commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou who art abhorring the idols, dost thou rob temples?

²³ thou who in the law dost boast, through the transgression of the law God dost thou dishonour?

²⁴ for the name of God because of you is evil spoken of among the nations, according as it hath been written.

²⁵ For circumcision, indeed, doth profit, if law thou mayest practise, but if a transgressor of law thou mayest be, thy circumcision hath become uncircumcision.

²⁶ If, therefore the uncircumcision the righteousness of the law may keep, shall not his uncircumcision for circumcision be reckoned?

²⁷ and the uncircumcision, by nature, fulfilling the law, shall judge thee who, through letter and circumcision, [art] a transgressor of law.

²⁸ For he is not a Jew who is [so] outwardly, neither [is] circumcision that which is outward in flesh;

²⁹ but a Jew [is] he who is [so] inwardly, and circumcision [is] of the heart, in spirit, not in letter, of which the praise is not of men, but of God.

3 What, then, [is] the superiority of the Jew? or what the profit of the circumcision?

² much in every way; for first, indeed, that they were intrusted with the oracles of God;

³ for what, if certain were faithless? shall their faithlessness the faithfulness of god make useless?

⁴ let it not be! and let God become true, and every man false, according as it hath been written, `That Thou mayest be declared righteous in Thy words, and mayest overcome in Thy being judged.'

⁵ And, if our unrighteousness God's righteousness doth establish, what shall we say? is God unrighteous who is inflicting the wrath? (after the manner of a man I speak)

⁶ let it not be! since how shall God judge the world?

⁷ for if the truth of God in my falsehood did more abound to His glory, why yet am I also as a sinner judged?

⁸ and not, as we are evil spoken of, and as certain affirm us to say -- `We may do the evil things, that the good ones may come?' whose judgment is righteous.

⁹ What, then? are we better? not at all! for we did before charge both Jews and Greeks with being all under sin,

¹⁰ according as it hath been written -- `There is none righteous, not even one;

¹¹ There is none who is understanding, there is none who is seeking after God.

¹² All did go out of the way, together they became unprofitable, there is none doing good, there is not even one.

¹³ A sepulchre opened [is] their throat; with their tongues they used deceit; poison of asps [is] under their lips.

¹⁴ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

¹⁵ Swift [are] their feet to shed blood.

¹⁶ Ruin and misery [are] in their ways.

¹⁷ And a way of peace they did not know.

¹⁸ There is no fear of God before their eyes.'

¹⁹ And we have known that as many things as the law saith, to those in the law it doth speak, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may come under judgment to God;

²⁰ wherefore by works of law shall no flesh be declared righteous before Him, for through law is a knowledge of sin.

²¹ And now apart from law hath the righteousness of God been manifested, testified to by the law and the prophets,

²² and the righteousness of God [is] through the faith of Jesus Christ to all, and upon all those believing, -- for there is no difference,

²³ for all did sin, and are come short of the glory of God --

²⁴ being declared righteous freely by His grace through the redemption that [is] in Christ Jesus,

²⁵ whom God did set forth a mercy seat, through the faith in his blood, for the shewing forth of His righteousness, because of the passing over of the bygone sins in the forbearance of God --

²⁶ for the shewing forth of His righteousness in the present time, for His being righteous, and declaring him righteous who [is] of the faith of Jesus.

²⁷ Where then [is] the boasting? it was excluded; by what law? of works? no, but by a law of faith:

²⁸ therefore do we reckon a man to be declared righteous by faith, apart from works of law.

²⁹ The God of Jews only [is He], and not also of nations?

³⁰ yes, also of nations; since one [is] God who shall declare righteous the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through the faith.

³¹ Law then do we make useless through the faith? let it not be! yea, we do establish law.

4 What, then, shall we say Abraham our father, to have found, according to flesh?

² for if Abraham by works was declared righteous, he hath to boast -- but not before god;

³ for what doth the writing say? `And Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness;'

⁴ and to him who is working, the reward is not reckoned of grace, but of debt;

⁵ and to him who is not working, and is believing upon Him who is declaring righteous the impious, his faith is reckoned -- to righteousness:

⁶ even as David also doth speak of the happiness of the man to whom God doth reckon righteousness apart from works:

⁷ `Happy they whose lawless acts were forgiven, and whose sins were covered;

⁸ happy the man to whom the Lord may not reckon sin.'

⁹ [Is] this happiness, then, upon the circumcision, or also upon the uncircumcision -- for we say that the faith was reckoned to Abraham -- to righteousness?

¹⁰ how then was it reckoned? he being in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision;

¹¹ and a sign he did receive of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith in the uncircumcision, for his being father of all those believing through uncircumcision, for the righteousness also being reckoned to them,

¹² and father of circumcision to those not of circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of the faith, that [is] in the uncircumcision of our father Abraham.

¹³ For not through law [is] the promise to Abraham, or to his seed, of his being heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith;

¹⁴ for if they who are of law [are] heirs, the faith hath been made void, and the promise hath been made useless;

¹⁵ for the law doth work wrath; for where law is not, neither [is] transgression.

¹⁶ Because of this [it is] of faith, that [it may be] according to grace, for the promise being sure to all the seed, not to that which [is] of the law only, but also to that which [is] of the faith of Abraham,

¹⁷ who is father of us all (according as it hath been written -- `A father of many nations I have set thee,') before Him whom he did believe -- God, who is quickening the dead, and is calling the things that be not as being.

¹⁸ Who, against hope in hope did believe, for his becoming father of many nations according to that spoken: `So shall thy seed be;'

¹⁹ and not having been weak in the faith, he did not consider his own body, already become dead, (being about a hundred years old,) and the deadness of Sarah's womb,

²⁰ and at the promise of God did not stagger in unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, having given glory to God,

²¹ and having been fully persuaded that what He hath promised He is able also to do:

²² wherefore also it was reckoned to him to righteousness.

²³ And it was not written on his account alone, that it was reckoned to him,

²⁴ but also on ours, to whom it is about to be reckoned -- to us believing on Him who did raise up Jesus our Lord out of the dead,

²⁵ who was delivered up because of our offences, and was raised up because of our being declared righteous.