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Romans 15
New Living Translation

Living to Please Others

15 We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. 2 We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. 3 For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.”[a] 4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. 6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. 8 Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews[b] to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. 9 He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote:

“For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles;
    I will sing praises to your name.”[c]

10 And in another place it is written,

“Rejoice with his people,
    you Gentiles.”[d]

11 And yet again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles.
    Praise him, all you people of the earth.”[e]

12 And in another place Isaiah said,

“The heir to David’s throne[f] will come,
    and he will rule over the Gentiles.
They will place their hope on him.”[g]

13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s Reason for Writing

14 I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters,[h] that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them. 15 Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s grace, 16 I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit. 17 So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God. 18 Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. 19 They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit.[i] In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.[j]

20 My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else. 21 I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says,

“Those who have never been told about him will see,
    and those who have never heard of him will understand.”[k]

22 In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places.

Paul’s Travel Plans

23 But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you. 24 I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a little while, you can provide for my journey.

25 But before I come, I must go to Jerusalem to take a gift to the believers[l] there. 26 For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia[m] have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. 27 They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially. 28 As soon as I have delivered this money and completed this good deed of theirs, I will come to see you on my way to Spain. 29 And I am sure that when I come, Christ will richly bless our time together.

30 Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. 31 Pray that I will be rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey God. Pray also that the believers there will be willing to accept the donation[n] I am taking to Jerusalem. 32 Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other.

33 And now may God, who gives us his peace, be with you all. Amen.[o]

Footnotes

  1. 15:3 Greek who insult you have fallen on me. Ps 69:9.
  2. 15:8 Greek servant of circumcision.
  3. 15:9 Ps 18:49.
  4. 15:10 Deut 32:43.
  5. 15:11 Ps 117:1.
  6. 15:12a Greek The root of Jesse. David was the son of Jesse.
  7. 15:12b Isa 11:10 (Greek version).
  8. 15:14 Greek brothers; also in 15:30.
  9. 15:19a Other manuscripts read the Spirit; still others read the Holy Spirit.
  10. 15:19b Illyricum was a region northeast of Italy.
  11. 15:21 Isa 52:15 (Greek version).
  12. 15:25 Greek God’s holy people; also in 15:26, 31.
  13. 15:26 Macedonia and Achaia were the northern and southern regions of Greece.
  14. 15:31 Greek the ministry; other manuscripts read the gift.
  15. 15:33 Some manuscripts do not include Amen. One very early manuscript places 16:25-27 here.
Listen to Romans 15
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Romans 15
New King James Version

Bearing Others’ Burdens

15 We (A)then who are strong ought to bear with the [a]scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 (B)Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to [b]edification. 3 (C)For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, (D)“The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” 4 For (E)whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the [c]patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 5 (F)Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may (G)with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Glorify God Together

7 Therefore (H)receive one another, just (I)as Christ also received [d]us, to the glory of God. 8 Now I say that (J)Jesus Christ has become a [e]servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, (K)to confirm the promises made to the fathers, 9 and (L)that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written:

(M)“For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles,
And sing to Your name.”

10 And again he says:

(N)“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!”

11 And again:

(O)“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles!
Laud Him, all you peoples!”

12 And again, Isaiah says:

(P)“There shall be a root of Jesse;
And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles,
In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all (Q)joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

From Jerusalem to Illyricum

14 Now (R)I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, (S)filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish [f]one another. 15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, (T)because of the grace given to me by God, 16 that (U)I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the (V)offering [g]of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus (W)in the things which pertain to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things (X)which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, (Y)to make the Gentiles obedient— 19 (Z)in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, (AA)lest I should build on another man’s foundation, 21 but as it is written:

(AB)“To whom He was not announced, they shall see;
And those who have not heard shall understand.”

Plan to Visit Rome

22 For this reason (AC)I also have been much hindered from coming to you. 23 But now no longer having a place in these parts, and (AD)having a great desire these many years to come to you, 24 whenever I journey to Spain, [h]I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, (AE)and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may (AF)enjoy your company for a while. 25 But now (AG)I am going to Jerusalem to [i]minister to the saints. 26 For (AH)it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. 27 It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For (AI)if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, (AJ)their duty is also to minister to them in material things. 28 Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them (AK)this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain. 29 (AL)But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing [j]of the gospel of Christ.

30 Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and (AM)through the love of the Spirit, (AN)that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, 31 (AO)that I may be delivered from those in Judea who [k]do not believe, and that (AP)my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 (AQ)that I may come to you with joy (AR)by the will of God, and may (AS)be refreshed together with you. 33 Now (AT)the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 15:1 weaknesses
  2. Romans 15:2 building up
  3. Romans 15:4 perseverance
  4. Romans 15:7 NU, M you
  5. Romans 15:8 minister
  6. Romans 15:14 M others
  7. Romans 15:16 Consisting of
  8. Romans 15:24 NU omits I shall come to you and joins Spain with the next sentence.
  9. Romans 15:25 serve
  10. Romans 15:29 NU omits of the gospel
  11. Romans 15:31 are disobedient
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New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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