Romans 1

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)— ²the gospel he promised beforehand^(D) through his prophets^(E) in the Holy Scriptures^(F) ³regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life^[a]^(G) was a descendant of David,^(H) ⁴and 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) ⁵Through 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. ⁶And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.^(O)

⁷To 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

⁸First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you,^(S) because your faith is being reported all over the world.^(T) ⁹God, whom I serve^(U) in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness^(V) how constantly I remember you ¹⁰in 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)

¹¹I long to see you^(Z) so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift^(AA) to make you strong— ¹²that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. ¹³I 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.

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

¹⁶For 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) ¹⁷For 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

¹⁸The wrath of God^(AO) is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.^(AP) ²⁰For 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)

²¹For 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) ²²Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools^(AT) ²³and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images^(AU) made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

²⁴Therefore 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) ²⁵They 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)

²⁶Because of this, God gave them over^(BB) to shameful lusts.^(BC) Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.^(BD) ²⁷In 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)

²⁸Furthermore, 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. ²⁹They 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) ³⁰slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;^(BH) ³¹they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love,^(BI) no mercy. ³²Although 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.

Footnotes

Romans 1:3 Or who according to the flesh
Romans 1:4 Or was declared with power to be the Son of God
Romans 1:5 Or that is
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.
Romans 1:17 Or is from faith to faith
Romans 1:17 Hab. 2:4

Isaiah 33-36

New International Version

Distress and Help

33 Woe^(A) to you, destroyer,
    you who have not been destroyed!
Woe to you, betrayer,
    you who have not been betrayed!
When you stop destroying,
    you will be destroyed;^(B)
when you stop betraying,
    you will be betrayed.^(C)

²Lord, be gracious^(D) to us;
    we long for you.
Be our strength^(E) every morning,
    our salvation^(F) in time of distress.^(G)
³At the uproar of your army,^(H) the peoples flee;^(I)
    when you rise up,^(J) the nations scatter.
⁴Your plunder,^(K) O nations, is harvested^(L) as by young locusts;^(M)
    like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.

⁵The Lord is exalted,^(N) for he dwells on high;^(O)
    he will fill Zion with his justice^(P) and righteousness.^(Q)
⁶He will be the sure foundation for your times,
    a rich store of salvation^(R) and wisdom and knowledge;
    the fear^(S) of the Lord is the key to this treasure.^[a]^(T)

⁷Look, their brave men^(U) cry aloud in the streets;
    the envoys^(V) of peace weep bitterly.
⁸The highways are deserted,
    no travelers^(W) are on the roads.^(X)
The treaty is broken,^(Y)
    its witnesses^[b] are despised,
    no one is respected.
⁹The land dries up^(Z) and wastes away,
    Lebanon^(AA) is ashamed and withers;^(AB)
Sharon^(AC) is like the Arabah,
    and Bashan^(AD) and Carmel^(AE) drop their leaves.

¹⁰“Now will I arise,^(AF)” says the Lord.
    “Now will I be exalted;^(AG)
    now will I be lifted up.
¹¹You conceive^(AH) chaff,
    you give birth^(AI) to straw;
    your breath is a fire^(AJ) that consumes you.
¹²The peoples will be burned to ashes;^(AK)
    like cut thornbushes^(AL) they will be set ablaze.^(AM)”

¹³You who are far away,^(AN) hear^(AO) what I have done;
    you who are near, acknowledge my power!
¹⁴The sinners^(AP) in Zion are terrified;
    trembling^(AQ) grips the godless:
“Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?^(AR)
    Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?”
¹⁵Those who walk righteously^(AS)
    and speak what is right,^(AT)
who reject gain from extortion^(AU)
    and keep their hands from accepting bribes,^(AV)
who stop their ears against plots of murder
    and shut their eyes^(AW) against contemplating evil—
¹⁶they are the ones who will dwell on the heights,^(AX)
    whose refuge^(AY) will be the mountain fortress.^(AZ)
Their bread will be supplied,
    and water will not fail^(BA) them.

¹⁷Your eyes will see the king^(BB) in his beauty^(BC)
    and view a land that stretches afar.^(BD)
¹⁸In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:^(BE)
    “Where is that chief officer?
Where is the one who took the revenue?
    Where is the officer in charge of the towers?^(BF)”
¹⁹You will see those arrogant people^(BG) no more,
    people whose speech is obscure,
    whose language is strange and incomprehensible.^(BH)

²⁰Look on Zion,^(BI) the city of our festivals;
    your eyes will see Jerusalem,
    a peaceful abode,^(BJ) a tent^(BK) that will not be moved;^(BL)
its stakes will never be pulled up,
    nor any of its ropes broken.
²¹There the Lord will be our Mighty^(BM) One.
    It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.^(BN)
No galley with oars will ride them,
    no mighty ship^(BO) will sail them.
²²For the Lord is our judge,^(BP)
    the Lord is our lawgiver,^(BQ)
the Lord is our king;^(BR)
    it is he who will save^(BS) us.

²³Your rigging hangs loose:
    The mast is not held secure,
    the sail is not spread.
Then an abundance of spoils will be divided
    and even the lame^(BT) will carry off plunder.^(BU)
²⁴No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”;^(BV)
    and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.^(BW)

Judgment Against the Nations

34 Come near, you nations, and listen;^(BX)
    pay attention, you peoples!^(BY)
Let the earth^(BZ) hear, and all that is in it,
    the world, and all that comes out of it!^(CA)
²The Lord is angry with all nations;
    his wrath^(CB) is on all their armies.
He will totally destroy^[c]^(CC) them,
    he will give them over to slaughter.^(CD)
³Their slain^(CE) will be thrown out,
    their dead bodies^(CF) will stink;^(CG)
    the mountains will be soaked with their blood.^(CH)
⁴All the stars in the sky will be dissolved^(CI)
    and the heavens rolled up^(CJ) like a scroll;
all the starry host will fall^(CK)
    like withered^(CL) leaves from the vine,
    like shriveled figs from the fig tree.

⁵My sword^(CM) has drunk its fill in the heavens;
    see, it descends in judgment on Edom,^(CN)
    the people I have totally destroyed.^(CO)
⁶The sword^(CP) of the Lord is bathed in blood,
    it is covered with fat—
the blood of lambs and goats,
    fat from the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice^(CQ) in Bozrah^(CR)
    and a great slaughter^(CS) in the land of Edom.
⁷And the wild oxen^(CT) will fall with them,
    the bull calves and the great bulls.^(CU)
Their land will be drenched with blood,^(CV)
    and the dust will be soaked with fat.

⁸For the Lord has a day^(CW) of vengeance,^(CX)
    a year of retribution,^(CY) to uphold Zion’s cause.
⁹Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch,
    her dust into burning sulfur;^(CZ)
    her land will become blazing pitch!
¹⁰It will not be quenched^(DA) night or day;
    its smoke will rise forever.^(DB)
From generation to generation^(DC) it will lie desolate;^(DD)
    no one will ever pass through it again.
¹¹The desert owl^[d]^(DE) and screech owl^[e] will possess it;
    the great owl^[f] and the raven^(DF) will nest there.
God will stretch out over Edom^(DG)
    the measuring line of chaos^(DH)
    and the plumb line^(DI) of desolation.
¹²Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom,
    all her princes^(DJ) will vanish^(DK) away.
¹³Thorns^(DL) will overrun her citadels,
    nettles and brambles her strongholds.^(DM)
She will become a haunt for jackals,^(DN)
    a home for owls.^(DO)
¹⁴Desert creatures^(DP) will meet with hyenas,^(DQ)
    and wild goats will bleat to each other;
there the night creatures^(DR) will also lie down
    and find for themselves places of rest.
¹⁵The owl will nest there and lay eggs,
    she will hatch them, and care for her young
    under the shadow of her wings;^(DS)
there also the falcons^(DT) will gather,
    each with its mate.

¹⁶Look in the scroll^(DU) of the Lord and read:

None of these will be missing,^(DV)
    not one will lack her mate.
For it is his mouth^(DW) that has given the order,^(DX)
    and his Spirit will gather them together.
¹⁷He allots their portions;^(DY)
    his hand distributes them by measure.
They will possess it forever
    and dwell there from generation to generation.^(DZ)

Joy of the Redeemed

35 The desert^(EA) and the parched land will be glad;
    the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.^(EB)
Like the crocus,^(EC) ²it will burst into bloom;
    it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.^(ED)
The glory of Lebanon^(EE) will be given to it,
    the splendor of Carmel^(EF) and Sharon;^(EG)
they will see the glory^(EH) of the Lord,
    the splendor of our God.^(EI)

³Strengthen the feeble hands,
    steady the knees^(EJ) that give way;
⁴say^(EK) to those with fearful hearts,^(EL)
    “Be strong, do not fear;^(EM)
your God will come,^(EN)
    he will come with vengeance;^(EO)
with divine retribution
    he will come to save^(EP) you.”

⁵Then will the eyes of the blind be opened^(EQ)
    and the ears of the deaf^(ER) unstopped.
⁶Then will the lame^(ES) leap like a deer,^(ET)
    and the mute tongue^(EU) shout for joy.^(EV)
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
    and streams^(EW) in the desert.
⁷The burning sand will become a pool,
    the thirsty ground^(EX) bubbling springs.^(EY)
In the haunts where jackals^(EZ) once lay,
    grass and reeds^(FA) and papyrus will grow.

⁸And a highway^(FB) will be there;
    it will be called the Way of Holiness;^(FC)
    it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean^(FD) will not journey on it;
    wicked fools will not go about on it.
⁹No lion^(FE) will be there,
    nor any ravenous beast;^(FF)
    they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed^(FG) will walk there,
¹⁰    and those the Lord has rescued^(FH) will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;^(FI)
    everlasting joy^(FJ) will crown their heads.
Gladness^(FK) and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.^(FL)

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem^(FM)

36 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s^(FN) reign, Sennacherib^(FO) king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.^(FP) ²Then the king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large army from Lachish^(FQ) to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. When the commander stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field,^(FR) ³Eliakim^(FS) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator,^(FT) Shebna^(FU) the secretary,^(FV) and Joah^(FW) son of Asaph the recorder^(FX) went out to him.

⁴The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah:

“‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? ⁵You say you have counsel and might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel^(FY) against me? ⁶Look, I know you are depending^(FZ) on Egypt,^(GA) that splintered reed^(GB) of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. ⁷But if you say to me, “We are depending^(GC) on the Lord our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed,^(GD) saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar”?^(GE)

⁸“‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses^(GF)—if you can put riders on them! ⁹How then can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt^(GG) for chariots^(GH) and horsemen^[g]?^(GI) ¹⁰Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this land without the Lord? The Lord himself told^(GJ) me to march against this country and destroy it.’”

¹¹Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah^(GK) said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,^(GL) since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

¹²But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?^(GM)”

¹³Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew,^(GN) “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!^(GO) ¹⁴This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive^(GP) you. He cannot deliver you! ¹⁵Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver^(GQ) us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’^(GR)

¹⁶“Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree^(GS) and drink water from your own cistern,^(GT) ¹⁷until I come and take you to a land like your own^(GU)—a land of grain and new wine,^(GV) a land of bread and vineyards.

¹⁸“Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Have the gods of any nations ever delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria? ¹⁹Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad?^(GW) Where are the gods of Sepharvaim?^(GX) Have they rescued Samaria^(GY) from my hand? ²⁰Who of all the gods^(GZ) of these countries have been able to save their lands from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”^(HA)

²¹But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”^(HB)

²²Then Eliakim^(HC) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder^(HD) went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn,^(HE) and told him what the field commander had said.

Footnotes

Isaiah 33:6 Or is a treasure from him
Isaiah 33:8 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text / the cities
Isaiah 34:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 5.
Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
Isaiah 36:9 Or charioteers