21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but (A)became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 (B)Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the (C)incorruptible (D)God into an image made like [a]corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 1:23 perishable

21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts[a] were darkened. 22 Although they claimed[b] to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings[c] or birds or four-footed animals[d] or reptiles.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 1:21 tn Grk “heart.”
  2. Romans 1:22 tn The participle φάσκοντες (phaskontes) is used concessively here.
  3. Romans 1:23 tn Grk “exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God in likeness of an image of corruptible man.” Here there is a wordplay on the Greek terms ἄφθαρτος (aphthartos, “immortal, imperishable, incorruptible”) and φθαρτός (phthartos, “mortal, corruptible, subject to decay”).
  4. Romans 1:23 sn Possibly an allusion to Ps 106:19-20.