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Paul, the servant of Jesus Christ, called an apostle, separated into the gospel of God [parted into the gospel of God];

which he had promised before by his prophets in holy scriptures

of his Son, which is made to him of the seed of David by the flesh, [of his Son, the which is made of the seed of David after the flesh,]

and he was before-ordained the Son of God in virtue, by the Spirit of hallowing of the again-rising of dead men, of Jesus Christ our Lord[a]

by whom we have received grace and the office of apostle [by whom we have received grace and apostlehood, or state of apostle], to obey to the faith in all folks for his name,

among which ye be also called of Jesus Christ,

to all that be at Rome, darlings of God, and called holy, grace to you [to all that be at Rome, the loved of God, called holy, grace be to you], and peace of God our Father, and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

First I do thankings to my God, by Jesus Christ, for all you, for your faith is showed in all the world.

For God is a witness to me, to whom I serve in my spirit, in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mind of you ever in my prayers [whom I serve in my spirit, in the gospel of his Son, for without ceasing I make mind of you evermore in my prayers],

10 and beseech [praying], if in any manner sometime I have a speedy way in the will of God to come to you.

11 For I desire to see you, to part somewhat to you of spiritual grace [that I give to you something of spiritual grace], that ye be confirmed,

12 that is, to be comforted together in you, by [that] faith that is both yours and mine together.

13 And, brethren, I will not, that ye not know [that ye unknow], that oft I purposed to come to you, and I am letted [and I am forbidden] till this time, that I have some fruit in you, as [and] in other folks.

14 To Greeks and to barbarians, to wise men and to unwise men, I am debtor,

15 so that that is in me is ready to preach the gospel also to you that be at Rome.

16 For I shame not the gospel, for it is the virtue of God into health to each man that believeth, to the Jew first, and to the Greek.

17 For the rightwiseness of God is showed in it, of faith into faith, as it is written, For a just man liveth of faith.

18 For the wrath of God is showed from heaven on all unpiety and wickedness of those men, that withhold the truth of God in unrightwiseness. [Forsooth the wrath of God is showed from heaven upon all unpiety and unrightwiseness of those men, that withhold, or hold aback, the truth of God in unrightwiseness.]

19 For that thing of God that is known, is showed to them [For that that is known of God is shown, or made open, to them], for God hath showed to them.

20 For the invisible things of him, that be understood, be beheld of the creature of the world, by those things that be made, yea, and the everlasting virtue of him and the Godhead, so that they may not be excused. [For the invisible things of him, of the creature of the world, by those things that be made, understood be beholden, and the everlasting virtue of him, and the Godhead, so that they be unexcusable.]

21 For when they had known God, they glorified him not as God, neither did thankings; but they vanished in their thoughts, and the unwise heart of them was darked [was darked, or made dark].

22 For they saying that themselves were wise [Soothly they saying themselves to be wise men], they were made fools.

23 And they changed the glory of uncorruptible God into the likeness of an image of a deadly man [into the likeness of an image of corruptible man], and of birds, and of four-footed beasts, and of serpents.

24 For which thing God betook them into the desires of their heart, into uncleanness, that they punish with wrongs their bodies in themselves.

25 The which [men] changed the truth of God into lying, and praised and served a creature rather than the creator, that is blessed into worlds of worlds [that is blessed into worlds, or without end]. Amen.

26 Therefore God betook them into passions of shame [Therefore God betook them into passions of evil fame, or shame]. For the women of them changed the natural use into that use that is against kind.

27 Also the men [the males, or men,] forsook the natural use of woman, and burned in their desires together, and men into men wrought filthhood, and received into themselves the meed that behooved of their error [males into males working filthhood, and receiving in themselves the meed, or hire, that behooved of their error].

28 And as they proved that they had not God in knowing [And as they proved not to have God in knowing], God betook them into a reprovable wit, that they do those things that be not suitable;

29 that they be full-filled with all wickedness [full-filled with all wickedness], malice, fornication, covetousness, waywardness, full of envy, manslayings [manslaying], strife, guile, evil will,

30 privy backbiters, detractors, hateful to God, debaters, proud, and high over measure [hateful to God, wrongful despisers, proud, high over measure], finders of evil things, not obedient to father and mother,

31 unwise, unmannerly, without love [without affection, or love], without bond of peace, without mercy.

32 The which when they had known the rightwiseness of God, understood not, that they that do such things be worthy the death, not only they that do those things [not only they that do such things], but also they that consent to the doers.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 1:4 which is predestined, or before-ordained by grace, the Son of God in virtue, after the Spirit of hallowing of the again-rising of dead men, of Jesus Christ our Lord,

Greeting

Paul, (A)a servant[a] of Christ Jesus, (B)called to be an apostle, (C)set apart for the gospel of God, which (D)he promised beforehand (E)through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, (F)who was descended from David[b] (G)according to the flesh and (H)was declared to be the Son of God (I)in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom (J)we have received grace and (K)apostleship (L)to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name (M)among all the nations, including you who are (N)called to belong to Jesus Christ,

To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

(O)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Longing to Go to Rome

First, (P)I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, (Q)because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. (R)For God is my witness, (S)whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, (T)that without ceasing I mention you 10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow (U)by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For (V)I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged (W)by each other's faith, both yours and mine. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,[c] that (X)I have often intended to come to you (but (Y)thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some (Z)harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 (AA)I am under obligation both to Greeks and to (AB)barbarians,[d] both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

16 For (AC)I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is (AD)the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew (AE)first and also to (AF)the Greek. 17 For in it (AG)the righteousness of God is revealed (AH)from faith for faith,[e] (AI)as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”[f]

God's Wrath on Unrighteousness

18 For (AJ)the wrath of God (AK)is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be (AL)known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, (AM)have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[g] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they (AN)became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 (AO)Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and (AP)exchanged the glory of (AQ)the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore (AR)God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to (AS)the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for (AT)a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, (AU)who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason (AV)God gave them up to (AW)dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, (AX)men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, (AY)God gave them up to (AZ)a debased mind to do (BA)what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know (BB)God's righteous decree that those who practice such things (BC)deserve to die, they not only do them but (BD)give approval to those who practice them.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface
  2. Romans 1:3 Or who came from the offspring of David
  3. Romans 1:13 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters
  4. Romans 1:14 That is, non-Greeks
  5. Romans 1:17 Or beginning and ending in faith
  6. Romans 1:17 Or The one who by faith is righteous shall live
  7. Romans 1:20 Or clearly perceived from the creation of the world

I am Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ. He called me to be an apostle and to tell God's good news.

Through his prophets long ago God promised this good news to people, in the holy writings.

The good news was about his Son. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. He was a man born in David's family.

He came alive from death. That showed he was God's Son. He had God's power. God's Holy Spirit did all this.

This same Jesus Christ was kind to me. And he made me an apostle. I am sent in his name so that people in all nations will obey him.

You are some of them. You were called to belong to Jesus Christ.

I send greetings to all the Christians who live in the city of Rome. God loves you and has called you to be his people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you. In their kindness may they give you peace.

People in all the world have heard that you believe. I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you.

God knows that I always talk to him about you. I worship him in my heart while I tell the good news about his Son.

10 I ask God that in some way now I may be able to visit you, if he wishes me to do it.

11 I want very much to see you. I want to give you some gift from the Holy Spirit to make you stronger.

12 I mean to say that we will both be helped. I will be helped because you believe, and you will be helped because I believe.

13 My brothers, I want you to know that I have often planned to come to you. But something has stopped me until now. I planned to come so that I might see good things happen among you. I have done this in the other nations which are not Jewish.

14 This is something I must do for the Greek people and for all other people. I must do it for people who are wise and for people who are not wise.

15 That is why I want so much to tell the good news to you people in the city of Rome also.

16 I am not ashamed of the good news of Jesus Christ. The good news is the power God uses to save every one who believes. The good news was for the Jews first, but also for those who are not Jews.

17 The good news shows how God puts a person right. God puts a person right when that person believes in his Son and keeps on believing. The holy writings say, `A person who is put right because he believes, will live for ever.'

18 God is angry. He has shown it from heaven. He is angry because of all the bad and wrong things people do. These people hold back God's truth by the wrong things they do.

19 They know about God. God himself has shown them.

20 People cannot see that God has power which lasts for ever. They cannot see that he is really God. But ever since he made the world, he has clearly shown this by the things he made. So they cannot say, `I did not know about God.'

21 Even though they knew he was God, they did not worship him as God. They did not thank him. Their thoughts were no good. Their foolish minds became dark.

22 They said they were wise people, but they were foolish people.

23 They did not worship God who cannot die. But they worshipped things made to look like a man who does die. They worshipped things made to look like birds and animals and snakes.

24 So God left them to do the things their hearts wanted to do. They did the things that are not right to do with their bodies. They did not respect their own bodies.

25 They would not believe what was true about God. They believed a lie. They worshipped and worked for something that was made by God. They did not worship God - God who made all things. He is the one to worship for ever. Amen. May it be so!

26 That is why God left them to do the wrong things they wanted to do. Their women left the right way for women and did things that are wrong for women to do.

27 Their men also left the right way with women. They wanted to have sex with one another. They did wrong things with other men. Their own bodies were punished because of the wrong things they did.

28 They did not want to know God. So he left them to their wrong thoughts and to do things that are not right.

29 They were very bad. They did every kind of wrong thing. They were greedy. They hated people. They were very jealous. They killed many people. They fought. They fooled people. They told lies about people. They carried stories from one person to another.

30 They said wrong things about people. They hated God. They did not respect people. They were proud. They talked big. They even thought of new wrong things to do. They did not obey their parents.

31 .They were foolish. They did not do what they said they would do. They did not love people. They were not kind.

32 They know that God says that people who do such things should die. Even so, they not only do them, but they praise other people who do them.

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle(A) and set apart(B) for the gospel of God(C) the gospel he promised beforehand(D) through his prophets(E) in the Holy Scriptures(F) regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life[a](G) was a descendant of David,(H) 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) 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. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.(O)

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

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you,(S) because your faith is being reported all over the world.(T) 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.

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