Romans 1
Holman Christian Standard Bible
God’s Good News for Rome
1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle[a](A) and singled out(B) for God’s good news(C)— 2 which He promised long ago(D) through His prophets(E) in the Holy Scriptures— 3 concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David[b](F) according to the flesh(G) 4 and who has been declared to be the powerful(H) Son of God(I) by the resurrection from the dead according to the Spirit of holiness.[c] 5 We have received grace and apostleship(J) through Him to bring about[d] the obedience(K) of faith[e] among all the nations,[f](L) on behalf of His name, 6 including yourselves who also belong to Jesus Christ by calling:(M)
7 To all who are in Rome, loved by God,(N) called(O) as saints.(P)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s Desire to Visit Rome
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because the news of your faith[g] is being reported in all the world.(Q) 9 For God, whom I serve with my spirit(R) in telling the good news about His Son, is my witness(S) that I constantly mention you,(T) 10 always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you.(U) 11 For I want very much to see you,(V) so I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, 12 that is, to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
13 Now I want you to know,[h](W) brothers, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now(X)) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry[i] among you,(Y) just as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians,[j](Z) both to the wise and the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the good news(AA) to you also who are in Rome.
The Righteous Will Live by Faith
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel,[k](AB) because it is God’s power for salvation(AC) to everyone who believes, first to the Jew,(AD) and also to the Greek.(AE) 17 For in it God’s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith,[l](AF) just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.[m](AG)[n]
The Guilt of the Gentile World
18 For God’s wrath(AH) is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,(AI) 19 since what can be known[o] about God is evident among them,(AJ) because God has shown it to them. 20 For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world,(AK) being understood through what He has made.(AL) As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened.(AM) 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools(AN) 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.(AO)
24 Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts(AP) to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie,(AQ) and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever.(AR) Amen.
From Idolatry to Depravity
26 This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions.(AS) For even their females exchanged natural sexual relations[p] for unnatural ones. 27 The males in the same way also left natural relations[q] with females and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Males committed shameless acts with males(AT) and received in their own persons[r] the appropriate penalty of their error.
28 And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong. 29 They are filled with all unrighteousness,[s] evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,(AU) 30 slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful,(AV) inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,(AW) 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving,[t](AX) and unmerciful. 32 Although they know full well God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die[u](AY)—they not only do them, but even applaud[v](AZ) others who practice them.
Footnotes
- Romans 1:1 Or Jesus, a called apostle
- Romans 1:3 Lit was of the seed of David
- Romans 1:4 Or the spirit of holiness, or the Holy Spirit
- Romans 1:5 Or Him for; lit Him into
- Romans 1:5 Or the obedience that is faith, or the faithful obedience, or the obedience that comes from faith; Rm 16:26
- Romans 1:5 Or Gentiles
- Romans 1:8 Or because your faith
- Romans 1:13 Lit I don’t want you to be unaware
- Romans 1:13 Lit have some fruit
- Romans 1:14 Or non-Greeks
- Romans 1:16 Other mss add of Christ
- Romans 1:17 Or revealed out of faith into faith
- Romans 1:17 Or The one who is righteous by faith will live
- Romans 1:17 Hab 2:4
- Romans 1:19 Or what is known
- Romans 1:26 Lit natural use
- Romans 1:27 Lit natural use
- Romans 1:27 Or in themselves
- Romans 1:29 Other mss add sexual immorality
- Romans 1:31 Other mss add unforgiving
- Romans 1:32 Lit things are worthy of death
- Romans 1:32 Lit even take pleasure in
Romans 1
Lexham English Bible
Greeting
1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was born a descendant[a] of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared Son of God in power according to the Holy Spirit[b] by the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship for the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles[c] on behalf of his name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ. 7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God, called to be saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul Wants to Visit Rome
8 First, I give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being proclaimed in the whole world. 9 For God, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, is my witness, how constantly I make mention of you, 10 always asking in my prayers if somehow now at last I may succeed to come to you in the will of God. 11 For I desire to see you, in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, in order to strengthen you, 12 that is, to be encouraged together with you through our mutual faith[d], both yours and mine. 13 Now I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that often I intended to come to you, and was prevented until now, in order that I might have some fruit among you also, just as also among the rest of the Gentiles.[e] 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 Thus I am eager[f] to proclaim the gospel also to you who are in Rome.
The Gospel’s Power for Salvation
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For the righteousness of God is revealed in it from faith to faith, just as it is written, “But the one who is righteous by faith will live.”[g]
God’s Wrath Revealed Against Sinful Humanity
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all impiety and unrighteousness of people, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what can be known about God is evident among[h] them, for God made it clear to them. 20 For from the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, both his eternal power and deity, are discerned clearly, being understood in the things created, so that they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasoning, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God with the likeness of an image of mortal human beings and birds and quadrupeds and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to immorality, that their bodies would be dishonored among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God with a lie, and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed for eternity. Amen.
God Hands Sinful Humanity over to Depravity
26 Because of this, God gave them over to degrading passions, for their females exchanged the natural relations for those contrary to nature, 27 and likewise also the males, abandoning the natural relations with the female, were inflamed in their desire toward one another, males with males committing the shameless deed, and receiving in themselves the penalty that was necessary for their error. 28 And just as they did not see fit to recognize God[i], God gave them over to a debased mind, to do the things that are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greediness, malice, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malevolence. They are gossipers, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boasters, contrivers of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 senseless, faithless, unfeeling, unmerciful, 32 who, although they[j] know the requirements of God, that those who do such things are worthy of death, not only do they do the same things, but also they approve of those who do them.
Footnotes
- Romans 1:3 Literally “of the seed”
- Romans 1:4 Literally “the Spirit of holiness”
- Romans 1:5 Or “nations”; the same Greek word can be translated “nations” or “Gentiles” depending on the context
- Romans 1:12 Literally “the in one another faith”
- Romans 1:13 Or “nations”; the same Greek word can be translated “nations” or “Gentiles” depending on the context
- Romans 1:15 Literally “the according to me eagerness”
- Romans 1:17 Or “But the one who is righteous will live by faith” (differing only in word order)
- Romans 1:19 Or “in”; or “within”
- Romans 1:28 Literally “to have God in recognition”
- Romans 1:32 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as concessive
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