Pleasing Others, Not Ourselves

15 Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength,(A) and not to please ourselves. Each one of us must please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.(B) For even the Messiah did not please Himself.(C) On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.(D)[a] For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction,(E) so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. Now may the God who gives[b] endurance and encouragement(F) allow you to live in harmony with one another,(G) according to the command of Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ(H) with a united mind and voice.

Glorifying God Together

Therefore accept one another,(I) just as the Messiah also accepted you, to the glory of God. For I say that the Messiah became a servant of the circumcised[c] on behalf of God’s truth,(J) to confirm the promises to the fathers,(K) and so that Gentiles(L) may glorify God for His mercy.(M) As it is written:

Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles,
and I will sing psalms to Your name.(N)[d]

10 Again it says: Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His people!(O)[e] 11 And again:

Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
all the peoples should praise Him!(P)[f]

12 And again, Isaiah says:

The root of Jesse(Q) will appear,
the One who rises to rule the Gentiles;
the Gentiles will hope in Him.(R)[g]

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him(S) so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.(T)

From Jerusalem to Illyricum

14 My brothers, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness,(U) filled with all knowledge,(V) and able to instruct one another. 15 Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points[h] because of the grace given me by God(W) 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles,(X) serving as a priest of God’s good news.(Y) My purpose is that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable,(Z) sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus(AA) regarding what pertains to God.(AB) 18 For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me(AC) to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, 19 by the power of miraculous signs and wonders,(AD) and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the good news about the Messiah from Jerusalem(AE) all the way around to Illyricum.[i](AF) 20 My aim is to evangelize where Christ has not been named,(AG) so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation,(AH) 21 but, as it is written:

Those who were not told about Him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.(AI)[j]

Paul’s Travel Plans

22 That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you.(AJ) 23 But now I no longer have any work to do in these provinces,[k] and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you(AK) 24 whenever I travel to Spain.[l] For I hope to see you when I pass through, and to be assisted by you for my journey there,(AL) once I have first enjoyed your company(AM) for a while. 25 Right now I am traveling to Jerusalem(AN) to serve the saints,(AO) 26 for Macedonia(AP) and Achaia[m](AQ) were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27 Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits,(AR) then they are obligated to minister to Jews in material needs. 28 So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds[n] to them,(AS) I will visit you on the way to Spain. 29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing[o] of Christ.

30 Now I appeal to you, brothers, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit,(AT) to join with me in fervent prayers to God on my behalf.(AU) 31 Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea,(AV) that the gift I am bringing to[p] Jerusalem(AW) may be acceptable to the saints,(AX) 32 and that, by God’s will,(AY) I may come to you with joy(AZ) and be refreshed together with you.

33 The God of peace be with all of you.(BA) Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 15:3 Ps 69:9
  2. Romans 15:5 Lit God of
  3. Romans 15:8 The Jews
  4. Romans 15:9 2Sm 22:50; Ps 18:49
  5. Romans 15:10 Dt 32:43
  6. Romans 15:11 Ps 117:1
  7. Romans 15:12 Is 11:10
  8. Romans 15:15 Other mss add brothers
  9. Romans 15:19 A Roman province northwest of Greece on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea
  10. Romans 15:21 Is 52:15
  11. Romans 15:23 Lit now, having no longer a place in these parts
  12. Romans 15:24 Other mss add I will come to you.
  13. Romans 15:26 The churches of these provinces
  14. Romans 15:28 Lit delivered this fruit
  15. Romans 15:29 Other mss add of the gospel
  16. Romans 15:31 Lit that my service for

15 We, the strong, ought to support the weaknesses of those without chizzuk (1:11-12), and not to please ourselves.

Let each of us please his re’a with a view to what is beneficial, for upbuilding.

For even Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach did not please himself; but, as it is written, V’CHERPOT CHORPECHA NAF’LU ALAI ("The reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me")[TEHILLIM 69:9-10].

For as much as was written beforehand was written for our limudei kodesh, in order that through zitzfleisch and through the nechamah of the Kitvei Hakodesh we might hold fast tikvah (hope).

May the G-d of zitzfleisch and of nechamah give you to live in harmony among yourselves in accordance with Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua,

In order that with achdus of mind and voice you might give kavod to the Elohim and Avi of Adoneinu Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua.

Therefore, treat each other as orchim ratzuy (welcome guests), as Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach welcomed you, to the kavod of Hashem (glory of G-d).

For I declare that Moshiach has become Mesharet Bnei HaMilah (Servant, Minister of the Circumcised) for the sake of the Emes Hashem (the truth of G-d), to confirm the havtachot given to the Avot,

And in order that the Goyim might give praise to Hashem for his chaninah (mercy). As it is written, " For this reason I will confess You among Goyim and sing praise to Your Name" [TEHILLIM 18:49-50]

10 Furthermore it says, HARNINU GOYIM AMMO ("Rejoice, Goyim with his people")[DEVARIM 32:43].

11 And again, HALELU ES ADONOI KOL GOYIM SHABBECHUHU KOL HAUMMIM ("Baruch Hashem, Praise the L-rd, all you Goyim, and let all the peoples praise him" )[TEHILLIM 117:1].

12 And again Yeshayah says, "The SHORESH OF YISHAI (the Root of Jesse, i.e., Moshiach) shall come forth, even the one who arises to rule the GOYIM; in him (the Gentiles, the nations) shall put their TIKVAH (hope)" [YESHAYAH 11:10; 42:4].

13 May the Elohei HaTikvah (the G-d of hope) fill you with simcha and shalom in believing, that you may overflow in tikvah (hope), in the ko’ach (power) of the Ruach Hakodesh.

14 Achim b’Moshiach of mine, I myself am convinced concerning you, that you yourselves too are full of yosher (rectitude), full of da’as, able also to admonish one another.

15 But I wrote to you rather bluntly in this iggeret hakodesh in part as a way of reminding you, by virtue of the chesed (unmerited favor, gift of grace) given me from Hashem,

16 To be a mesharet (minister, servant) of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua to the Goyim, serving the Besuras HaGeulah of Hashem, administering with a kohen’s avodas kodesh service the minchah offering to Hashem of the Goyim, that this offering might be acceptable, mekudash (set apart as holy) in the Ruach Hakodesh.

17 Therefore I have this glorying in Moshiach Yehoshua in reference to what concerns G-d.

18 For I will not presume to say anything, except of what Moshiach has accomplished through me for the mishma’at of the peoples, by word and deed,

19 By the ko’ach of otot u’moftim (signs and wonders), by the power of the Ruach Hakodesh; so that from Yerushalayim in a sweep round to Illyricum [T.N. today’s Yugoslavia and Albania], I have completed the Besuras HaGeulah Hashem,

20 Thus making it my hasagos (aspiration) to preach the Besuras HaGeulah where Moshiach has not been named, lest I build on another’s yesod (foundation).

21 But, as it is written, "Those who had not been told about Him will see, and those who had not heard shall understand" Isa 52:15.

22 For this reason I have also regularly been prevented from coming to you.

23 But now, als (since) I no longer have scope in these regions and have had a tshuka (longing) to come to you for many years,

24 When I travel to Spain...For I hope to see you as I pass through and to be sent on my way there by you, once I have had the full pleasure of being with you for a time.

25 But now I am traveling to Yerushalayim in avodas kodesh service to the Kadoshim (Messianic Jews in Jerusalem).

26 For the kehillot of Moshiach (Messianic congregations) in Macedonia and Achaia (Greece) chose to make some tzedakah (contribution) for the aniyim (poor) among the Kadoshim in Yerushalayim.

27 For they chose to do so and owe them a choiv (debt), for if the non-Jews have received a share in their spiritual affairs, they ought to minister to the Messianic Jews in material affairs.

28 When, therefore, I have completed this (collection journey avodas kodesh service) and sealed this p’ri (fruit) to them, I will go by way of you to Spain.

29 And I have da’as that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the Birkat HaMoshiach.

30 I appeal to you, Achim b’Moshiach, through Adoneinu Moshiach Yehoshua and the ahavas HaRuach Hakodesh, to contend with me in your tefillos to Hashem on my behalf,

31 that I might be delivered from those without mishma’at in Yehudah and my avodas kodesh service to Yerushalayim might be acceptable to the Kadoshim

32 That I might come to you in simcha (joy) birtzon Hashem (in the will of G-d) and be mutually refreshed by your hitkhabrut (fellowship) in the Messianic Chavurah.

33 V’Elohei HaShalom im kulechem. Omein. (May the G-d of peace be with you all. Amen.)