God’s Good News for Rome

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle[a](A) and singled out(B) for God’s good news(C) which He promised long ago(D) through His prophets(E) in the Holy Scriptures— concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David[b](F) according to the flesh(G) 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] 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, including yourselves who also belong to Jesus Christ by calling:(M)

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

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) 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

  1. Romans 1:1 Or Jesus, a called apostle
  2. Romans 1:3 Lit was of the seed of David
  3. Romans 1:4 Or the spirit of holiness, or the Holy Spirit
  4. Romans 1:5 Or Him for; lit Him into
  5. Romans 1:5 Or the obedience that is faith, or the faithful obedience, or the obedience that comes from faith; Rm 16:26
  6. Romans 1:5 Or Gentiles
  7. Romans 1:8 Or because your faith
  8. Romans 1:13 Lit I don’t want you to be unaware
  9. Romans 1:13 Lit have some fruit
  10. Romans 1:14 Or non-Greeks
  11. Romans 1:16 Other mss add of Christ
  12. Romans 1:17 Or revealed out of faith into faith
  13. Romans 1:17 Or The one who is righteous by faith will live
  14. Romans 1:17 Hab 2:4
  15. Romans 1:19 Or what is known
  16. Romans 1:26 Lit natural use
  17. Romans 1:27 Lit natural use
  18. Romans 1:27 Or in themselves
  19. Romans 1:29 Other mss add sexual immorality
  20. Romans 1:31 Other mss add unforgiving
  21. Romans 1:32 Lit things are worthy of death
  22. Romans 1:32 Lit even take pleasure in

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

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:

To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.

15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.