Romans 1

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called as an Apostle, separated for the Gospel of God,2 which he had promised beforehand, through his Prophets, in the Holy Scriptures,3 about his Son, who was made for him from the offspring of David according to the flesh,4 the Son of God, who was predestined in virtue according to the Spirit of sanctification from the resurrection of the dead, our Lord Jesus Christ,5 through whom we have received grace and Apostleship, for the sake of his name, for the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles,6 from whom you also have been called by Jesus Christ:7 To all who are at Rome, the beloved of God, called as saints. Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.8 Certainly, I give thanks to my God, through Jesus Christ, first for all of you, because your faith is being announced throughout the entire world.9 For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit by the Gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I have kept a remembrance of you10 always in my prayers, pleading that in some way, at some time, I may have a prosperous journey, within the will of God, to come to you.11 For I long to see you, so that I may impart to you a certain spiritual grace to strengthen you,12 specifically, to be consoled together with you through that which is mutual: your faith and mine.13 But I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you, (though I have been hindered even to the present time) so that I might obtain some fruit among you also, just as also among the other Gentiles.14 To the Greeks and to the uncivilized, to the wise and to the foolish, I am in debt.15 So within me there is a prompting to evangelize to you also who are at Rome.16 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel. For it is the power of God unto salvation for all believers, the Jew first, and the Greek.17 For the justice of God is revealed within it, by faith unto faith, just as it was written: “For the just one lives by faith.”18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven over every impiety and injustice among those men who fend off the truth of God with injustice.19 For what is known about God is manifest in them. For God has manifested it to them.20 For unseen things about him have been made conspicuous, since the creation of the world, being understood by the things that were made; likewise his everlasting virtue and divinity, so much so that they have no excuse.21 For although they had known God, they did not glorify God, nor give thanks. Instead, they became weakened in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was obscured.22 For, while proclaiming themselves to be wise, they became foolish.23 And they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of flying things, and of four-legged beasts, and of serpents.24 For this reason, God handed them over to the desires of their own heart for impurity, so that they afflicted their own bodies with indignities among themselves.25 And they exchanged the truth of God for a lie. And they worshipped and served the creature, rather than the Creator, who is blessed for all eternity. Amen.26 Because of this, God handed them over to shameful passions. For example, their females have exchanged the natural use of the body for a use which is against nature.27 And similarly, the males also, abandoning the natural use of females, have burned in their desires for one another: males doing with males what is disgraceful, and receiving within themselves the recompense that necessarily results from their error.28 And since they did not prove to have God by knowledge, God handed them over to a morally depraved way of thinking, so that they might do those things which are not fitting:29 having been completely filled with all iniquity, malice, fornication, avarice, wickedness; full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, spite, gossiping;30 slanderous, hateful toward God, abusive, arrogant, self-exalting, devisers of evil, disobedient to parents,31 foolish, disorderly; without affection, without fidelity, without mercy.32 And these, though they had known the justice of God, did not understand that those who act in such a manner are deserving of death, and not only those who do these things, but also those who consent to what is done.

Romans 1

Salutation

1 From Paul,t a slavets of Christ Jesus,s called to be an apostle,t set apart for the gospel of God.t2 This gospelt he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures,3 concerning his Son who was a descendantt of David with reference to the flesh,t4 who was appointed the Son-of-God-in-powers according to the Holy Spiritt by the resurrectiont from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.5 Through himt we have received grace and our apostleshipt to bring about the obediencet of faitht among all the Gentiles on behalf of his name.6 You also are among them,t called to belong to Jesus Christ.t

7 To all those loved by God in Rome,s called to be saints:t Grace and peace to yout from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

Paul’s Desire to Visit Rome

8 First of all,t I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit by preaching the gospelt of his Son, is my witness thatt I continually remember you10 and I always askt in my prayers, if perhaps now at last I may succeed in visiting you according to the will of God.t11 For I long to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gifts to strengthen you,12 that is, that we may be mutually comforted by one another’s faith,t both yours and mine.13 I do not want you to be unaware,s brothers and sisters,t that I often intended to come to you (and was prevented until now), so that I may have some fruit even among you, just as I already have among the rest of the Gentiles.t14 I am a debtort both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

15 Thus I am eagert also to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome.s

The Power of the Gospel

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.s

17 For the righteousnesst of God is revealed in the gospelt from faith to faith,t just as it is written, “The righteous by faith will live.”s

The Condemnation of the Unrighteous

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of peoplet who suppress the truth by theirt unrighteousness,t19 because what can be known about God is plain to them,t because God has made it plain to them.20 For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So peoplet are without excuse.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 heartst were darkened.22 Although they claimedt to be wise, they became fools

23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beingst or birds or four-footed animalss or reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them overs in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonort their bodies among themselves.t

25 Theyt exchanged the truth of God for a liet and worshiped and served the creationt rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones,t

27 and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with woment and were inflamed in their passionst for one another. Ment committed shameless acts with men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God,t God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done.t29 They are filledt with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife witht envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips,30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents,31 senseless, covenant-breakers,t heartless, ruthless.

32 Although they fully knowt God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die,t they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them.s