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

This letter is from Paul. I am a servant owned by Jesus Christ and a missionary chosen by God to preach His Good News.

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

The Good News was promised long ago by God’s early preachers in His Holy Writings.

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

It tells of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who was born as a person in the flesh through the family of King David.

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

The Holy Spirit proved by a powerful act that Jesus our Lord is the Son of God because He was raised from the dead.

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

Jesus has given us His loving-favor and has made us His missionaries. We are to preach to the people of all nations that they should obey Him and put their trust in Him.

6 A mong whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:

You have been chosen to belong to Jesus Christ also.

7 T o 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.

So I write to all of you in the city of Rome. God loves you and has chosen you to be set apart for Himself. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you His loving-favor and peace.

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

First of all, I keep thanking my God, through Jesus Christ, for all of you. This is because the whole world knows of your faith in Christ.

9 F or 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;

God knows how I work for Him. He knows how I preach with all my heart the Good News about His Son. He knows how I always pray for you.

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

I pray that I might be able to visit you, if God wants me to.

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

I want to see you so I can share some special gift of the Holy Spirit with you. It will make you strong.

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

Both of us need help. I can help make your faith strong and you can do the same for me. We need each other.

13 N ow 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.

Christian brothers, many times I have wanted to visit you. Something has kept me from going until now. I have wanted to lead some of you to Christ also, as I have done in other places where they did not know God.

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

I must help the people who have had a chance to hear the Good News and those who have not. I must help those with much learning and those who have never learned from books.

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

So I want to preach the Good News to you who live in Rome also.

16 F or 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.

I am not ashamed of the Good News. It is the power of God. It is the way He saves men from the punishment of their sins if they put their trust in Him. It is for the Jew first and for all other people also.

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

The Good News tells us we are made right with God by faith in Him. Then, by faith we live that new life through Him. The Holy Writings say, “A man right with God lives by faith.”

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

We see the anger of God coming down from heaven against all the sins of men. These sinful men keep the truth from being known.

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

Men know about God. He has made it plain to them.

20 F or 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:

Men cannot say they do not know about God. From the beginning of the world, men could see what God is like through the things He has made. This shows His power that lasts forever. It shows that He is God.

21 B ecause 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.

They did know God, but they did not honor Him as God. They were not thankful to Him and thought only of foolish things. Their foolish minds became dark.

22 P rofessing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

They said that they were wise, but they showed how foolish they were.

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

They gave honor to false gods that looked like people who can die and to birds and animals and snakes. This honor belongs to God Who can never die.

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

So God let them follow the desires of their sinful hearts. They did sinful things among themselves with their bodies.

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

They traded the truth of God for a lie. They worshiped and cared for what God made instead of worshiping the God Who made it. He is the One Who is to receive honor and thanks forever. Let it be so.

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

Because of this, God let them follow their sinful desires which lead to shame. Women used their bodies in ways God had not planned.

27 A nd 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.

In the same way, men left the right use of women’s bodies. They did sex sins with other men. They received for themselves the punishment that was coming to them for their sin.

28 A nd 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;

Because they would not keep God in their thoughts anymore, He gave them up. Their minds were sinful and they wanted only to do things they should not do.

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

They are full of everything that is sinful and want things that belong to others. They hate people and are jealous. They kill other people. They fight and lie. They do not like other people and talk against them.

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

They talk about people, and they hate God. They are filled with pride and tell of all the good they do. They think of new ways to sin. They do not obey their parents.

31 W ithout understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

They are not able to understand. They do not do what they say they will do. They have no love and no loving-pity.

32 W ho 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.

They know God has said that all who do such things should die. But they keep on doing these things and are happy when others do them also.