1 N a Paora, na te pononga a Ihu Karaiti, i karangatia hei apotoro, i motuhia ki te rongopai a te Atua,

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 I korerotia ra e ia i mua, ara e ana poropiti i roto i nga karaipiture tapu,

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

3 M o tana Tama, i whanau nei he uri no Rawiri, no te wahi ki te kikokiko;

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 I whakapuakina mai nei ko te Tama a te Atua i runga i te kaha, i runga i ta te wairua o te tapu, i te mea ka whakaarahia i te hunga mate; ara a Ihu Karaiti, to tatou Ariki,

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 N ana nei matou i whiwhi ai ki te aroha noa, ki te mahi apotoro, kia ngohengohe ai, kia whakapono ai nga iwi katoa, hei mea mo tona ingoa:

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 N o ratou nei hoki koutou, he mea karanga hei hunga mo Ihu Karaiti:

You have been chosen to belong to Jesus Christ also.

7 K i te hunga katoa i Roma, e arohaina nei e te Atua, ka oti nei te te karanga hei hunga tapu: Kia tau ki a koutou te aroha noa me te rangimarie, he mea na te Atua, na to tatou Matua, na te Ariki hoki, na Ihu Karaiti.

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 K o taku mea tuatahi, he whakawhetai ki toku Atua i roto i a Ihu Karaiti mo koutou katoa, no te mea e korerotia ana to koutou whakapono i te ao katoa.

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 K o te Atua, e mahi nei toku wairua ki a ia i roto i te rongopai o tana Tama, hei kaiwhakaatu moku, mo te mau tonu o taku whakahuahua i a koutou, a i aku karakiatanga i nga wa katoa,

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 E inoi ana me kore e pai te Atua kia whakatikaia taku haere atu ki a koutou.

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

11 N ui atu hoki toku hiahia kia kite i a koutou, kia whakawhiwhi ai ahau i a koutou ki tetahi mea homai, he mea wairua, kia whakaungia ai koutou;

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

12 A ra kia ora ngatahi o tatou ngakau, toku i to koutou whakapono, o koutou i toku.

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 a e kore ahau e pai, e oku teina, kia ngaro i a koutou te maha o aku meatanga kia haere atu ki a koutou, heoi araia mai ana ahau, a mohoa noa nei, kia whiwhi ai ahau ki tetahi hua i roto i a koutou hoki, kia pera me te mea i era atu tauiwi.

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 H e nama kei runga i ahau na nga Kariki, a na nga Tautangata, na te hunga mohio, a na te hunga whakaarokore.

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 N a reira e ngakau nui ana ahau kia whakapaua taku ki te kauwhau hoki i te rongopai ki a koutou i Roma.

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

16 K ahore hoki oku whakama ki te rongopai: ko te kaha hoki ia o te Atua hei whakaora mo nga tangata katoa e whakapono ana; mo te Hurai ki mua, mo te Kariki ano hoki.

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 A kei reira e whakakitea ana ta te Atua tika, he mea no te whakapono ki te whakapono: kua oti nei hoki te tuhituhi, ma te whakapono e ora ai te tangata tika.

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 E whakakitea iho ana hoki i te rangi to te Atua riri ki nga karakiakoretanga katoa, ki nga he o nga tangata e pehi ana i te pono i runga i te he;

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 K ei roto nei i a ratou e marama ana nga mea o te Atua e taea te mohio; kua whakamaramatia hoki e te Atua ki a ratou.

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

20 E kitea nuitia ana hoki nga mea ona, kahore nei i kitea, no te hanganga iho ra o te ao, e mohiotia ana ki nga mea i hanga, ara tona kaha mau tonu, me tona atuatanga; kia kore ai he kupu whakahoki ma ratou:

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 I a ratou hoki e matau ana ki te Atua, kihai ratou i whakakororia i a ia hei Atua, kihai hoki i whakawhetai; heoi kua kuware o ratou whakaaro, a whakapouritia ana to ratou ngakau pohehe.

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 I a ratou e mea ana he mohio ratou, na ka wairangi,

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

23 A whakaputaia ketia ake te kororia o te Atua e kore nei e pirau, kia rite ki te ahua o te tangata pirau noa, o nga manu hoki, o nga kararehe waewae wha, o nga mea ngokingoki.

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 K oia ratou i tukua ai e te Atua ki te mahi poke, i runga i nga hiahia o o ratou ngakau, kia whakatutuatia iho ai o ratou tinana e ratou ano, to tetahi e tetahi:

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

25 I te mea kua whakawhiti ratou i to te Atua pono mo te teka, a karakia ana, mahi ana ki te mea hanga, kapea ake te Kaihanga, ko ia nei te whakapaingia ake ake. Amine.

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 K oia ratou i tukua ai e te Atua ki nga hiahia tutua: ko a ratou wahine hoki, mahue ake i a ratou te tikanga maori, kei te ngau ke noa atu:

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 M e nga tane ano, whakarerea ake e ratou te tikanga maori ki te wahine, ano he ahi te kanga o to ratou hiahia ki a ratou ano; nga tane ki nga tane, mahi ai i te mea whakama, me te whiwhi ano ki te utu e rite ana mo to ratou ngaunga ketanga.

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 i a ratou kihai nei i pai kia mau tonu te Atua ki o ratou mahara, tukua ana ratou e te Atua ki te hinengaro he, kia mahia nga mea kahore e tau kia mahia.

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 K i tonu ratou i nga mahi he katoa, i te kino, i te apo, i te mauahara; whawhao rawa i te hae, i te kohuru, i te totohe, i te hianga, i te whanoke; he hunga kohumuhumu,

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 H e hunga ngautuara, kino ki te Atua, he hunga whakahihi, whakakake, whakapehapeha, he kaitito i nga mea kino, e turi ana ki nga matua,

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 K ahore o ratou matauranga, he hunga kupu taka, kahore nei he aroha, kahore e tohu tangata:

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 A hakoa e matau ana ano ratou ki ta te Atua tikanga, he tika te mate mo nga kaimahi i enei mea, heoi ka mahi tonu ratou i aua mea me te whakaae hoki ki te hunga e pera ana te mahi.

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.