1 N ow we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings and the frailties and the tender scruples of the weak; and not to please ourselves.

2 E ach of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.

Let each one of us make it a practice to please (make happy) his neighbor for his good and for his true welfare, to edify him.

3 F or even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “ The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”

For Christ did not please Himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches and abuses of those who reproached and abused you fell on Me.

4 F or whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

For whatever was thus written in former days was written for our instruction, that by endurance and the encouragement from the Scriptures we might hold fast to and cherish hope.

5 N ow may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,

Now may the God Who gives the power of patient endurance (steadfastness) and Who supplies encouragement, grant you to live in such mutual harmony and such full sympathy with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,

6 s o that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

That together you may with united hearts and one voice, praise and glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

7 T herefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

Welcome and receive one another, then, even as Christ has welcomed and received you, for the glory of God.

8 F or I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers,

For I tell you that Christ (the Messiah) became a servant and a minister to the circumcised (the Jews) in order to show God’s truthfulness and honesty by confirming (verifying) the promises to our fathers,

9 a nd for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, “ Therefore I will give praise to You among the Gentiles, And I will sing to Your name.”

And that the Gentiles (nations) might glorify God for His mercy to them. As it is written, Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles and sing praises to Your name.

10 A gain he says, “ Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”

Again it is said, Rejoice (exult), O Gentiles, along with His people;

11 A nd again, “ Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, And let all the peoples praise Him.”

And again, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise Him!

12 A gain Isaiah says, “ There shall come the root of Jesse, And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, In Him shall the Gentiles hope.”

And further Isaiah says, There shall be a Sprout from the Root of Jesse, He Who rises to rule over the Gentiles; in Him shall the Gentiles hope.

13 N ow may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.

14 A nd concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.

Personally I am satisfied about you, my brethren, that you yourselves are rich in goodness, amply filled with all knowledge and competent to admonish and counsel and instruct one another also.

15 B ut I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God,

Still on some points I have written to you the more boldly and unreservedly by way of reminder. because of the grace (the unmerited favor) bestowed on me by God

16 t o be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

In making me a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I act in the priestly service of the Gospel (the good news) of God, in order that the sacrificial offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, consecrated and made holy by the Holy Spirit.

17 T herefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God.

In Christ Jesus, then, I have legitimate reason to glory (exult) in my work for God.

18 F or I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed,

For I will not venture (presume) to speak thus of any work except what Christ has actually done through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed,

19 i n the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

with the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Holy Spirit. that starting from Jerusalem and as far round as Illyricum, I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ (the Messiah) in its entirety.

20 A nd thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation;

Thus my ambition has been to preach the Gospel, not where Christ’s name has already been known, lest I build on another man’s foundation;

21 b ut as it is written, “ They who had no news of Him shall see, And they who have not heard shall understand.”

But as it is written, They shall see who have never been told of Him, and they shall understand who have never heard.

22 F or this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you;

This is the reason why I have so frequently been hindered from coming to visit you.

23 b ut now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you

But now since I have no further opportunity for work in these regions, and since I have longed for enough years to come to you,

24 w henever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while—

I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be aided on my journey there by you, after I have enjoyed your company for a little while.

25 b ut now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints.

For the present, however, I am going to Jerusalem to bring aid (relief) for the saints (God’s people there).

26 F or Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.

For it has been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make some contribution for the poor among the saints of Jerusalem.

27 Y es, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.

They were pleased to do it; and surely they are in debt to them, for if these Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, then they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.

28 T herefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain.

When therefore I have completed this mission and have delivered to them what has been raised, I shall go on by way of you to Spain.

29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

And I know that when I do come to you, I shall come in the abundant blessing of the Gospel of Christ.

30 N ow I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,

I appeal to you, brethren, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love the Spirit, to unite with me in earnest wrestling in prayer to God in my behalf.

31 t hat I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints;

that I may be delivered (rescued) from the unbelievers in Judea and that my mission of relief to Jerusalem may be acceptable and graciously received by the saints (God’s people there),

32 s o that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company.

So that by God’s will I may subsequently come to you with joy (with a happy heart) and be refreshed in your company.

33 N ow the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

May peace-giving God be with you all! Amen (so be it).