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

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

2 T he Good News was promised long ago by God’s early preachers in His Holy Writings.

which he promised afore through his prophets in the holy scriptures,

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

concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,

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

who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; even Jesus Christ our Lord,

5 J esus 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.

through whom we received grace and apostleship, unto obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name's sake;

6 Y ou have been chosen to belong to Jesus Christ also.

among whom are ye also called to be Jesus Christ's:

7 S o 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.

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

8 F irst 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.

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

9 G od 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.

For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers

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

making request, if by any means now at length I may be prospered by the will of God to come unto you.

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

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

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

that is, that I with you may be comforted in you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.

13 C hristian 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.

And I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you (and was hindered hitherto), that I might have some fruit in you also, even as in the rest of the Gentiles.

14 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.

I am debtor both to Greeks and to Barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

15 S o I want to preach the Good News to you who live in Rome also.

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

16 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.

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

17 T he 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.”

For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith.

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

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

19 M en know about God. He has made it plain to them.

because that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them.

20 M en 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.

For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse:

21 T hey 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.

because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened.

22 T hey said that they were wise, but they showed how foolish they were.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 T hey 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.

and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.

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

Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves:

25 T hey 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.

for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

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

For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 I n 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.

and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due.

28 B ecause 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.

And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

29 T hey 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.

being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 T hey 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.

backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

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

without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful:

32 T hey 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.

who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them.