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 bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to 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 before 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 Jesus Christ our Lord, 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.

and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

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 Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,

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

among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;

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

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 spoken of 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 with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing 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 some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to 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 to you some spiritual gift, so that you 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 may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

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.

Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other 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 a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.

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

So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. The Just Live by Faith

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 of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for 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 in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

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 suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

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

because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to 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 since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are 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, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

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

Professing 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 into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals 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.

Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies 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.

who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. 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 reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what 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.

Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty 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 did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased 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, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are 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, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, 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.

undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, 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 righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.