1 W e who have strong faith should help those who are weak. We should not live to 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 should live to please his neighbor. This will help him grow in faith.

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 E ven Christ did not please Himself. The Holy Writings say, “The sharp words spoken against 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 E verything that was written in the Holy Writings long ago was written to teach us. By not giving up, God’s Word gives us strength and 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 the God Who helps you not to give up and gives you strength will help you think so you can please each other as Christ Jesus did.

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 T hen all of you together can thank 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 R eceive each other as Christ received you. This will honor God.

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

8 C hrist came to help the Jews. This proved that God had told the truth to their early fathers. This proved that God would do what He promised.

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 T his was done so the people who are not Jews can thank God for His loving-kindness. The Holy Writings say, “This is why I will give thanks to you among the people who are not Jews. 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 I t says also, “You who are not Jews, be happy with His people, the Jews.”

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

11 A nd, “Honor and give thanks to the Lord, you who are not Jews. Let everyone honor Him.”

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

12 A nd Isaiah says, “There will be One from the family of Jesse Who will be a leader over the people who are not Jews. Their hope will be in Him.”

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 O ur hope comes from God. May He fill you with joy and peace because of your trust in Him. May your hope grow stronger 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 I am sure you are wise in all things and full of much good. You are able to help and teach each other.

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 I have written to you with strong words about some things. I have written so you would remember. God helped me write like this.

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 I am able to write these things because God made me a missionary to the people who are not Jews. I work as a servant of Jesus Christ. I preach the Good News of God so the people who are not Jews may be as a gift to God. The Holy Spirit will set them apart so God will be pleased with them.

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 I have reason to be proud of my work for God. It is because I belong to Christ Jesus.

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

18 I can only speak of what Christ has done through me. I have helped the people who are not Jews to obey Him. I have done it by words and by living with them.

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 G od showed them His power through me. The Holy Spirit did powerful works through me in front of them. From Jerusalem to the country of Illyricum I have preached the Good News 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 I t is my desire to preach the Good News where it has never been preached. I want to preach only where Christ is not known.

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 T he Holy Writings say, “Those who have never known about Him will see. And those who have never heard about Him will 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 T his is why I have been kept many times from coming to you.

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

23 B ut now I am finished with my work here. I have been wanting to come and visit you for many years.

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 I hope I can now. I am making plans to go to the country of Spain. On my way there I will stop and visit you. After I have had the joy of visiting you for awhile, you can help me on my way again.

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 to hand the Christians the gift of money.

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

26 T he churches in the countries of Macedonia and Greece have decided to give money to help some of the poor Christians 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 T hey wanted to do it. They should help them in this way because they owe much to the Christians in Jerusalem. The Jews shared the Good News with the people who are not Jews. For this reason, they should share what they can with the Jews.

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 I will hand this gift of money to them. Then I will stop to see you on my way to the country of 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, Christ will give me much good to share with you.

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

30 I ask you from my heart, Christian brothers, to pray much for me. I ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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 P ray that God will keep me safe from the people in the country of Judea who are not Christians. Pray also that the work I am to do for the Christians in Jerusalem will help them.

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 T hen I will be coming to you if God wants me to come. I will be full of joy, and together we can have some rest.

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 M ay our God Who gives us peace, be with you all. Let it be so.

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