1 W e who have strong faith should help those who are weak. We should not live to please ourselves.

We then who are strong ought to bear with the 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 of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.

3 E ven Christ did not please Himself. The Holy Writings say, “The sharp words spoken against you fell on Me.”

For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached 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 things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have 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 of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,

6 T hen all of you together can thank the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Glorify God Together

7 R eceive each other as Christ received you. This will honor God.

Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to 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.

Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the 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 might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name.”

10 I t says also, “You who are not Jews, be happy with His people, the Jews.”

And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, 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 L ord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!”

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 again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall 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.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. From Jerusalem to Illyricum

14 I am sure you are wise in all things and full of much good. You are able to help and teach each other.

Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

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.

Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to 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.

that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

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

Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to 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 dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—

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.

in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

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.

And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should 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: “To whom He was not announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall understand.” Plan to Visit Rome

22 T his is why I have been kept many times from coming to you.

For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to 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 no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many 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.

whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while.

25 B ut now I am going to Jerusalem to hand the Christians the gift of money.

But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints.

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 pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in 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.

It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things.

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.

Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go 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.

But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the 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.

Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me,

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 from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,

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.

that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.

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

Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.