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

Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses 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 please his neighbor for that which is good, to be building him up.

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

For even Christ didn’t 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 through patience and through encouragement of the Scriptures we 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 the God of patience and of encouragement grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus,

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

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

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

Therefore accept one another, even as Christ also accepted you, 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 Christ has been made a servant of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given 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, “Therefore will I give praise 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.”

Again he says, “Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”

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

Again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! 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.”

Again, Isaiah says, “There will be the root of Jesse, he who arises to rule over the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles will 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, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

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

I myself am also persuaded about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish others.

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.

But I write the more boldly to you in part, as reminding you, because of the grace that was 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 should be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the Good News of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made 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.

I have therefore my boasting in Christ Jesus in things pertaining 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 things except those which Christ worked through me, for the obedience of 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.

in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of God’s Spirit; so that from Jerusalem, and around as far as to Illyricum, I have fully preached the Good News 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.

yes, making it my aim to preach the Good News, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build on another’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 will see, to whom no news of him came. They who haven’t heard will understand.”

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

Therefore also I was hindered these many times 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 any place in these regions, and having these many years a longing 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 travel to Spain, I will 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 say, I am going to Jerusalem, serving 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 has been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are at 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.

Yes, it has been their good pleasure, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they owe it to them also to serve them in fleshly 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.

When therefore I have accomplished this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will 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.

I know that, when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of the Good News 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, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your 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 who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service which I have 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 in joy through the will of God, and together with you, find rest.

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.