Paul Greets the Saints in Rome

1Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus,† a called apostle having been set apart for the gospel of God, 2which He promised beforehand through His prophets in Holy Scriptures, 3concerning His Son, the One having come of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4the One having been determined the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord, 5through whom we received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the Gentiles on behalf of His name, 6among whom are you⁺ also, called of Jesus Christ.

7To all those being in Rome beloved of God, called saints:

Grace to you⁺ and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Unashamed of the Gospel

8First indeed, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you⁺, because your⁺ faith is being proclaimed in all the world. 9For God, whom I serve in my spirit† in the gospel of His Son, is my witness how unceasingly I make remembrance of you⁺, 10always upon my prayers, imploring if somehow now at last by the will of God I will make a prosperous journey to come to you⁺. 11For I long to see you⁺ so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you⁺, to your⁺ being strengthened, 12and, that is, to be encouraged together among you⁺ through the faith among one another, both of you⁺ and of me.

13Now I do not want you⁺ to be ignorant, brothers, that many times I purposed to come to you⁺, and was prevented until the present, so that I might have some fruit among you⁺ also, even as among the other Gentiles. 14I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians,† both to wise and to foolish. 15Thus, as to me, I am ready to preach the gospel also to you⁺ who are in Rome.

16For I am not ashamed of the gospel,† for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone believing—both to Jew first, and to Greek. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith,† just as it has been written: “And the righteous one will live by faith.”†

God’s Wrath against Sin

18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, suppressing the truth in unrighteousness, 19because that which is known of God is manifest among them, for God has revealed it to them. 20For from the creation of the world His invisible qualities, both His eternal power and divinity, are clearly seen, being understood by the things made, for them to be without excuse.

21For having known God, not as God did they glorify Him, or give thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23and they changed† the glory of the immortal God into the likeness of an image of mortal man and birds and quadrupeds and creeping things.

24Therefore God gave them up in the sinful desires of their hearts to uncleanness to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25who changed the truth of God into falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the One having created, who is blessed to the ages!† Amen.

26Because of this, God gave up them to passions of dishonor. For even their females changed the natural use into that contrary to nature. 27And likewise also the males, having left the natural use of the female, were inflamed in their lust toward one another, males with males, working out shame and receiving back in themselves the recompense that was fitting of their error.

28And just as they did not see fit to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to an unfit mind, to do the things not being proper; 29being filled with all unrighteousness,† wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; gossips, 30slanderers, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, boasters; inventors of evil, disobedient to parents; 31unintelligent, untrustworthy, unloving,† unmerciful; 32who, having known the righteous decree of God that those practicing such things are worthy of death, not only are doing them, but also agree with those practicing them.

Footnotes:

1 BYZ and TR of Jesus Christ
9 Or with my spirit
14 Or to Greeks and non-Greeks
16 BYZ and TR include of Christ.
17 Or For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish
17 Habakkuk 2:4
23 F35 exchanged for themselves
25 Or forever worthy of praise
29 BYZ and TR include sexual immorality.
31 BYZ and TR include unforgiving.