Romans 1

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, a called apostle, set apart to preach the gospel of God,

From Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, who has been called to become an apostle, and has been set apart to tell God’s good news.

2 which he had promised before by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures,

This good news God promised long ago through his prophets in the sacred scriptures,

3 the gospel concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David as to the flesh,

concerning his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord; who, as to his human nature, was descended from David,

4 and shown with power to be the Son of God as to his spirit of holiness, by the resurrection of the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord;

but, as to the spirit of holiness within him, was miraculously designated Son of God by his resurrection from the dead.

5 through whom we received grace and the office of an apostle in behalf of his name, in order to produce obedience to the faith among all nations;

Through him we received the gift of the apostolic office, to win submission to the faith among all nations for the glory of his name.

6 among whom are ye also, the called of Jesus Christ;

And among these nations are you – you who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ.

7 to all the beloved of God at Rome, called, holy: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

To all in Rome who are dear to God and have been called to become Christ’s people, may God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace.

8 In the first place, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because the report of your faith is spreading throughout the world.

9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how constantly I make mention of you, always in my prayers

God, to whom I offer the worship of my soul as I tell the goodness of his Son, is my witness how constantly I mention you when I pray,

10 supplicating that, if it be possible, I may at last through the will of God be favored with an opportunity of coming to you.

asking that, if he be willing, I may some day at last find the way open to visit you.

11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, which may be for your confirmation;

For I long to see you, in order to impart to you some spiritual gift and so give you fresh strength –

12 that is, that I may be edified among you, and you also, through each other's faith, both yours and mine.

or rather that both you and I may find encouragement in each other’s faith.

13 But I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that I often purposed to come to you, though I have been hindered hitherto, that I might have some fruit of my labors among you also, as among the other gentiles.

I want you to know, my friends, that I have many times intended coming to see you – but until now I have been prevented – that I might find among you some fruit of my labours, as I have already among the other nations.

14 I am debtor both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the unwise.

I have a duty to both the Greek and the barbarian, to both the cultured and the ignorant.

15 So, according to my ability, I am ready to preach the gospel to you also in Rome.

And so, for my part, I am ready to tell the good news to you also who are in Rome.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel; for to every believer, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, it is the power of God unto salvation.

For I am not ashamed of the good news; it is the power of God which brings salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, but also to the Greek.

17 For therein is revealed the righteousness which is of God from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.”

For in it there is a revelation of the divine righteousness resulting from faith and leading on to faith; as scripture says – “Through faith the righteous will find life.”

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all impiety and unrighteousness of men, who keep down the truth in unrighteousness.

So, too, there is a revelation from heaven of the divine wrath against every form of ungodliness and wickedness on the part of those people who, by their wicked lives, are stifling the truth.

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest within them; for God made it manifest to them.

This is so, because what can be known about God is plain to them; for God himself has made it plain.

20 For, ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, even his eternal power and divinity, being perceived from his works, are clearly seen, so that they might be without excuse. (aïdios g126)

For ever since the creation of the universe God’s invisible attributes – his everlasting power and divinity – are to be seen and studied in his works, so that people have no excuse; (aïdios g126)

21 Because though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, nor were they thankful to him; but became perverse in their reasonings, and their senseless minds were darkened;

because, although they learned to know God, yet they did not offer him as God either praise or thanksgiving. Their speculations about him proved futile, and their undiscerning minds were darkened.

22 professing to be wise, they became fools,

Professing to be wise, they showed themselves fools;

23 and for the glory of the incorruptible God they substituted images of corruptible man, and of birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things.

and they transformed the glory of the immortal God into the likeness of mortal humans, and of birds, and beasts, and reptiles.

24 Wherefore God also gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to debase their bodies with one another;

Therefore God abandoned them to impurity, letting them follow the cravings of their hearts, until they dishonoured their own bodies;

25 because they changed the true God for false gods, and adored and worshipped created things rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. (aiōn g165)

for they had substituted a lie for the truth about God, and had reverenced and worshiped created things more than the Creator, who is to be praised for ever. Amen. (aiōn g165)

26 For this cause God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women indulged in unnatural lust,

That, I say, is why God abandoned them to degrading passions. Even the women among them perverted the natural use of their bodies to the unnatural;

27 and in like manner the men also, neglecting the natural use of the female, burned with lust for one another, men with men practising that which is shameful, and receiving in themselves the due recompense of their error.

while the men, disregarding that for which women were intended by nature, were consumed with passion for one another. Men indulged in vile practices with men, and incurred in their own persons the inevitable penalty for their perverseness.

28 And as they did not choose to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do things which are shameful;

Then, as they would not keep God before their minds, God abandoned them to depraved thoughts, so that they did all kinds of shameful things.

29 being filled with all unrighteousness, malice, covetousness, wickedness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; backbiters,

They revelled in every form of wickedness, evil, greed, vice. Their lives were full of envy, murder, quarrelling, treachery, malice.

30 slanderers, hated of God, insolent, proud, boasters, inventors of mischief, disobedient to parents,

They became back-biters, slanderers, impious, insolent, boastful. They devised new sins. They disobeyed their parents.

31 senseless, faithless, without natural affection, without pity;

They were undiscerning, untrustworthy, without natural affection or pity.

32 who, although knowing the ordinance of God, that they who practise such things deserve death, not only do them themselves, but approve of those who do them.

Well aware of God’s decree, that those who do such things deserve to die, not only are they guilty of them themselves, but they even applaud those who do them.