Romans 1

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News 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 promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,

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

3 concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring of David according to the flesh,

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

4 who was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from 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 apostleship for obedience of faith amongst all the nations for his name’s sake;

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 amongst whom you are also called to belong to Jesus Christ;

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

7 to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace 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 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed 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 in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly 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 requesting, if by any means now at last I may be prospered by the will of God to come 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, to the end that you may be established;

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 with you may be encouraged in you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.

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

13 Now I don’t desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you (and was hindered so far), that I might have some fruit amongst you also, even as amongst the rest of the 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 to foreigners, both to the wise and to the foolish.

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

15 So as much as is in me, I am eager to preach the Good News to you also who are 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 Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.

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 in it is revealed God’s righteousness 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 ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress 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 is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it 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 the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity, that they may 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 knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, and didn’t give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was 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 themselves to be wise, they became fools,

Professing to be wise, they showed themselves fools;

23 and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, four-footed animals, 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 Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonoured amongst themselves;

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

25 who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. 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 reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature.

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 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burnt in their lust towards one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty 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 Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

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, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers,

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

30 backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

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

31 without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful;

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

32 who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practise 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.