Romans 1

1 Paul a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle,

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 separated unto the gospel of God, (which He had promised before by his prophets in the holy scriptures) concerning his Son,

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

3 who was of the seed of David according to the flesh,

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

4 but powerfully declared to be the Son of God, according to the spirit of holiness, by his resurrection from the dead, even 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 by whom we have received grace and apostleship to preach the obedience of faith for his name's sake, to 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 that are in Rome beloved of God, called and holy: grace be to you, and peace from God our Father, and from 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 And first I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is celebrated through 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 incessantly 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 intreating if I may now at length have a prosperous journey by the will of God, to come unto 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, 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 to say, that being among you we may be comforted together by the faith of each, both yours and mine.

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

13 And I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that I often purposed to come unto you, (but have been hindered hitherto) that I might have some fruit among you also, even 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 For I am a debtor both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the learned and the unlearned:

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

15 therefore am I ready, as much as in me lies, to preach the gospel to you also that are at 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 of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, both Jew and 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 the righteousness of God is therein revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just 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 withhold 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 for what is to be known of God is manifest among them, for God hath manifested 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 Inasmuch as from the first creation of the world, the invisible things of Him, even his eternal power and Godhead, are, if attended to, clearly seen in his works: (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 so that they are inexcusable; because having thus known God they glorified Him not as God, neither were they thankful; but were infatuated by their own reasonings, and their heart being void of understanding 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 Pretending to be wise they Became fools:

Professing to be wise, they showed themselves fools;

23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for an image like to corruptible man, and birds, and beasts, and reptiles.

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 up to impurity, in the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies among themselves;

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

25 who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature instead of 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 Therefore God gave them up to infamous passions: for even their women changed the natural use into that which is unnatural,

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 the men likewise, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust to one another, men with men committing shame, and receiving in themselves the recompence of their error which they deserved.

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 were not careful to acknowledge God, God gave them up to an undiscerning mind to do things that were not fit to be done:

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 injustice, lewdness, wickedness, covetousness, malignity; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and every evil habit; whisperers,

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

30 slanderers, haters of God, injurious, haughty, proud, inventers of mischief, undutiful to parents, void of understanding,

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

31 covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, and unmerciful:

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

32 who though they knew the just judgement of God, (that they who commit such practises are worthy of death) yet not only do these very things, but also countenance and encourage others in the practice of 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.