Romans 1

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, having been separated to 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 announced before through His prophets in holy writings —

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

3 concerning His Son, (who is come 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 who is marked out Son of God in power, according to the Spirit of sanctification, by the rising again 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 did receive grace and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations, in behalf of his name;

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 also ye, the called of 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 saints; Grace 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 first, indeed, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is proclaimed in 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,

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 always in my prayers beseeching, if by any means now at length I shall 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 ye 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 and that is, that I may be comforted together among you, through the faith in one another, both yours and mine.

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

13 And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, that many times I did purpose to come unto you — and was hindered till the present time — that some fruit I might have also among you, even as also among the other nations.

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 Both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to wise and to thoughtless, I am a debtor,

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

15 so, as much as in me is, I am ready also to you who [are] in Rome to proclaim good news,

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 the Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to every one who is believing, both to Jew first, and to 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 in it is revealed from faith to faith, according as it hath been written, 'And the righteous one by faith shall live,'

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 revealed is the wrath of God from heaven upon all impiety and unrighteousness of men, holding 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 is known of God is manifest among them, for God did manifest [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 from the creation of the world, by the things made being understood, are plainly seen, both His eternal power and Godhead — to their being inexcusable; (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, having known God they did not glorify [Him] as God, nor gave thanks, but were made vain in their reasonings, and their unintelligent 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 to be wise, they were made fools,

Professing to be wise, they showed themselves fools;

23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of fowls, and of quadrupeds, and of 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 also God did give them up, in the desires of their hearts, to uncleanness, to dishonour their 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 did change the truth of God into a falsehood, and did honour and serve the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed to the ages. 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 Because of this did God give them up to dishonourable affections, for even their females did change the natural use into that 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 and in like manner also the males having left the natural use of the female, did burn in their longing toward one another; males with males working shame, and the recompense of their error that was fit, in themselves receiving.

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, according as they did not approve of having God in knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mind, to do the things not seemly;

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 having been filled with all unrighteousness, whoredom, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil dispositions; whisperers,

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

30 evil-speakers, God-haters, insulting, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

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

31 unintelligent, faithless, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful;

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

32 who the righteous judgment of God having known — that those practising such things are worthy of death — not only do them, but also have delight with those practising 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.