Romatɔwo 1

1 Nye Paulo, Yesu Kristo ƒe dɔla, ame si wotia be wòanye mawunyadɔgbedela, eye wodɔe be wòaɖe gbeƒã Mawu ƒe nyanyui la.

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 Mawu do Nyanyui sia ŋugbe xoxoxo to eƒe nyagblɔɖilawo dzi le Ŋɔŋlɔ Kɔkɔeawo me,

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

3 tso Via, Yesu Kristo, ame si va xexea me abe amegbetɔ ene, eye wodzii abe David ƒe tɔgbuiyɔvi ene la ŋu.

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

4 To Via, Yesu Kristo, ƒe tsitretsitsi me la, Mawu fia be eyae nye Mawu ƒe Vi ŋusẽtɔ la, eye Mawu ŋutɔ ƒe nɔnɔme kɔkɔe la le eme.

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

5 Azɔ la, to Yesu Kristo me la, wokɔ Mawu ƒe dɔmenyo ɖe mí nu vɔ̃ wɔla madzemadzewo dzi, eye azɔ la, ele mía dɔm ɖe xexea me be míagblɔ nu gã siwo Mawu wɔ na xexea me la na ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o la katã le afi sia afi, ale be woawo hã naxɔ edzi ase, eye woaɖo toe.

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 Eye miawo hã miele ame siwo woyɔ be woanye Yesu Kristo tɔwo la dome.

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

7 Mi ame siwo katã le Roma, siwo nye Mawu ƒe lɔlɔ̃tɔwo, kple ame kɔkɔe siwo woyɔ la, Amenuveve kple ŋutifafa tso Mawu, mía Fofo kple Aƒetɔ Yesu Kristo gbɔ na mi katã.

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 Gbã la, medaa akpe na nye Mawu to Yesu Kristo dzi le mi katã ta, elabena amewo le ɖase ɖim le xexea me godoo tso miaƒe xɔse ŋu.

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

9 Mawu nya ale si medoa gbe ɖa enuenu ɖe mia tae. Metsɔa miawo kple miaƒe hiahiãwo yia gbedodoɖa me zã kple keli na ame si mesubɔna kple nye ŋusẽ katã, eye megblɔa Nyanyui la tsoa Via ŋu na ame bubuwo.

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 Medoa gbe ɖa na Mawu be makpɔ mɔnu, ne Mawu lɔ̃ la, be mava mia gbɔ mlɔeba.

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

11 Mele didim vevie be mava kpɔ mi ɖa ale be matsɔ gbɔgbɔmenunana aɖewo ado ŋusẽ mi,

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

12 ale be nye kple miawo siaa míado ŋusẽ mía nɔewo ƒe xɔse.

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

13 Nɔvinye lɔlɔ̃awo, medi be mianya be meɖoe zi geɖe be mava kpɔ mi ɖa, ale be mate ŋu awɔ dɔ le mia dome, eye makpɔ kutsetse nyui siwo ado tso eme abe ale si mewɔ le ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o la dome ene, gake esia mete ŋu dze edzi o.

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 Enye nye dɔdeasi be magblɔ nyanyui la na Grikitɔwo kple ame siwo menye Grikitɔwo o la, na nunyalawo kple bometsilawo siaa.

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

15 Eya ta medi vevie be magblɔ nyanyui la na mi ame siwo le Roma hã.

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

16 Elabena nyanyui si tso Kristo ŋuti la mekpea ŋu nam o. Eyae nye Mawu ƒe ŋusẽ si nana be ame sia ame si xɔ Kristo dzi se la nakpɔ xɔxɔ. Gbã la, wogblɔ nya siawo na Yudatɔwo ɖeɖe ko, emegbe la, wogblɔe na ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o la hã.

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 Nyanyui sia ɖe Mawu ƒe dzɔdzɔenyenye fia, dzɔdzɔenyenye si vana to xɔse me tso gɔmedzedze va se ɖe nuwuwu abe ale si Ŋɔŋlɔ Kɔkɔe la gblɔe ene be, “Ame dzɔdzɔe anɔ agbe to xɔse me.”

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 Woɖe Mawu ƒe dɔmedzoe ɖe go tso dziƒo ɖe amegbetɔ ƒe mawumavɔmavɔ̃ kple vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖinyenye katã ŋu, ame siwo tea nyateƒe la ɖe to, to woƒe vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi me.

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 Elabena woɖe nu si wòle be woanya tso Mawu ŋu la me na wo keŋ.

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

20 Elabena tso xexea me ƒe gɔmedzedzea me la, Mawu ƒe nɔnɔme siwo womekpɔna kple ŋku o, esiwo nye eƒe ŋusẽ mavɔ kple eƒe mawunyenye la me kɔ na wo ƒãa. Wose esia gɔme to eƒe nuwɔwɔwo me, be taflatsedodo naganɔ ame aɖeke si o. (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 Togbɔ be wonya Mawu hã la, womesubɔnɛ alo daa akpa nɛ abe Mawu ene o ke boŋ woƒe tamesusuwo zu nu dzodzro, eye woƒe dzi manyanu la me do viviti.

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 Togbɔ be wobu be yewonye nunyalawo hã la, wonye bometsilawo boŋ,

Professing to be wise, they showed themselves fools;

23 elabena wotsɔ Mawu makumaku la ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe ɖɔli aklamakpakpɛwo be wòanɔ abe amegbetɔ, dziƒoxeviwo kple lã afɔenewo kple nutatawo tɔ ene.

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

24 Eya ta, le woƒe dzi vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe didi nu la, Mawu tsɔ wo de asi na ahasiwɔwɔ ƒe makɔmakɔnyenye be woado ŋunyɔ woƒe ŋutilãwo kple wo nɔewo.

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

25 Wotsɔ Mawu ƒe nyateƒe la ɖɔli aʋatsoe; wosubɔa nuwɔwɔwo, eye wodea ta agu na wo wu wo Wɔla, ame si wòle be woakafu tegbetegbe. 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 Le esia ta Mawu tsɔ wo de asi na dzodzro vɔ̃wo; woƒe nyɔnuwo gɔ̃ hã tsɔ nu siwo menye dzɔdzɔmenuwo o la ɖɔli dzɔdzɔmenuwoe le gbɔdɔdɔnyawo gome.

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 Nenema ke woƒe ŋutsuwo hã ɖe asi le dzɔdzɔme ƒe kadodo si le ŋutsu kple nyɔnu dome la ŋu, eye woƒe lãme fiena ɖe wo nɔewo ŋu. Ale ŋutsu wɔa ŋunyɔnu kple ŋutsu bubuwo. Ale woxɔa woƒe ŋukpenanuwo ƒe fetu ɖe woƒe ŋutilã me.

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 Gawu la, esi wosusui be mehiã be woalé sidzedze Mawu me ɖe asi o ta la, Mawu ɖe asi le woƒe susu ŋu na bometsitsi be woawɔ nu si mele be woawɔ o.

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 Ale wo ameawo me yɔ fũu kple vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi ɖe sia ɖe ƒomevi, nu tovo wɔwɔ, ŋukeklẽ kple gbɔ̃ɖiɖi ame ɖokui. Nenema ke ŋuʋaʋã, hlɔ̃dodo, dzrewɔwɔ, beble kple vɔ̃ediname hã yɔ wo me fũu. Wonye amenyagblɔlawo,

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

30 ameŋugblẽlawo, ame siwo léa Mawu ɖe ke me, amemabulawo, dadalawo, adegbe ƒuƒlu ƒolawo, ame siwo toa nu gbegblẽ yeyewo wɔwɔ vanɛ, ame siwo meɖoa to wo dzilawo o.

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

31 Wonye numanyalawo, dzimaxɔsetɔwo, nublanuimakpɔlawo kple tamesesẽtɔwo.

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

32 Togbɔ be wonya nu le Mawu ƒe sedede dzɔdzɔe la ŋu be ame siwo wɔa nenem nu siawo tɔgbi dze na ku hã la, womeyi nu sia nu wɔwɔ dzi ɖeɖe ko o, ke boŋ woda asi ɖe ame siwo wɔnɛ hã tɔ dzi.

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.