Romans 1

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, separated unto the glad-message of God—

Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle, set apart to proclaim God's Good News,

2 Which he promised beforehand, through his prophets, in holy scriptures—

which God had already promised through His Prophets in Holy Writ, concerning His Son,

3 Concerning his Son, —who came to be of the seed of David, according to flesh,

who, as regards His human descent, belonged to the posterity of David,

4 Who was distinguished as the Son of God—by power, according to a Holy Spirit, through means of a resurrection of the dead, —Jesus Christ our Lord;

but as regards the holiness of His Spirit was decisively proved by His Resurrection to be the Son of God--I mean concerning Jesus Christ our Lord,

5 Through whom we have received favour and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations, in behalf of his name,

through whom we have received grace and Apostleship in His service in order to win men to obedience to the faith, among all Gentile peoples,

6 Among whom are, ye also, called of Jesus Christ:

among whom you also, called, as you have been, to belong to Jesus Christ, are numbered:

7 Unto all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called saints, favour unto you, and peace, from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ.

To all God's loved ones who are in Rome, called to be saints. May grace and peace be granted to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

8 First, indeed, I give thanks unto my God, through Jesus Christ, concerning you all, because your faith is being announced throughout the whole world.

First of all, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for what He has done for all of you; for the report of your faith is spreading through the whole world.

9 For God is, my witness, —unto whom I am rendering divine service in my spirit, in the glad message of his Son, —how incessantly, I am making mention of you

I call God to witness--to whom I render priestly and spiritual service by telling the Good News about His Son-- how unceasingly I make mention of you in His presence,

10 At all times in my prayers, —making supplication—if, by some means, even now, at any time, I may have a way opened, in the will of God, to come unto you;

always in my prayers entreating that now, at length, if such be His will, the way may by some means be made clear for me to come to you.

11 For I am longing to see you, that I may impart some spiritual gift unto you, to the end ye may be established, —

For I am longing to see you, in order to convey to you some spiritual help, so that you may be strengthened;

12 That is to say—there may be a mutual encouragement among you, each by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.

in other words that while I am among you we may be mutually encouraged by one another's faith, yours and mine.

13 I do not wish however that ye should be ignorant, brethren, that, many times, have I purposed to come unto you, but have been hindered, until the present, —in order that, some fruit, I might have among you also, even as among the other nations,

And I desire you to know, brethren, that I have many a time intended to come to you--though until now I have been disappointed--in order that among you also I might gather some fruit from my labours, as I have already done among the rest of the Gentile nations.

14 Both to Greeks and to Barbarians, both to wise and to unwise, a debtor, I am:

I am already under obligations alike to Greek-speaking races and to others, to cultured and to uncultured people:

15 Thus, the eagerness on my part—unto you also who are in Rome, to announce the joyful message.

so that for my part I am willing and eager to proclaim the Good News to you also who are in Rome.

16 For I am not ashamed of the joyful message; for it is God’s power unto salvation, to every one that believeth, both to Jew [first] and to Greek;

For I am not ashamed of the Good News. It is God's power which is at work for the salvation of every one who believes--the Jew first, and then the Gentile.

17 For, a righteousness of God, is therein revealed, —by faith unto faith: even as it is written—But, he that is righteous, by faith, shall live.

For in the Good News a righteousness which comes from God is being revealed, depending on faith and tending to produce faith; as the Scripture has it, "The righteous man shall live by faith."

18 For there is being revealed an anger of God from heaven—against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who, the truth, in unrighteousness, do hold down; —

For God's anger is being revealed from Heaven against all impiety and against the iniquity of men who through iniquity suppress the truth. God is angry:

19 Inasmuch as, what may be known of God, is manifest among them, for, God, unto them, hath made it manifest, —

because what may be known about Him is plain to their inmost consciousness; for He Himself has made it plain to them.

20 For, the unseen things of him, from a world’s creation, by the things made, being perceived, are clearly seen, even his eternal power and divinity, —to the end they should be without excuse; (aïdios g126)

For, from the very creation of the world, His invisible perfections--namely His eternal power and divine nature--have been rendered intelligible and clearly visible by His works, so that these men are without excuse. (aïdios g126)

21 Inasmuch as, having come to know God, not, as God, did they glorify him, or give him thanks, but were made fruitless in their reasonings, and darkened was their undiscerning heart,

For when they had come to know God, they did not give Him glory as God nor render Him thanks, but they became absorbed in useless discussions, and their senseless minds were darkened.

22 Professing to be wise, they were made foolish,

While boasting of their wisdom they became utter fools,

23 And, exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God, for the likeness of an image of a corruptible man, and of birds and fourfooted beasts and reptiles:

and, instead of worshipping the imperishable God, they worshipped images resembling perishable man or resembling birds or beasts or reptiles.

24 Wherefore God gave them up in the covetings of their hearts unto impurity, so as to be dishonouring their bodies among them, —

For this reason, in accordance with their own depraved cravings, God gave them up to uncleanness, allowing them to dishonour their bodies among themselves with impurity.

25 Who, indeed, exchanged away the truth of God for the falsehood, and rendered worship and service unto the creature rather than unto the Creator, —who is blessed unto the ages. Amen! (aiōn g165)

For they had bartered the reality of God for what is unreal, and had offered divine honours and religious service to created things, rather than to the Creator--He who is for ever blessed. Amen. (aiōn g165)

26 For this cause, God gave them up unto dishonourable passions; for, even their females, exchanged away the natural use into that which is against nature, —

This then is the reason why God gave them up to vile passions. For not only did the women among them exchange the natural use of their bodies for one which is contrary to nature, but the men also,

27 In like manner also, even the males, leaving the natural use of the female, flamed out in their eager desire one for another, males with males, the indecency, effecting, —and, the necessary recompence of their error, within themselves, duly receiving; —

in just the same way--neglecting that for which nature intends women--burned with passion towards one another, men practising shameful vice with men, and receiving in their own selves the reward which necessarily followed their misconduct.

28 And, even as they did not approve to be holding, God, in acknowledgment, God gave them up unto a disapproved mind to be doing the things that are not becoming,

And just as they had refused to continue to have a full knowledge of God, so it was to utterly worthless minds that God gave them up, for them to do things which should not be done.

29 Filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, baseness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil disposition,

Their hearts overflowed with all sorts of dishonesty, mischief, greed, malice. They were full of envy and murder, and were quarrelsome, crafty, and spiteful.

30 Whisperers, detractors, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, vain boasters, inventors of vices, unto parents unyielding,

They were secret backbiters, open slanderers; hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful; inventors of new forms of sin, disobedient to parents, destitute of common sense,

31 Without discernment, regardless of covenants, without natural affection, unmerciful: —

faithless to their promises, without natural affection, without human pity.

32 Who, indeed, having acknowledged the righteous sentence of God, —that, they who such things as these do practise, are worthy of death, not only, the same things, are doing, but are even delighting together with them who are practising [them].

In short, though knowing full well the sentence which God pronounces against actions such as theirs, as things which deserve death, they not only practise them, but even encourage and applaud others who do them.