Romans 1

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

[I], Paul, who serve Christ Jesus, [am writing this letter]. God chose me to be an apostle, and I was appointed by him {he appointed me} in order that [I should proclaim] (the good message/the gospel) that [comes from him].

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

Long before [Jesus came to earth, God] promised [that he would reveal] this good message by means of what his prophets [wrote] in the sacred Scriptures.

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

This good message is [about the one whom we know as] his Son. As to his Son’s physical/human nature, he was born a descendant of [King] 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;

As to his divine nature, it was shown {[God] showed} powerfully that he is (God’s own Son/the man who is also God). [God] showed this by his Holy Spirit causing him to become alive again after he died. He is 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,

He is the one who appointed me, who did not deserve it, [to be] an apostle. He did that in order that [many] among the non-Jews would honor [him] and would obey him as a result of their believing [my message about him].

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

You [believers] who are living in Rome [city] are included among those whom God has chosen to belong to Jesus Christ.

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.

[I am writing this letter] to all of [you in Rome] whom God loves and whom he has chosen [to become his] people. [I pray that] God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord will [continue to] act kindly toward you and [will continue to] cause you to have [inner] peace.

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.

As I begin [this letter], I thank my God for all you [believers in Rome]. It is because of [what] Jesus Christ [has done for us that] I [am able to do that]. I thank him because your trusting [in Jesus Christ] is something that people all over [the Roman Empire] [HYP] are talking about.

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

God, whom I devotedly serve as I [proclaim to people] the gospel concerning his Son, knows that I tell the truth when I say that I always mention you whenever [DOU] I pray [to God] [HYP].

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;

I especially ask God that if he desires [me to visit you], somehow at last I shall be able to do so.

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

[I pray this] because I long to visit you to help you spiritually, in order that you will become stronger [spiritually].

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

I long to visit you in order that you and I might encourage each other [by means of our sharing with each other] how each of us trusts [in Jesus].

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,

My fellow believers, many times I planned to visit you. I certainly want you to know [LIT] that. [But I have not been able to come to you because] I have been hindered {[things] have always prevented me} until the present time. I have wanted to come in order that I might help you to mature spiritually [IDM], as [I have helped people to mature spiritually] in many other non-Jewish groups [HYP].

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

I feel obliged [to proclaim the gospel to all non-Jewish people], specifically to [people who know] the Greek [language and culture] and to those who do not know it, to people who are educated and to those who are uneducated.

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

So what I have eagerly desired is that I might proclaim this good message to you who are living in Rome also.

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;

[That leads me to say that] I very confidently proclaim [LIT] the good message [about what Christ has done], because this good message is the powerful [means] that God [uses] to save [from the guilt of their sins] all people who trust [in what Christ has done for them]. Specifically, God first has saved the Jews [who believe the good message], and then he has saved non-Jews.

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.

By means of this good message God reveals how he erases the record of people’s sins (OR, declares people no longer guilty for having sinned); and his doing this is entirely because [IDM] they trust [in Christ. This is confirmed] by what [a prophet long ago] wrote [that God said], “Those (whose record of sin [I] have erased/whom [I] have declared no longer guilty for sin) because they trust [in me] will live [forever].”

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; —

From [where God rules in] heaven he is making it clear to all [non-Jewish] people who show no respect for God and who do wicked things, that he is angry with them [and that they deserve to be punished] {[that he would punish them]} [MTY]. By means of [their behaving] wickedly, they keep other people [from believing what they know] to be true [about God].

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

[Everyone] can clearly know what God [is like], because God himself has revealed to everyone [what he is like].

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)

[People] cannot see what God is like. But ever since he created the world, by means of what he created he has clearly revealed what he is like. He has made clear to everyone that he has always been able to do very powerful things. [Therefore, we should recognize that] God is powerful, [completely different from all that he created]. So no one has a basis for saying, [“We never knew about God].” (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,

Although [the non-Jews] knew what God [is like], they did not honor him as God, nor did they thank [him for what he had done]. But instead, they began to think foolish [things about him], and they became unable to understand [MET] [what he wanted them to know].

22 Professing to be wise, they were made foolish,

Although they claimed that they were wise, they became foolish,

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 they refused to [admit that] God is glorious and will never die. Instead, they made and worshipped idols [that resembled people who] will some day die, and [then they made other idols that resembled] birds and four-footed animals, and [finally] they made idols that resembled reptiles.

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

So God allowed [the non-Jews] do immoral sexual things that they [SYN] strongly desired, things [that their desires were compelling them to do]. As a result, they [began to] dishonor each other’s bodies [by their sexual actions].

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)

Also, they [chose to worship] false [gods] instead (of admitting/of choosing to believe) what is true [about] God. They worshipped and served things [that God] created instead of [worshipping and serving God himself], the one who created [everything. They did this even though] he [deserves that those he created] would forever praise him. Amen!/May it be so! (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, —

So, God allowed [the non-Jews to do] shameful [sexual] things that they [strongly] desired. As a result, many women did not have natural sexual relations [with their husbands] [EUP]. Instead, they were doing sexual actions with other women [EUP].

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; —

Similarly, [many] men stopped having/did not have natural sexual relations with women [EUP]. Instead, they strongly desired to have sexual relations with other men. They committed [homosexual] acts with other men, acts that were shameful. As a result, [God has] punished them [by sicknesses] in their bodies, which is what they deserve [because] they [thought] wrongly [that God would not punish them for doing that].

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,

Furthermore, because they decided that it was not [worthwhile] to know God, he allowed their own worthless thoughts [to completely control them]. As a result, they began doing [evil] things that [God says that people] should not do.

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

They strongly desire to do all [kinds of] unrighteous [things]. They strongly desire to do all [kinds of] evil things [to others]. They strongly desire to possess things that [belong to others]. They strongly desire to harm [others] in various ways. [Many non-Jews] are constantly envying [other people. Many] constantly desire to murder [people. Many] constantly desire to cause strife [between people. Many] constantly desire to deceive [others. Many] constantly desire to speak hatefully [about others] (OR, [to speak harmful things about others, things that are not true]). [Many] gossip [about others].

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

[Many] slander [others. Many] act especially hatefully toward God. [Many] speak or act in an insulting way [toward others. Many] treat others contemptuously. [Many] boast [about themselves to others. Many] invent new ways to do evil things. [Many non-Jewish children] disobey their parents.

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

[Many non-Jews] act in other morally foolish ways. [Many] do not do what they promised [others that they would do. Many] do not [even] love [their own family members. And many] do not act mercifully [toward other people].

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].

Although they know that God has declared that those who do such things deserve to be killed, they not only habitually do these [kinds of evil] things, but they also approve of others who habitually do them.