Romans 15

1 We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

We, the strong, ought to take on our own shoulders the weaknesses of those who are not strong, and not merely to please ourselves.

2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

Let each of us please our neighbor for our neighbor’s good, to help in the building up of their character.

3 For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.”

Even the Christ did not please himself! On the contrary, as scripture says of him – ‘The reproaches of those who were reproaching you fell upon me.’

4 For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.

Whatever was written in the scriptures in days gone by was written for our instruction, so that, through patient endurance, and through the encouragement drawn from the scriptures, we might hold fast to our hope.

5 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you harmony with one another in Christ Jesus,

And may God, the giver of this patience and this encouragement, grant you to be united in sympathy in Christ,

6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

so that with one heart and one voice you may praise the God and Father of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring glory to God.

Therefore always receive one another as friends, just as the Christ himself received us, to the glory of God.

8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs,

For I tell you that Christ, in vindication of God’s truthfulness, has become a minister of the covenant of circumcision, so that he may fulfill the promises made to our ancestors,

9 so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to Your name.”

and that the Gentiles also may praise God for his mercy. As scripture says – ‘Therefore will I make acknowledgment to you among the Gentiles and sing in honor of your name.’

10 Again, it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”

And again it says – ‘Rejoice, you Gentiles, with God’s people.’

11 And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and extol Him, all you peoples.”

And yet again – ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all Peoples sing his praises.’

12 And once more, Isaiah says: “The Root of Jesse will appear, One who will arise to rule over the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles will put their hope.”

Again, Isaiah says – ‘There will be a Scion of the house of Jesse, One who is to arise to rule the Gentiles; on him will the Gentiles rest their hopes.’

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

May God, who inspires our hope, grant you perfect happiness and peace in your faith, until you are filled with this hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

14 I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, brimming with knowledge, and able to instruct one another.

I am persuaded, my friends – yes, I Paul, with regard to you – that you are yourselves full of kindness, furnished with all Christian learning, and well able to give advice to one another.

15 However, I have written you a bold reminder on some points, because of the grace God has given me

But in parts of this letter I have expressed myself somewhat boldly – by way of refreshing your memories –

16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

because of the charge with which God has entrusted me, that I should be an assistant of Christ Jesus to go to the Gentiles – that I should act as a priest of God’s good news, so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be an acceptable sacrifice, consecrated by the Holy Spirit.

17 Therefore I exult in Christ Jesus in my service to God.

It is, then, through my union with Christ Jesus that I have a proud confidence in my work for God.

18 I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,

For I will not dare to speak of anything but what Christ has done through me to win the obedience of the Gentiles –

19 by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

by my words and actions, through the power displayed in signs and marvels, and through the power of the Holy Spirit. And so, starting from Jerusalem and going as far as Illyria, I have told in full the good news of the Christ;

20 In this way I have aspired to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.

yet always with the ambition to tell the good news where Christ’s name had not previously been heard, so as to avoid building on another’s foundations.

21 Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about Him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”

But as scripture says – ‘They to whom he had never been proclaimed will see; and they who have never heard will understand!’

22 That is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.

That is why I have so often been prevented from coming to you.

23 But now that there are no further opportunities for me in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to visit you,

But now there are no further openings for me in these parts, and I have for several years been longing to come to you whenever I may be going to Spain.

24 I hope to see you on my way to Spain. And after I have enjoyed your company for a while, you can equip me for my journey.

For my hope is to visit you on my journey, and then to be sent on my way by you, after I have first partly satisfied myself by seeing something of you.

25 Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem to serve the saints there.

Just now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem, to take help to Christ’s people there.

26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.

For Macedonia and Greece have been glad to make a collection for the poor among Christ’s people at Jerusalem.

27 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to minister to them with material blessings.

Yes, they were glad to do so; and indeed it is a duty which they owe to them. For the Gentile converts who have shared their spiritual blessings are in duty bound to minister to them in the things of this world.

28 So after I have completed this service and have safely delivered this bounty to them, I will set off to Spain by way of you.

When I have settled this matter, and have secured for the poor at Jerusalem the enjoyment of these benefits, I will go, by way of you, to Spain.

29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

And I know that, when I come to you, it will be with a full measure of blessing from Christ.

30 Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.

I beg you, then, friends, by Jesus Christ, our Lord, and by the love inspired by the Spirit, to join me in earnest prayer to God on my behalf.

31 Pray that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there,

Pray that I may be rescued from those in Judea who reject the faith, and that the help which I am taking to Jerusalem may prove acceptable to Christ’s people;

32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.

so that, God willing, I may be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and enjoy some rest among you.

33 The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.

May God, the giver of peace, be with you all. Amen.