< Romans 1 >
1 Paul, bondman of Jesus Christ, [a] called apostle, separated to God's glad tidings,
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 had before promised by his prophets in holy writings, )
This good news God promised long ago through his prophets in the sacred scriptures,
3 concerning his Son (come of David's seed according to flesh,
concerning his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord; who, as to his human nature, was descended from David,
4 marked out Son of God in power, according to [the] Spirit of holiness, by resurrection of [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 by whom we have received grace and apostleship in behalf of his name, for obedience of faith among all the nations,
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 ye also [the] called of Jesus Christ:
And among these nations are you – you who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ.
7 to all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and [our] 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, 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 glad tidings 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 beseeching at my prayers, if any way now at least I may be prospered by the will of God to come to you.
asking that, if he be willing, I may some day at last find the way open to visit you.
11 For I greatly desire to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to establish you;
For I long to see you, in order to impart to you some spiritual gift and so give you fresh strength –
12 that is, to have mutual comfort among you, each by the faith [which is] in the other, both yours and mine.
or rather that both you and I may find encouragement in each other’s faith.
13 But I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, that I often proposed to come to you, (and have been hindered until the present time, ) that I might have some fruit among you too, even as among the other nations also.
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 I am a debtor both to Greeks and barbarians, both to wise and unintelligent:
I have a duty to both the Greek and the barbarian, to both the cultured and the ignorant.
15 so, as far as depends on me, am I ready to announce the glad tidings to you also who [are] in Rome.
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 glad tidings; for it is God's power to salvation, to every one that believes, 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 righteousness of God is revealed therein, on the principle of faith, to faith: according as it is written, But the just shall live by faith.
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 there is revealed wrath of God from heaven upon all impiety, and unrighteousness of men holding 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 what is known of God is manifest among them, for God has manifested [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 from [the] world's creation the invisible things of him are perceived, being apprehended by the mind through the things that are made, both his eternal power and divinity, — so as to render them inexcusable. (aïdios )
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 )
21 Because, knowing God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but fell into folly in their thoughts, and their heart without understanding 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 themselves to be wise, they became 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 birds and quadrupeds and 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 God gave them up [also] in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, to dishonour their bodies between themselves:
Therefore God abandoned them to impurity, letting them follow the cravings of their hearts, until they dishonoured their own bodies;
25 who changed the truth of God into falsehood, and honoured and served the creature more than him who had created [it], who is blessed for ever. Amen. (aiōn )
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 )
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile lusts; for both their females changed the natural use into that contrary to 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 the males also, leaving the natural use of the female, were inflamed in their lust towards one another; males with males working shame, and receiving in themselves the recompense of their error which was fit.
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 think good to have God in [their] knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind to practise unseemly things;
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 being filled with all unrighteousness, 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 back-biters, hateful to God, insolent, 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 void of understanding, faithless, without natural affection, unmerciful;
They were undiscerning, untrustworthy, without natural affection or pity.
32 who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that they who do such things are worthy of death, not only practise them, but have fellow delight in those who do [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.