Romans 1

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

To all in Rome who are dear to God and have been called to become Christ’s People, 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 promised beforehand, through his prophets, in holy scriptures—

This Good News God promised long ago through his Prophets in the sacred Scriptures,

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

concerning his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord; who, as to his human nature, was descended from 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 to the spirit of holiness within him, was miraculously designated Son of God by his resurrection from the dead.

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

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, called of Jesus Christ:

And among these nations are you — you who have been called 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.

May God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you 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.

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

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 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;

asking that, if he be willing, I may some day at last find the way open to visit 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 long to see you, in order to impart to you some spiritual gift and so give you fresh strength —

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

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

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,

I want you to know, Brothers, 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 Both to Greeks and to Barbarians, both to wise and to unwise, a debtor, I am:

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

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

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 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 the power of God which brings Salvation to every one who believes in Christ, to the Jew first, but also to the Greek.

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 it there is a revelation of the Divine Righteousness resulting from faith and leading on to faith; as Scripture says — ‘Through faith the righteous man shall find Life.’

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; —

So, too, there is a revelation from Heaven of the Divine Wrath against every form of ungodliness and wickedness on the part of those men who, by their wicked lives, are stifling the Truth.

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

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

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 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 men have no 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,

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 to be wise, they were made foolish,

Professing to be wise, they showed themselves 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 they transformed the Glory of the immortal God into the likeness of mortal man, and of birds, and beasts, and reptiles.

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

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

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 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 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, —

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 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; —

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, 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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.