Romans 1

1 [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].

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 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.

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

3 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.

concerning his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord; who, as to his human nature, was descended from David,

4 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.

but, as to the spirit of holiness within him, was miraculously designated Son of God by his resurrection from the dead.

5 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].

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

And among these nations are you — you who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ.

7 [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.

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

8 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.

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

9 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].

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

asking that, if he be willing, I may some day at last find the way open to visit you.

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

For I long to see you, in order to impart to you some spiritual gift and so give you fresh strength —

12 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].

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

13 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].

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 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.

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

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

And so, for my part, I am ready to tell the Good News to you also who are in Rome.

16 [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.

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 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].”

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 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].

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

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

20 [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)

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 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].

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

Professing to be wise, they showed themselves fools;

23 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.

and they transformed the Glory of the immortal God into the likeness of mortal man, and of birds, and beasts, and reptiles.

24 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].

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

25 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)

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 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].

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 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].

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 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.

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 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].

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

30 [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.

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

31 [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].

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

32 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.

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.