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].
PAUL, a servant of Jesus the Messiah, called and sent; and separated unto the gospel of God,
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.
(which he had before promised, by his prophets, in the holy 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, (who was born in the flesh, of seed of the house of 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.
and was made known as the Son of God, by power, and by the Holy Spirit, ) who arose from the dead, Jesus Messiah, our Lord,
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].
by whom we have received grace, and a mission among all the Gentiles, to the end that they may obey the faith in his name;
6 You [believers] who are living in Rome [city] are included among those whom God has chosen to belong to Jesus Christ.
among whom, ye also are called by Jesus Messiah; )
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.
to all those who are at Rome, beloved of God, called and sanctified: Peace and grace be with you, from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Messiah.
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.
In the first place, I give thanks to God by Jesus Messiah, on account of you all; because your faith is heard of in all 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].
And God, whom in spirit I serve in the gospel of his Son, is my witness, that I unceasingly make mention of you, at all times, in my prayers.
10 I especially ask God that if he desires [me to visit you], somehow at last I shall be able to do so.
And I likewise supplicate, that hereafter a door may be opened to me, by the good pleasure of God, to come unto 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 much to see you; and to impart to you the gift of the Spirit, whereby ye may be established;
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].
and that we may have comfort together, in the faith of both yourselves and me.
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].
And I wish you to know, my brethren, that I have many times desired to come to you, (though prevented hitherto, ) that I might have some fruit among you also; even as among other Gentiles,
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.
Greeks and barbarians, the wise and the unwise: for to every man am I a debtor, to preach to him.
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 I am eager to preach to you also who are at 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 gospel; for it is the power of God unto life, to all who believe in it; whether first they are of the Jews, or whether they are of the Gentiles.
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 is revealed the righteousness of God, from faith to faith; as it is written, The righteous by faith, shall live.
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].
For the wrath of God from heaven is revealed against all the iniquity and wickedness of men, who hold the truth in iniquity.
19 [Everyone] can clearly know what God [is like], because God himself has revealed to everyone [what he is like].
Because a knowledge of God is manifest in them; for God hath manifested it in them.
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, from the foundations of the world, the occult things of God are seen, by the intellect, in the things he created, even his eternal power and divinity; so that they might be without 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 they knew God, and did not glorify him and give thanks to him as God, but became vain in their imaginings, and their unwise heart was darkened.
22 Although they claimed that they were wise, they became foolish,
And, while they thought within themselves that they were wise, they became 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 changed the glory of the incorruptible God into a likeness to the image of a corruptible man, and into the likeness of birds and quadrupeds and reptiles on the earth.
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].
For this cause, God gave them up to the filthy lusts of their heart, to dishonor their bodies with them.
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)
And they changed the truth of God into a lie; and worshipped and served the created things, much more than the Creator of them, to whom belong glory and blessing, for ever and 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].
For this cause, God gave them up to vile passions: for their females changed the use of their natures, and employed that which is 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].
And so also their males forsook the use of females, which is natural, and burned with lust toward one another; and, male with male, they did what is shameful, and received in themselves the just recompense of their error.
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.
And as they did not determine with themselves to know God, God gave them over to a vain mind; that they might do what they ought not,
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].
being full of all iniquity, and lewdness, and bitterness, and malice, and covetousness, and envy, and slaughter, and strife, and guile, and evil machinations,
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.
and backbiting, and slander; and being haters of God, scoffers, proud, vain-glorious, devisers of evil things, destitute of reason, disregardful of 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].
and to whom a covenant is nothing, neither affection, nor peace, and in whom is no compassion.
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.
These, while they know the judgment of God, that he condemneth those to death who perpetrate such things, are not only doers of them, but the companions of such as do them.
