Romans 15

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

Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

2 Let each of us please his neighbour for his neighbour’s good, to help in the building up of his character.

Let each one of us please his neighbor for that which is good, to be building him up.

3 Even the Christ did not please himself! On the contrary, as Scripture says of him — ‘The reproaches of those who were reproaching thee fell upon me.’

For even Christ did not please himself. But, as it is written, "The insults of those who insult you fell on me."

4 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.

For whatever things were written before were written for our instruction, that through patience and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

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

Now the God of patience and of encouragement grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus,

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

that with one accord you may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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

Therefore accept one another, even as Christ also accepted you, to the glory of God.

8 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 fulfil the promises made to our ancestors,

Now I say that Christ has been made a servant of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given to the fathers,

9 and that the Gentiles also may praise God for his mercy. As Scripture says — ‘Therefore will I make acknowledgment to thee among the Gentiles and sing in honour of thy Name.’

and that the non-Jews might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "therefore I will give praise to you among the non-Jews, and sing to your name."

10 And again it says — ‘Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with God’s People.’

Again he says, "Rejoice, you nations, with his people."

11 And yet again — ‘Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles, and let all Peoples sing his praises.’

Again, "Praise the Lord, all you nations. Let all the peoples praise him."

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

Again, Isaiah says, "There will be the root of Jesse, he who arises to rule over the peoples; in him will the nations hope."

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

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

14 I am persuaded, my Brothers — 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.

I myself am also persuaded about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish others.

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

But I write the more boldly to you in part, as reminding you, because of the grace that was given to me by God,

16 because of the charge with which God has entrusted me, that I should be a minister 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.

that I should be a servant of Christ Jesus to the non-Jews, serving as a priest the Good News of God, that the offering up of the non-Jews might be made acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

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

I have therefore my boasting in Christ Jesus in things pertaining to God.

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

For I will not dare to speak of any things except those which Christ worked through me, for the obedience of the non-Jews, by word and deed,

19 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 its neighbourhood, and going as far as Illyria, I have told in full the Good News of the Christ;

in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and around as far as to Illyricum, I have fully preached the Good News of Christ.

20 yet always with the ambition to tell the Good News where Christ’s name had not previously been heard, so as to avoid building upon another man’s foundations.

And in this way I desire to preach the Good News where Christ was not known, that I might not build on another's foundation.

21 But as Scripture says — ‘They to whom he had never been proclaimed shall see; and they who have never heard shall understand!’

But, as it is written, "Those who were not told about him, they will see, and those who have not heard, they will understand."

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

Therefore also I was hindered these many times from coming to you,

23 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.

but now, no longer having any place in these regions, and having these many years a longing to come to you,

24 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.

whenever I journey to Spain I will come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while.

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

But now, I say, I am going to Jerusalem, serving the saints.

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

For it has been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are at Jerusalem.

27 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.

Yes, it has been their good pleasure, and they are their debtors. For if the non-Jewish people have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they owe it to them also to serve them in fleshly things.

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

When therefore I have accomplished this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will go on by way of you to Spain.

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

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

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

Now I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,

31 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;

that I may be delivered from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints;

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

that I may come to you in joy through the will of God, and together with you, find rest.

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

Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.