Greeting
1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ,calledtobean apostle,separated to the gospel of God
2 which He promised beforethrough His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,
3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who wasborn of the seed of David according to the flesh,
4 anddeclaredtobethe Son of God with power accordingto the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
5 Through Himwe have received grace and apostleship forobedience to the faith among all nationsfor His name,
6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;
7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God,calledtobesaints:
# Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Desire to Visit Rome
8 First,I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, thatyour faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
9 ForGod is my witness,whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, thatwithout ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,
10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.
11 For I long to see you, thatI may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—
12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you bythe mutual faith both of you and me.
13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (butwas hindered until now), that I might have somefruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles.
14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.
15 So, as much as is in me,Iamready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.
The Just Live by Faith
16 ForI am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, forit is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
17 Forin it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written,“The just shall live by faith.”
God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness andunrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 becausewhat may be known of God is manifest in them, forGod has shownitto them.
20 For since the creation of the worldHis invisibleattributesare clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,evenHis eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorifyHimas God, nor were thankful, butbecame futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and changed the glory of theincorruptibleGod into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts,to dishonor their bodiesamong themselves,
25 who exchangedthe truth of Godfor the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up tovile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.
27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God intheirknowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those thingswhich are not fitting;
29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness;theyarewhisperers,
30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;
32 who,knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such thingsare deserving of death, not only do the same but alsoapprove of those who practice them.