1 We who are strong ought to bear the burdens that the weak make for themselves and us. We are not to please ourselves.
2 Each of us must please his neighbour, doing him good by building up his faith.
3 Christ certainly did not please himself, but, as it is written, The reproaches of those who denounced Thee have fallen upon me. ??4 All such words were written of old for our instruction, that by remaining stedfast and drawing encouragement from the scriptures we may cherish hope.
5 May the God who inspires stedfastness and encouragement grant you such harmony with one another, after Christ Jesus,
6 that you may unite in a chorus of praise and glory to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
7 Welcome one another, then, as Christ has welcomed yourselves, for the glory of God.
8 Christ, I mean, became a servant to the circumcised in order to prove God's honesty by fulfilling His promises to the fathers,
9 and also in order that the Gentiles should glorify God for His mercy ??as it is written, Therefore will I offer praise to Thee among the Gentiles, and sing to thy name;
10 or again, Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his People;
11 or again, Extol the Lord, all Gentiles, let all the peoples praise him;
12 or again, as Isaiah says, Then shall the Scion of Jessai live, he who rises to rule the Gentiles; on him shall the Gentiles set their hope.
13 May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in your faith, that you may be overflowing with hope by the power of the holy Spirit!
14 Personally I am quite certain, my brothers, that even as it is you have ample goodness of heart, you are filled with knowledge of every kind, and you are well able to give advice to one another.
15 Still, by way of refreshing your memory, I have written you with a certain freedom, in virtue of my divine commission
16 as a priest of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the service of God's gospel. My aim is to make the Gentiles an acceptable offering, consecrated by the holy Spirit.
17 Now in Christ Jesus I can be proud of my work for God.
18 I will not make free to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished by me in the way of securing the obedience of the Gentiles, by my words and by my deeds,
19 by the force of miracles and marvels, by the power of the Spirit of God. Thus from Jerusalem right round to Illyricum, I have been able to complete the preaching of the gospel of Christ ??20 my ambition always being to preach it only in places where there had been no mention of Christ's name, that I might not build on foundations laid by others,
21 but that (as it is written) They should see who never had learned about him, and they who had never heard of him should understand.
22 This is why I have been so often prevented from visiting you.
23 But now, as I have no further scope for work in these parts, and as for a number of years I have had a longing to visit you
24 whenever I went to Spain, I am hoping to see you on my way there, and to be sped forward by you after I have enjoyed your company for a while.
25 At the moment I am off to Jerusalem on an errand to the saints.
26 For Macedonia and Achaia have decided to make a contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.
27 Such was their decision; and yet this is a debt they owe to these people, for if the Gentiles have shared their spiritual blessings, they owe them a debt of aid in material blessings.
28 Well, once I finish this business by putting the proceeds of the collection safely in their hands, I will start for Spain and take you on the way.
29 When I do come to you, I know I will bring a full blessing from Christ.
30 Brothers, I beg of you, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love that the Spirit inspires, rally round me by praying to God for me;
31 pray that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judaea, and also that my mission to Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints.
32 Then, by God's will, I shall gladly come to you and rest beside you.
33 The God of peace be with you all! Amen.