Of which God had given word before by his prophets in the holy Writings,

You may be certain, my brothers, that it has frequently been in my mind to come to you (but till now I was kept from it), so that I might have some fruit from you in the same way as I have had it from the other nations.

And because they had not the mind to keep God in their knowledge, God gave them up to an evil mind, to do those things which are not right;

Or is it nothing to you that God had pity on you, waiting and putting up with you for so long, not seeing that in his pity God's desire is to give you a change of heart?

It is true that circumcision is of use if you keep the law, but if you go against the law it is as if you had it not.

But what does it say in the holy Writings? And Abraham had faith in God, and it was put to his account as righteousness.

How, then, was it judged? when he had circumcision, or when he had it not? Not when he had it, but when he did not have it:

And he was given the sign of circumcision as a witness of the faith which he had before he underwent circumcision: so that he might be the father of all those who have faith, though they have not circumcision, and so that righteousness might be put to their account;

And the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who keep to the way of that faith which our father Abraham had before he underwent circumcision.

(As it is said in the holy Writings, I have made you a father of a number of nations) before him in whom he had faith, that is, God, who gives life to the dead, and to whom the things which are not are as if they were.

Who without reason for hope, in faith went on hoping, so that he became the father of a number of nations, as it had been said, So will your seed be.

But still death had power from Adam till Moses, even over those who had not done wrong like Adam, who is a picture of him who was to come.

And the free giving has not the same effect as the sin of one: for the effect of one man's sin was punishment by the decision of God, but the free giving had power to give righteousness to wrongdoers in great number.

That, as sin had power in death, so grace might have power through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Or are you without the knowledge that all we who had baptism into Christ Jesus, had baptism into his death?

What fruit had you at that time in the things which are now a shame to you? for the end of such things is death.

But now we are free from the law, having been made dead to that which had power over us; so that we are servants in the new way of the spirit, not in the old way of the letter.

What then is to be said? is the law sin? in no way. But I would not have had knowledge of sin but for the law: for I would not have been conscious of desire if the law had not said, You may not have a desire for what is another's.

And I made the discovery that the law whose purpose was to give life had become a cause of death:

Because those of whom he had knowledge before they came into existence, were marked out by him to be made like his Son, so that he might be the first among a band of brothers:

Before the children had come into existence, or had done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose and his selection might be effected, not by works, but by him whose purpose it is,

Even as it is said, I had love for Jacob, but for Esau I had hate.

And to make clear the wealth of his glory to vessels of mercy, which he had before made ready for glory,

And, as Isaiah had said before, If the Lord of armies had not given us a seed, we would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah.

But how will they give worship to him in whom they have no faith? and how will they have faith in him of whom they have not had news? and how will they have news without a preacher?

But they have not all given ear to the good news. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has had faith in our word?

But I say, Had Israel no knowledge? First Moses says, You will be moved to envy by that which is not a nation, and by a foolish people I will make you angry.

Truly, because they had no faith they were broken off, and you have your place by reason of your faith. Do not be lifted up in pride, but have fear;

See then that the time has come for you to be awake from sleep: for now is your salvation nearer than when you first had faith.

But as it is said in the holy Writings, They will see, to whom the news of him had not been given, and those to whose ears it had not come will have knowledge.

But now, having no longer any place in these parts and having had for a number of years a great desire to come to you,

Yes, it has been their good pleasure; and they are in their debt. For if the Gentiles have had a part in the things of the Spirit which were theirs, it is right for them, in the same way, to give them help in the things of the flesh.