I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now), so that I might reap a harvest among you, just as I have among the rest of the gentiles.

Although they know God's just requirement that those who practice such things deserve to die they not only do these things but even applaud others who practice them.

But because of your stubborn and unrepentant heart you are reserving wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

but wrath and fury for those who in their selfish pride refuse to believe the truth and practice wickedness instead.

But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who practices doing good, initially for Jews but also for Greeks as well,

For circumcision is valuable if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, your having been circumcised has no more value than if you were uncircumcised.

The man who is uncircumcised physically but who keeps the Law will condemn you who break the Law, even though you have the written Law and circumcision.

But if our unrighteousness serves to confirm God's righteousness, what can we say? God is not unrighteous when he vents his wrath on us, is he? (I am talking in human terms.)

But now, apart from the Law, God's righteousness is revealed and is attested by the Law and the Prophets

What, then, is there to boast about? That has been eliminated. On what principle? On that of actions? No, but on the principle of faith.

Now to someone who works, wages are not considered a gift but an obligation.

However, to someone who does not work, but simply believes in the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.

Under what circumstances was it credited? Was he circumcised or uncircumcised? He had not yet been circumcised, but was uncircumcised.

He is also the ancestor of the circumcised those who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the Law, but through the righteousness produced by faith.

Therefore, the promise is based on faith, so that it may be a matter of grace and may be guaranteed for all of Abraham's descendants not only for those who were given the Law, but also for those who share the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

but also for us. Our faith will be regarded in the same way, if we believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,

But God demonstrates his love for us by the fact that the Messiah died for us while we were still sinners.

Not only that, but we also continue to boast about God through our Lord Jesus the Messiah, through whom we have now been reconciled.

Certainly sin was in the world before the Law was given, but no record of sin is kept when there is no Law.

But God's free gift is not like Adam's offense. For if many people died as the result of one man's offense, how much more have God's grace and the free gift given through the kindness of one man, Jesus the Messiah, been showered on many people!

Nor can the free gift be compared to what came through the man who sinned. For the sentence that followed one man's offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift brought justification, even after many offenses.

Now the Law crept in so that the offense would increase. But where sin increased, grace increased even more,

For when he died, he died once and for all as far as sin is concerned. But now that he is alive, he lives for God.

In the same way, you too must continuously consider yourselves dead as far as sin is concerned, but living for God through the Messiah Jesus.

For sin will not have mastery over you, because you are not under Law but under grace.

What, then, does this mean? Should we go on sinning because we are not under Law but under grace? Of course not!

But thank God that, though you were once slaves of sin, you became obedient from your hearts to that form of teaching with which you were entrusted!

But now that you have been freed from sin and have become God's slaves, the benefit you reap is sanctification, and the result is eternal life.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in union with the Messiah Jesus our Lord.

For a married woman is bound by the Law to her husband while he is living, but if her husband dies, she is released from the Law concerning her husband.

So while her husband is living, she will be called an adulterer if she lives with another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from this Law, so that she is not an adulterer if she marries another man.

But now we have been released from the Law by dying to what enslaved us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit, not under the old writings.

But sin seized the opportunity provided by this commandment and produced in me all kinds of sinful desires, since apart from the Law, sin is dead.

At one time I was alive without any connection to the Law. But when the rule was revealed, sin sprang to life,

Now, did something good bring me death? Of course not! But in order that sin might be recognized as being sin, it used something good to cause my death, so that through the rule, sin might become more exposed as being sinful than ever before.

For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am merely human, sold as a slave to sin.

I don't understand what I am doing. For I don't practice what I want to do, but instead do what I hate.

As it is, I am no longer the one who is doing it, but it is the sin that is living in me.

For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but I cannot carry it out.

For I don't do the good I want to do, but instead do the evil that I don't want to do.

But if I do what I don't want to do, I am no longer the one who is doing it, but it is the sin that is living in me.

but I see in my body a different principle waging war with the Law in my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin that exists in my body.

so that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not live according to human nature but according to the Spirit.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

To focus our minds on the human nature leads to death, but to focus our minds on the Spirit leads to life and peace.

You, however, are not under the control of the human nature but under the control of the Spirit, since God's Spirit lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of the Messiah, he does not belong to him.

But if the Messiah is in you, your bodies are dead due to sin, but the spirit is alive due to righteousness.

For if you live according to human nature, you are going to die, but if by the Spirit you continuously put to death the activities of the body, you will live.

However, not only the creation, but we who have the first fruits of the Spirit also groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

But if we hope for what we do not yet observe, we eagerly wait for it with patience.

In the same way, the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, since we do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words,

The one who did not spare his own Son, but offered him as a sacrifice for all of us, surely will give us all things, along with his Son, won't he?

As it is written, "For your sake we are being put to death all day long. We are thought of as sheep headed for slaughter."

That is, it is not merely the children born through natural descent who were regarded as God's children, but it is the children born through the promise who were regarded as descendants.

Not only that, but Rebecca became pregnant by our ancestor Isaac.

Yet before their children had been born or had done anything good or bad (so that God's plan of election might continue to operate

So it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

Therefore, God's choice does not depend on a person's will or effort, but on God himself, who shows mercy.

including us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but from the gentiles as well?

But Israel, who pursued righteousness based on the Law, did not achieve the Law.

Why not? Because they did not pursue it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on achievements. They stumbled over the stone that causes people to stumble.

For I can testify on their behalf that they have a zeal for God, but it is not in keeping with full knowledge.

But the righteousness that comes from faith says, "Do not say in your heart, "Who will go up to heaven?' (that is, to bring the Messiah down),

But what does it say? "The message is near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart." This is the message about faith that we are proclaiming:

But not everyone has obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah asks, "Lord, who has believed our message?"

But I ask, "Didn't they hear?" Certainly they did! In fact, "Their voice has gone out into the whole world, and their words to the ends of the earth."

But about Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and rebellious people."

But what was the divine reply to him? "I have reserved for myself 7,000 people who have not knelt to worship Baal."

But if this is by grace, then it is no longer on the basis of actions. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.

What, then, does this mean? It means that Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking, but the selected group obtained it while the rest were hardened.

As it is written, "To this day God has put them into deep sleep. Their eyes do not see, and their ears do not hear."

For if their rejection results in reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance bring but life from the dead?

do not boast about being better than the other branches. If you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

That's right! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you remain only because of faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid!

Consider, then, the kindness and severity of God: his severity toward those who fell, but God's kindness toward you if you continue receiving his kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off.

As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake, but as far as election is concerned, they are loved for the sake of their ancestors.

For just as you disobeyed God in the past but now have received his mercy because of their disobedience,

Do not be conformed to this world, but continuously be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God's will is what is proper, pleasing, and perfect.

For we have many parts in one body, but these parts do not all have the same function.

Live in harmony with each other. Do not be arrogant, but associate with humble people. Do not think that you are wiser than you really are.

Do not pay anyone back evil for evil, but focus your thoughts on what is right in the sight of all people.

Do not take revenge, dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath. For it is written, "Vengeance belongs to me. I will pay them back, declares the Lord."

But "if your enemy is hungry, feed him. For if he is thirsty, give him a drink. If you do this, you will pile burning coals on his head."

Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

For the authorities are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you like to live without being afraid of the authorities? Then do what is right, and you will receive their approval.

But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for it is not without reason that they bear the sword. Indeed, they are God's servants to administer punishment to anyone who does wrong. Therefore, it is necessary for you to be acquiescent to the authorities, not only for the sake of God's punishment, but also for the sake of your own conscience.

The night is almost over, and the day is near. Let's therefore put aside the actions of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Accept anyone who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of arguing over differences of opinion.

Therefore, let's no longer criticize each other. Instead, make up your mind not to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

I know and have been persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in and of itself, but it is unclean to a person who thinks it is unclean.

For God's kingdom does not consist of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy produced by the Holy Spirit.

Do not destroy God's action for the sake of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong to make another person stumble because of what you eat.

But the person who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not act in faith; and anything that is not done in faith is sin.

But now, having no further opportunities in these regions, I want to come to you, as I've desired to do for many years.

So when I have completed this task and have put my seal on this contribution of theirs, I will visit you on my way to Spain.

because such people are not serving the Messiah our Lord, but their own desires. By their smooth talk and flattering words they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.

For your obedience has become known to everyone, and I am full of joy for you. But I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

but now has been made known through the prophets to all the gentiles, in keeping with the decree of the eternal God to bring them to the obedience that springs from faith