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.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him. Instead, their thoughts turned to worthless things, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

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.

Therefore, you have no excuse every one of you who judges. For when you pass judgment on another person, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, practice the very same things.

Now we know that God's judgment against those who act like this is based on truth.

For it is not merely those who hear the Law who are righteous in God's sight. No, it is those who follow the Law, who will be justified.

Now if you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the Law, and boast about God,

and know his will, and approve of what is best because you have been instructed in the Law;

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.

No, a person is a Jew inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, brought about by the Spirit, not by a written law. That person's praise will come from God, not from people.

No one understands. No one searches for God.

All have turned away. They have become completely worthless. No one shows kindness, not even one person!

Now we know that whatever the Law says applies to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

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

God's righteousness through the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah for all who believe. For there is no distinction among people,

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.

Now does this blessedness come to the circumcised alone, or also to the uncircumcised? For we say, "Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness."

for the Law produces wrath. Now where there is no Law, neither can there be any violation of it.

His faith did not weaken when he thought about his own body (which was already as good as dead now that he was about a hundred years old) or about Sarah's inability to have children,

Now the words "it was credited to him" were written not only for him

Now this hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Now that we have been justified by his blood, how much more will we be saved from wrath through him!

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.

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

Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into union with the Messiah Jesus were baptized into his death?

Therefore, through baptism we were buried with him into his death so that, just as the Messiah was raised from the dead by the Father's glory, we too may live an entirely new life.

We know that our old natures were crucified with him so that our sin-laden bodies might be rendered powerless and we might no longer be slaves to sin.

Now if we have died with the Messiah, we believe that we will also live with him,

for we know that the Messiah, who was raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has mastery over him.

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.

Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

I am speaking in simple terms because of the frailty of your human nature. Just as you once offered the parts of your body as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater disobedience, so now, in the same way, you must offer the parts of your body as slaves to righteousness that leads to sanctification.

What benefit did you get from doing those things you are now ashamed of? For those things resulted in death.

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.

Don't you realize, brothers for I am speaking to people who know the Law that the Law can press its claims over a person only as long as he is alive?

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.

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.

Now if I practice what I don't want to do, I am admitting that the Law is good.

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.

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.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in union with the Messiah Jesus.

Now if we are children, we are heirs heirs of God and co-heirs with the Messiah if, in fact, we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

For we know that all the rest of creation has been groaning with the pains of childbirth up to the present time.

For we were saved with this hope in mind. Now a hope that can be observed is not really hope, for who hopes for what can be seen?

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,

And we know that for those who love God, that is, for those who are called according to his purpose, all things are working together for good.

Now it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all Israelis truly belong to Israel,

Now if God wants to demonstrate his wrath and reveal his power, can't he be extremely patient with the objects of his wrath that are made for destruction?

There is no difference between Jew and Greek, because they all have the same Lord, who gives richly to all who call on him.

God has not rejected his people whom he chose long ago. Do you not know what the Scripture says in the story about Elijah, when he pleads with God against Israel?

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

Now if their stumbling means riches for the world, and if their fall means riches for the gentiles, how much more will their full participation mean!

Now if some of the branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive branch, have been grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree,

For I want to let you know about this secret, brothers, so that you will not claim to be wiser than you are: Stubbornness has come to part of Israel until the full number of the gentiles comes to faith.

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

so they, too, have now disobeyed. As a result, they may receive mercy because of the mercy shown to you.

Every person must be subject to the governing authorities, for no authority exists except by God's permission. The existing authorities have been established by God,

This is necessary because you know the times it's already time for you to wake up from sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we became believers.

Let's behave decently, as people who live in the light of day. No wild parties, drunkenness, sexual immorality, promiscuity, quarreling, or jealousy!

For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself.

For it is written, "As certainly as I live, declares the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will praise God."

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 if your brother is being hurt by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not destroy the person for whom the Messiah died by what you eat.

As for the faith you do have, have it as your own conviction before God. How blessed is the person who has no reason to condemn himself because of what he approves!

Now we who are strong ought to be patient with the weaknesses of those who are not strong and must stop pleasing ourselves.

Now may God, the source of endurance and encouragement, allow you to live in harmony with each other as you follow the Messiah Jesus,

Now may God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace as you believe, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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

Now that I am on my way to Spain, I hope to see you when I come your way and, after I have enjoyed your company for a while, to be sent on by you.

Right now, however, I'm going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints,

And I know that when I come to you I will come with the full blessing of the Messiah.

Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and by the love that the Spirit produces, to join me in my struggle, earnestly praying to God for me

Now may the God who grants peace be with all of you! Amen.

Now I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess in the church at Cenchrea.

Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and sinful enticements that oppose the teaching you have learned. Stay away from them,

Now to the one who is able to strengthen you with my gospel and the message that I preach about Jesus, the Messiah, by revealing the secret that was kept hidden from long ago

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