To all in Rome who are dear to God and have been called to become Christ's People, From Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, who has been called to become an Apostle, and has been set apart to tell God's Good News.

By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith in all nations for his name, Among whom are ye also, the called of Jesus Christ:

Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:

to all those in Rome who are God's loved ones, called to be His people: spiritual blessing and peace be yours from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

For God is my witness, whose servant I am in spirit in the good news of his Son, that you are at all times in my memory and in my prayers,

For I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to them which are no Greeks, unto the learned and also unto the unlearned.

So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

For God's anger from heaven is being uncovered against all the impiety and wickedness of the men who in their wickedness are suppressing the truth;

because what should be known of God they are acquainted with; for God hath manifested it unto them.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

so that they are inexcusable; because having thus known God they glorified Him not as God, neither were they thankful; but were infatuated by their own reasonings, and their heart being void of understanding was darkened.

the honour due to God, who is immortal, they transferr'd to idols representing men, who are mortal, to birds, and beasts, and insects.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

because they overflow with every sort of evil-doing, wickedness, greed, and malice; they are full of envy, murder, quarreling, deceit, ill-will;

they are secret backbiters, open slanderers, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful; inventors of new forms of evil, undutiful to parents,

they do not have any sense; they do not keep their promises; they fail to show natural affection; and they are merciless.

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Therefore, you have no excuse, whoever you are, who pose as a judge of others, for when you pass judgment on another, you condemn yourself, for you who pose as a judge are practicing the very same sins yourself.

But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

And you, who pose as a judge of those who practice such sins and yet continue doing the same yourself, do you for once suppose that you are going to escape the judgment of God?

Or are you unaware of his rich kindness, forbearance, and patience, that it is God's kindness that is leading you to repent?

But in your stubbornness and impenitence of heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when the justice of God's judgments will be uncovered.

Unto them, on the one hand, who, by way of endurance in good work, are seeking, glory, honour and incorruption, life age-abiding,

But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

Trouble and sorrow on all whose works are evil, to the Jew first and then to the Greek;

But glory and honour and peace to all whose works are good, to the Jew first and then to the Greek:

For as many as have sinned without the law shall perish without the law, and as many as have sinned with the law shall be judged by the law,??13 for not the hearers of the law are righteous with God, but the doers of the law shall be justified;

(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

for they show that the deeds the law demands are written on their hearts, because their consciences will testify for them, and their inner thoughts will either accuse or defend them,

But [what] if you are called a Jew and rest on the law, and boast of God,

And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;

And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,

a light to them that are in the darkness, an instructor of the simple, a teacher of babes, having the form of the knowledge and of the truth which is in the law.

You who are preaching that a man should not steal, do you practise theft?

You who say that a man may not be untrue to his wife, are you true to yours? you who are a hater of images, do you do wrong to the house of God?

You who take pride in the law, are you doing wrong to the honour of God by behaviour which is against the law?

For, “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written [in Scripture].

For circumcision indeed is profitable if you perform the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.

So if people who are uncircumcised observe the requirements of the Law, will they not be treated as though they were circumcised?

And shall not the heathen man who is physically uncircumcised, and yet observes the law, condemn you who have the letter of the law and are physically circumcised, and yet break the law?

They are great from every point of view. In the first place, the Jews are entrusted with the utterances of God.

Of course not! God is true, even if everyone else is a liar. As it is written, "You are right when you speak, and win your case when you go into court."

But if our wrongdoing brings out the uprightness of God, what are we to say? Is it wrong in God (I am putting it in ordinary human terms) to inflict punishment?

and not, as we are evil spoken of, and as certain affirm us to say -- 'We may do the evil things, that the good ones may come?' whose judgment is righteous.

What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Their throats are just like open graves, with their tongues they have spoken treachery; the poison of asps is under their lips.

Their mouths are full of bitter cursing.

Their feet are swift to shed blood:

Destruction and misery are in their ways:

Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

but it is a righteousness of God which comes by believing in Jesus Christ. And it is meant for all who have faith. No distinctions are drawn.

for all did sin, and are come short of the glory of God --

By his grace they are justified freely through the redemption that is in the Messiah Jesus,

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

since God [is] one, who will justify {those who are circumcised} by faith and {those who are uncircumcised} through faith.

Then what are we to say about our forefather Abraham?

For what are the words of Scripture? 'Abraham had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.'

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

Just as David himself describes the bliss of the man who has righteousness counted to him by God apart from what he does ??7 Blessed are they whose breaches of the Law are forgiven, whose sins are covered!

"Happy are they whose transgressions have been forgiven, whose sins were covered up;

Therefore, [is] this blessing for {those who are circumcised}, or also for {those who are uncircumcised}? For we say, "Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness."

And he received the sign of circumcision [as] a seal of the righteousness by faith which [he had] {while uncircumcised}, so that he could be the father of all who believe {although they are uncircumcised}, so that righteousness could be credited to them,

And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

Therefore by faith is the inheritance given, that it might come of favour: and that the promise might be sure to all the seed. Not to them only which are of the law: but also to them which are of the faith of Abraham, which is the father of us all.

(as it is written, "I have made thee a father of many nations,") in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not as if they were:

it was for our sakes too. Faith, before long, will be placed to the credit of us also who are believers in Him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead,

Because therefore that we are justified by faith we are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

by whom also we have had an introduction through faith into this grace in which we have stood fast, and are rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.

And not only so, but we are actually exulting also even in our troubles; for we know that trouble works fortitude,

And hope does not put to shame; because our hearts are full of the love of God through the Holy Spirit which is given to us.

Much more then, now seeing we are justified in his blood, shall we be saved from wrath through him.

For if, when we were haters of God, the death of his Son made us at peace with him, much more, now that we are his friends, will we have salvation through his life;

And not only so, but we are also boasting in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom now we did receive the reconciliation;

It is true sin was in the world before the Law was given, and men are not charged with sin where there is no law.

But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many are dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded to many.

for if by the offence of the one the death did reign through the one, much more those, who the abundance of the grace and of the free gift of the righteousness are receiving, in life shall reign through the one -- Jesus Christ.

Therefore as by one offence all men fell under condemnation: even so by one act of righteousness, all men are restored to life.

What is our conclusion then? Are we to continue to sin for His unmerited favor to multiply?

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

are ye ignorant that we, as many as were baptized to Christ Jesus, to his death were baptized?

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we are become identified with him in the likeness of his death, so also we shall be of his resurrection;

for by its being dead, we are set free from sin.

But if we are dead with Christ, we have faith that we will be living with him;

Likewise, imagine ye also, that ye are dead concerning sin: but are alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

For sin must not any longer exert its mastery over you, for now you are not living as slaves to law but as subjects to God's favor.

What are we to conclude? Are we to keep on sinning, because we are not living as slaves to law but as subjects to God's favor? Never!

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

and being set free from sin, ye are become the servants of righteousness.

What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

But now that you have been set free from sin and become slaves of God, the harvest-fruit which you are reaping tends to produce holiness, and it ends is life eternal.

The wages of Sin are Death, but the gift of God is Immortal Life, through union with Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Do you not know, brothers -- for I speak to those who are acquainted with the law -- that the law can press its claim over a man only so long as he lives?

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

for when we were in the flesh, the passions of the sins, that are through the law, were working in our members, to bear fruit to the death;

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.