And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come to you (and was hindered hitherto), that I might have some fruit in you also, even as in the rest of the gentiles.

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek

because, having known God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor did they give thanks; but they became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened.

And, as they did not approve the holding of God in their knowledge, God delivered them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not becoming;

who, indeed, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with those who practice them.

Or, do you despise the riches of His kindness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God is leading you to repentance?

but to those who are contentious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there shall be wrath and indignation,

for not the hearers of law are righteous before God, but the doers shall be justified;

you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that men should not steal, do you steal?

You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

If, therefore, the uncircumcision keep the ordinances of the law, shall not his uncircumcision he reckoned for circumcision?

And shall not the uncircumcision that is by nature, if it fulfills the law, judge you, with the letter and circumcision, to be a transgressor of the law?

For he is not a Jew, who is one outwardly; nor is that circumcision, which is outward in flesh;

but he is a Jew, who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in spirit, not in letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God.

May it not be! But let God be true, and every man a liar; as it has been written, "That Thou mayest be justified in Thy words; and mayest overcome, when Thou judgest."

It could not be! for, then, how shall God judge the world?

And why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), "Let us do evil that good may come?" whose condemnation is just.

What, then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we before charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;

as it has been written, "There is none righteous, no not one;

they have all turned aside, they together became unprofitable; there is none that does good, there is not so much as one;

and the ways of peace have they not known;

Or is He the God of Jews only? Is He not of gentiles also! Yes, of gentiles also;

Do we, then, make void the law through faith? It could not be! Yea, we establish the law.

For, if Abraham was justified by works, he has ground of boasting, but not toward God.

Now to him that works the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt;

but to him that works not, but believes on Him Who justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.

Happy is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin."

How, then, was it reckoned? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

and father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham, which he had in uncircumcision.

For, not through law, was the promise to Abraham, or to his seed, that he should be heir of the world, but it was through the righteousness of faith.

For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

(as it has been written, "A father of many nations have I made you"), before God Whom he believed, Who maketh alive the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were;

And, being not weakened in faith, he attentively considered his own body already dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb;

but, in view of the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but was made strong in faith, giving glory to God,

Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned to him;

And not only so, but we also rejoice in our tribulations; knowing that tribulation works out patience;

and hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the holy Spirit, Who was given to us.

and not only so, but we are rejoicing in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we now received the reconciliation.

for until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not reckoned, when there is no law:

but yet death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who sinned not after the likeness of Adam's transgression, who is a type of Him Who was to come.

But not as the trespass, so also is the free gift; for, if by the trespass of the one, the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the One Man, Christ Jesus, abound to the many.

And not as through one that sinned, so is the gift; for, indeed, the judgment came of one trespass unto condemnation; but the free gift came of many trespasses unto justification.

It could not be! How shall we, who died to sin, live any longer therein?

Let not sin, therefore, reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey its desires;

For sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under law, but under grace.

What, then? May we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? It could not be!

Know ye not that to whom ye present yourselves as slaves for obedience, his slaves ye are whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or obedience unto righteousness?

But now we have been fully discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

What, then, shall we say? Is the law sin? It could not be! But I had not known sin, except through law; for I would not know even coveting, if the law did not say, "You shall not covet;"

Did, then, that which is good become death to me? It could not be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good; that sin, through the commandment, might become exceedingly sinful.

For what I accomplish, I know not; for not what I wish, this do I practice; but what I hate, this I do.

But, if what I wish not, this I do, I consent to the law that it is good.

For I know that there dwells not in me, that is, in my flesh, any good; for to wish is present with me: but to do that which is good a not.

For the good that I wish, I do not; but the evil which I wish not, this I practice.

But, if what I wish not, this I do, it is no more I that perform it, but the sin that is dwelling in me.

that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither, indeed, can it be;

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if, indeed, the Spirit of God is dwelling in you. And, if any one has not the spirit of Christ, he is not His.

Accordingly, then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh;

For ye did not receive a spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received a spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, "Abba, Father."

For the creation was made subject to vanity, not of choice, but by reason of Him Who subjected it, in hope

and, not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruit of the Spirit, even we ourselves are groaning within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

For by hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for that which he sees?

But, if we hope for that which we see not, we wait for it with patience.

And, in like manner, the Spirit also helpeth our weakness; for we know not what to pray for as we ought; but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

He Who spared not His Own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

I am speaking a truth in Christ?? am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit??2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart

But it is not as though the word of God has failed: for they are not all Israel, who are of Israel;

That is, the children of the flesh are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed.

And not only so; but Rebecca also having conceived by one, even by our father Isaac

(for, the children being not yet born, nor having done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him Who calleth),

What, then, shall we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? It could not be!

So, then, it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God Who hath mercy.

Or has not the potter a right over the clay, out of the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?

whom He also called, not from Jews only, but also from gentiles?

As He saith in Hosea, "I will call that My people, which was not My people; and her, 'Beloved,' who was not beloved.

And it shall be that in the place where it was said, 'Ye are not My people,' there shall they be called sons of the living God."

What, then, shall we say? that gentiles who were not following after righteous obtained righteousness, but a righteousness which is of faith;

but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not attain to such a law.

Wherefore? because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by works. They stumbled at the Stone of stumbling;

as it has been written, "Behold, I lay in Zion a Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offense; and he that believes on Him shall not be put to shame."

For I testify for them, that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge;

for, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God;

but the righteousness which is of faith speaks thus: "Say not in your heart, who shall ascend up into Heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down);

For the Scripture says, "Whosoever believes on Him shall not be put to shame."

How, then, shall they call on Him in Whom they believed not? and how shall they believe on Him of Whom they heard not? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

But they did not all obey the glad tidings. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who believed our report?"

But I say, did they not hear? Yes, verily, "Their sound went out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited earth."

But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says, "I will provoke you to rivalry by that which is no nation; by a nation void of understanding will I provoke you to anger."

But Isaiah is very bold, and says, "I was found by those who sought Me not; I became manifest to those who sought not after Me."

I say, then, did God cast off His people? It could not be! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

God did not cast off His people whom He foreknew. Or know ye not what the Scripture says of Elijah? how he pleads with God against Israel:

But what says the answer of God to him? "I left for Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal."

What, then? What Israel is seeking for, this he did not obtain; but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened;

as it has been written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this day."

let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back always."

I Say, then, did they stumble, that they might fall? It could not be! But by their trespass salvation has come to the gentiles to provoke them to rivalry.

boast not against the branches. But, if you boast, it is not you that bear the root; but the root, you.

Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, but you have been standing by faith. Do not cherish lofty thoughts; but fear.

For, if God spared not the natural branches, neither will He spare you.