Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative), set apart for [preaching] the gospel of God [the good news of salvation],

Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

who was of the seed of David, according to the flesh, But declared the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead,

For in it there is the revelation of the righteousness of God from faith to faith: as it is said in the holy Writings, The man who does righteousness will be living by his faith.

and in the same way also the men turned away from the natural function of the woman and were consumed with their desire toward one another, men with men committing shameful acts and in return receiving in their own bodies the inevitable and appropriate penalty for their wrongdoing.

You are therefore without excuse, O man, whoever you are who sit in judgement upon others. For when you pass judgement on your fellow man, you condemn yourself; for you who sit in judgement upon others are guilty of the same misdeeds;

And do you suppose, when you sit in judgment upon those who do such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?

For it is not the hearers of the law [who are] righteous in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous.

For the name of God is shamed among the Gentiles because of you, as it is said in the holy Writings.

although he is a Gentile by birth, if he scrupulously obeys the Law, shall he not sit in judgement upon you who, possessing, as you do, a written Law and circumcision, are yet a Law-breaker?

In no way: but let God be true, though every man is seen to be untrue; as it is said in the Writings, That your words may be seen to be true, and you may be seen to be right when you are judged.

But if the righteousness of God is supported by our wrongdoing what is to be said? is it wrong for God to be angry (as men may say)?

Let us not do evil so that good may come (a statement which we are falsely said by some to have made), because such behaviour will have its right punishment.

As it is said in the holy Writings, There is not one who does righteousness;

Their throat is like an open place of death; with their tongues they have said what is not true: the poison of snakes is under their lips:

Now we know that everything said in the Law is addressed to those who are under its authority, in order that every mouth may be closed, and the whole world become liable to the judgment of God.

Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

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;

If Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory: but he hath not in the sight of God.

For what does Scripture say? And Abraham believed God, and it was set down to his account as righteousness.

He said [Psa. 32:1ff], "Those people whose ungodly deeds are forgiven [by God] and whose sins are covered over, are [truly] blessed.

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

Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might 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,

who is father of us all (according as it hath been written -- 'A father of many nations I have set thee,') before Him whom he did believe -- God, who is quickening the dead, and is calling the things that be not as being.

Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

Now, it was not because of him only that this was said,

(for all the time before the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not set to ones account when there is no law.

Now the law came in as a side issue, in order that the trespass could increase, but where sin increased, grace was present in greater abundance,

For this we know, that our old self was crucified with Christ, in order that the slave of sin might be destroyed; so that we should no longer be in slavery to sin??7 for he who is dead is set free from sin.

for he who hath died hath been set free from the sin.

And having been set free from sin, you have become the slaves of righteousness [of conformity to God’s will and purpose].

But now since you have been set free from sin and have become [willing] slaves to God, you have your benefit, resulting in sanctification [being made holy and set apart for God’s purpose], and the outcome [of this] is eternal life.

For the married woman was bound by law to the living husband. But if the husband is dead, she is set free from the law of her husband.

for when we were in the carnal state of the law, the sinful passions of that state set our animal faculties to work in the service of death.

But now we having been set free 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 shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

But if I do that which I desire not to do, it can no longer be said that it is I who do it, but the sin which has its home within me does it.

Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and of death.

so that the requirement of the law might be fully met in us who do not live by the standard set by our lower nature, but by the standard set by the Spirit.

For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose].

For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace.

For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so.

So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but not to our flesh [our human nature, our worldliness, our sinful capacity], to live according to the [impulses of the] flesh [our nature without the Holy Spirit]—

And I account the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be set against the glory that shall be revealed to us.

that the creature itself also shall be set free from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.

It is *in hope* that we have been saved. But an object of hope is such no longer when it is present to view; for when a man has a thing before his eyes, how can he be said to hope for it?

And He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

For those on whom He set His heart beforehand He marked off as His own to be made like His Son, that He might be the eldest of many brothers;

What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us?

Who condemns [us]? Certainly not Jesus, for He is the One who died [i.e., to save us], and what is more, He was raised from the dead and is [now] at the right side of God. He also goes [to God] on our behalf [i.e., as we pray].

As it is said in the holy Writings, Because of you we are put to death every day; we are like sheep ready for destruction.

Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

For this is what the promise said: “About this time [next year] I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.”

And not only this, but Rebecca also being with child by one, by our father Isaac??11 for the children not yet being born, nor having done any thing good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might continue, not of works but of him that calls,??12 it was said to her that the older shall serve the younger;

(for they being not yet born, neither having done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to choice, might remain; not of works, but of Him who is calling,) it was said to her --

It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

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

What may we say then? is God not upright? let it not be said.

For he said to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

And from this we learn that everything is dependent not on man's will or endeavour, but upon God who has mercy. For the Scripture said to Pharaoh,

For the Scripture said to Pharaoh [Ex. 9:16], "I raised you up [to be a ruler] for the very purpose of demonstrating my power in your life and that my name might be made known throughout the entire world."

God said this also, in Hosea [2:23], "I [i.e., God] will call those people mine who were not [previously] my people. And [I will call] her 'dearly loved' who was not [previously] loved."

And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

As it is said, See, I am putting in Zion a stone causing a fall, and a rock in the way: but he who has faith in him will not be put to shame.

for not knowing God's righteousness, and seeking to set up their righteousness, they have not submitted themselves to God's righteousness.

Moses said that anyone who carried out the uprightness the Law prescribed would find life through it.

Because it is said in the holy Writings, Whoever has faith in him will not be shamed.

And how will there be preachers if they are not sent? As it is said, How beautiful are the feet of those who give the glad news of good things.

But not everyone [of the Israelites] obeyed [that] good news. For Isaiah said [Isa. 53:1], "Lord, who has believed our message?"

But I ask, “Did Israel not understand?” First, Moses said:

I will make you jealous
of those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation
that lacks understanding.

Then Isaiah boldly said [Isa. 45:1], "I [i.e., God] was found by a people [i.e., the Gentiles] who were not looking for me. I became known to people who were not asking for me."

But Isaiah said about the Israelites [Isa. 40:2], "I reached out all day long to [help] people who disobeyed and spoke against [me]."

I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

God has not put away the people of his selection. Or have you no knowledge of what is said about Elijah in the holy Writings? how he says words to God against Israel,

but what said the oracle to him? "I have reserved to my self seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal."

As it was said in the holy Writings, God gave them a spirit of sleep, eyes which might not see, and ears which have no hearing, to this day.

And King David said [Psa. 69:22-23], "Let their table ensnare and trap them [i.e., let the Jews' devotion to such things as lavish feasts become the occasion for leading them astray], and become an occasion for their falling [away from God]. And let them be repaid [for such conduct with punishment].

Well said! They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand firm because of faith. Do not think arrogant [thoughts], but be afraid.

For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you will not be wise {in your own sight}, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,

And so all Israel will get salvation: as it is said in the holy Writings, There will come out of Zion the One who makes free; by him wrongdoing will be taken away from Jacob:

And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].

For I say, through the grace given to me, to every one who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. But set your mind to be right-minded, even as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.

In brotherly love, be affectionate to one another; in showing respect, set an example of deference to one another;

Be happy with those who are joyful. Cry with those who are sad.

Be of the same mind one toward another. Set not your mind on high things, but condescend to things that are lowly. Be not wise in your own conceits.

Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

Do not give punishment for wrongs done to you, dear brothers, but give way to the wrath of God; for it is said in the holy Writings, Punishment is mine, I will give reward, says the Lord.

Let every soul be subject to the authorities that are above him. For there is no authority except from God; and those that exist are set up by God.

so that anyone who resists the authorities sets himself against what God has established, and those who set themselves against Him will get the penalty due them.

Do not put on one side him who is feeble in faith, and do not put him in doubt by your reasonings.

Let not him that eateth set at nought him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.

But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

For it is said in the holy Writings, By my life, says the Lord, to me every knee will be bent, and every tongue will give worship to God.

On your part, you must exercise your faith by the standard of yourself in the sight of God. Happy is the man who need not condemn himself for doing the thing that he approves.

It is the duty of us who are strong to put up with the weaknesses of those who are immature, and not just suit ourselves.

For Christ did not give pleasure to himself, but, as it is said, The bitter words of those who were angry with you came on me.

And so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercy; as it is said, For this reason I will give praise to you among the Gentiles, and I will make a song to your name.