[This letter is from] Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, [who was] called to be an apostle, [and] set apart for [preaching] the Gospel of God.

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

and was declared by the resurrection from the dead to be the powerful Son of God according to the spirit of holiness Jesus the Messiah, our Lord.

It was through Jesus, and for His name's sake, that we [i.e., I] received God's favor to become an apostle, in order to bring about obedience based on faith from among people of all nations.

Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

For whatever is to be known of God is plain to them; God himself has made it plain ??20 for ever since the world was created, his invisible nature, his everlasting power and divine being, have been quite perceptible in what he has made. So they have no excuse.

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

And by them the glory of the eternal God was changed and made into the image of man who is not eternal, and of birds and beasts and things which go on the earth.

for they had utterly transformed the reality of God into what was unreal, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

For this cause God gave them up to dishonourable passions. For even their women did change the natural use into that which was contrary to nature;

And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

And just as they had refused to continue to have a full knowledge of God, so it was to utterly worthless minds that God gave them up, for them to do things which should not be done.

Surely, very much. First: unto them was committed the word of God.

But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak as a man;??6 by no means;??ince [if he was] how shall God judge the world?

What follows, then? Are we Jews in any way superior to others? Not at all. Our indictment against both Jews and Greeks was that all alike were in subjection to sin.

For God showed him publicly dying as a sacrifice of reconciliation to be taken advantage of through faith. This was to vindicate his own justice (for in his forbearance, God passed over men's former sins)??26 to vindicate his justice at the present time, and show that he is upright himself, and that he makes those who have faith in Jesus upright also.

This was also to demonstrate his righteousness in the present time, so that he would be just and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus' faithfulness.

So where has human boasting gone? It was completely shut out. On what principle? On that of doing something? No, but on the principle of faith.

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather humanly speaking, has found? [Has he obtained a favored standing?]

For if he was considered in right standing with God on the condition of what he did, he has something to boast of, but not before God.

For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

Even King David also spoke of the blessing experienced by the person who was considered righteous by God apart from doing good deeds.

Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

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

Afterward he received the mark of circumcision as God's seal of his right standing with Him on condition of faith which he had before he was circumcised, that he might be the forefather of all who have faith while still uncircumcised, that they might have their faith credited to them as right standing with God;

and the forefather of those Jews who not only belong to the circumcision but also follow in the footsteps of our forefather Abraham in the faith he had before he was circumcised.

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.

For if they of the law, heirs, faith was made void, and the promise left inactive:

Therefore the inheritance was made to depend on faith, that it might be a matter of grace; that the promise might be sure to all the offspring, not to that only which is under the Law, but to that also which hath the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

(as it is written [in Scripture], “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the sight of Him in whom he believed, that is, God who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.

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.

And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

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

it was for our sakes too, for it is going to be credited to us who put our faith in God who raised from the dead our Lord Jesus,

Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

and hope putteth not to shame; because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us.

Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and so came upon all men because all sinned,??13 for till the law there was sin in the world, but sin is not accounted where there is no law

(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

And yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the way Adam had, against a positive command. For Adam was a figure of Him who was to come.

But the gift is not like as the sin. For if, through the sin of one, many be dead: much more plenteous, upon many, was the grace of God and gift by grace: which grace was given by one man, Jesus Christ.

And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

For, if by the wrongdoing of one, death was ruling through the one, much more will those to whom has come the wealth of grace and the giving of righteousness, be ruling in life through the one, even Jesus Christ.

Therefore as by the offence of one the effect of it was upon all men to condemnation: so also by the righteousness of one, the effect was upon all men to justification of life.

For, as through the disobedience of the one man the whole race was rendered sinful, so, too, through the obedience of the one, the whole race will be rendered righteous.

For the law supervened that the fall might abound; but where the sin abounded the grace was superabundant,

This was so that just as sin ruled [over mankind], causing [physical] death, even so God's unearned favor would rule [over mankind], providing [them with] righteousness, and leading to never ending life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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 we know that our former self was crucified with Him, to make our body that is liable to sin inactive, so that we might not a moment longer continue to be slaves to sin.

for he that died was justified from sin.

for we know that Christ, who once was raised from the dead, will never die again; death has no more power over Him.

For his death was a death to sin, but his life now is a life which he is living to God.

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free so far as doing right was concerned.

So what fruit was produced then from the things you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death.

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.

So, my brothers, you too in the body of Christ have ended your relation to the law, so that you may be married to another husband, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

What are we then to conclude? Is the law sin? Of course not! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I should not have learned what sin was, for I should not have known what an evil desire was, if the law had not said, "You must not have an evil desire."

But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

For I was tricked and put to death by sin, which took its chance through the law.

Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

So that what was ordered by the law might be done in us, who are living, not in the way of the flesh, but in the way of the Spirit.

For you did not get the spirit of servants again to put you in fear, but the spirit of sons was given to you, by which we say, Abba, Father.

For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

Yet there was always the hope that at last the Creation itself would also be set free from the thraldom of decay so as to enjoy the liberty that will attend the glory of the children of God.

It was in this hope that we were saved. But a hope that can be seen is not a hope, for who hopes for what he sees?

for whom he before approv'd, he predispos'd to follow the example of his son, who was to conduct them all as their elder brother;

who can condemn them? Christ Jesus who died, or rather, who was raised from the dead, is now at God's right hand, and is actually pleading for us.

for I was wishing, I myself, to be anathema from the Christ -- for my brethren, my kindred, according to the flesh,

Which are the Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants and the law that was given and the service of God, and the promises,

To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to His natural descent, came the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), He who is exalted and supreme over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

But it is not as if the word of God was without effect. For they are not all Israel, who are of Israel:

nor are they all children of Abraham, because they are his descendants, but the promise was "In the line of Isaac your descendants will I be counted."

For this was the word of promise; According to this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.

Not only that but this too: There was Rebecca who was impregnated by our forefather Isaac.

(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.

In Scripture, again, it is said to Pharaoh-'It was for this very purpose that I raised thee to the throne, to show my power by my dealings with thee, and to make my name known throughout the world.'

On the contrary, who are you mere man that you are to talk back to God? Can an object that was molded say to the one who molded it, "Why did you make me like this?"

What if God [did] patiently put up with people who deserved His wrath and [who were] ready for destruction, even though He was willing to demonstrate His wrath and power?

As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

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.

Then what do we conclude? That heathen who were not striving for uprightness attained it, that is, an uprightness which was produced by faith;

While Israel, which was in search of a Law which would ensure righteousness, failed to discover one.

Why? Because they were not searching for it by faith, but by works. They came up against the stone which was in the way;

for the end of the law was to bring men to Christ, that every one who believeth, might be justified.

For Moses describes the justice that was to be had by the law, thus : "the man who performeth the things here required, shall have life thereby."

Again I ask, "Did Israel not understand?" Moses was the first to say, "I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that doesn't understand."

But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.

'Lord, Thy prophets they did kill, and Thy altars they dug down, and I was left alone, and they seek my life;'

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

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 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.

I ask then--'Was their stumbling to result in their fall?' Heaven forbid! On the contrary, through their falling away Salvation has reached the Gentiles, to stir the rivalry of Israel.

But if the fall of them was the riches of the world, and the depletion of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?