First of all, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for what He has done for all of you; for the report of your faith is spreading through the whole world.

What I mean is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.

I owe what service I can do to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians, to the learned, and to the illiterate.

For there is a revelation of the wrath of God from heaven against all the wrongdoing and evil thoughts of men who keep down what is true by wrongdoing;

Because what is known of God is manifest among them, for God has manifested it to them,

For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse.

For they had bartered the reality of God for what is unreal, and had offered divine honours and religious service to created things, rather than to the Creator--He who is for ever blessed. Amen.

This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions. For even their females exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.

Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error.

And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong.

Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whosoever you are that judge: for in what you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you that judge do the same things.

But you who are judging another for doing what you do yourself, are you hoping that God's decision will not take effect against you?

For he will repay everyone according to what that person has done:

To the ones who continue doing what is good and who look for glory, honor and immortal life [God will give] never ending life.

But to those who, from a love of competition, are not guided by what is true, will come the heat of his wrath,

tribulation and anguish - against every soul of man who worketh out what is base, both of Jew first and of Greek, -

whereas glory, honour and peace will be given to every one who does what is good and right--to the Jew first and then to the Gentile.

When Gentiles, who do not have the Law [since it was given only to Jews], do instinctively the things the Law requires [guided only by their conscience], they are a law to themselves, though they do not have the Law.

They show that what the Law requires is written in their hearts, a fact to which their own consciences testify, and their thoughts will either accuse or excuse them

on the day when God judges what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.

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

and [if you claim to] know His will and approve the things that are essential or have a sense of what is excellent, based on your instruction from the Law,

A teacher of the foolish, having in the law the form of knowledge and of what is true;

well then, you who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal [in ways that are discrete, but just as sinful]?

You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob [pagan] temples [of valuable idols and offerings]?

For he is not a Jew in what is visible, nor is circumcision in what is visible, in flesh,

but he is a Jew in what is hidden, and circumcision is of the heart, in spirit not a document, whose praise is not from men but from God.

What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?

For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

Certainly not! Let God be found true [as He will be], though every person be found a liar, just as it is written [in Scripture],

“That You may be justified in Your words,
And prevail when You are judged [by sinful men].”

But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)

And why should we not say, "Let us do what is wrong so something good will come from it," as some people slanderously claim that we are saying? These people deserve to be condemned.

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;

as it is written [Psa. 14:1ff; 53:1ff], "No one [always] does what is right; not even one person.

Not one who has the knowledge of what is right, not one who is a searcher after God;

All have turned aside from the right path; they have every one of them become corrupt. There is no one who does what is right--no, not so much as one."

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 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.

This is because no human being can be considered right with God by [obeying] the requirements of a law. [Note: It is difficult to determine the exact sense in which "law" is used in these verses. It may be law generally, or the law of Moses specifically. See Bruce, pages 52-58]. For the knowledge of what sin is comes from the law of Moses.

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

This, that if 'Abraham was justified on the score of what he did,' he has something to be proud of. But not to be proud of before God.

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

Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.

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!

Does this happiness apply to those who are circumcised, or to those who are uncircumcised as well? What we say is, Abraham's faith was credited to him as uprightness.

What then were the circumstances under which this took place? Was it after he had been circumcised, or before?

(What the Law produces is the Wrath, not the promise of God; where there is no law, there is no transgression either.)

As Scripture says-'I have made thee the Father of many nations.') And this they do in the sight of that God in whom Abraham had faith, and who gives life to the dead, and speaks of what does not yet exist as if it did.

who against hope believed in hope, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was said, "so will your descendants be."

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

What follows? This comparison. Through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin death, and so death passed to all mankind in turn, in that all sinned.

Nor can the free gift be compared to what came through the man who sinned. For the sentence that followed one man's offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift brought justification, even after many offenses.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

Know ye not, that to what ye present yourselves as bondmen for obedience, ye are bondmen to what ye obey, whether of sin for death, or of obedience for righteousness?

Thank God, though you did serve sin, you have rendered whole-hearted obedience to what you were taught under the rule of faith;

And when you were freed from [the practice of] sin, you became slaves to doing what is right.

I am using words in the way of men, because your flesh is feeble: as you gave your bodies as servants to what is unclean, and to evil to do evil, so now give them as servants to righteousness to do what is holy.

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

For the reward of sin is death; but what God freely gives is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Surely, Brothers, you know (for I am speaking to men who know what Law means) that Law has power over a man only as long as he lives.

When we were living in the flesh [trapped by sin], the sinful passions, which were awakened by [that which] the Law [identifies as sin], were at work in our body to bear fruit for death [since the willingness to sin led to death and separation from God].

But now we have been released from the Law and its penalty, having died [through Christ] to that by which we were held captive, so that we serve [God] in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter [of the Law].

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.

So, through that commandment, sin found an opportunity to produce in my heart all kinds of improper desires for what belonged to others. For until there was the law, sin was dead [i.e., it did not stimulate excitement and activity as much].

Therefore, [did that which is] good become death to me? May it never be! Rather [it was] sin, in order that it might be recognized [as] sin, producing death through [what is] good for me, in order that sin might become sinful to an extraordinary degree through the commandment.

For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

But if what I would not, that I do, I consent unto the law that it is good.

For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. For the willingness [to do good] is present in me, but the doing of good is not.

For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

But if what I would not, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me.

I find then the law upon me who will to practise what is right, that with me evil is there.

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this dying body?

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 those people who are [controlled] by the flesh think about [i.e., desire] what the flesh wants; but those who are [controlled] by the Holy Spirit [desire] what the Holy Spirit wants.

For, what is preferred by the flesh, is death, whereas, what is preferred by the spirit, is life and peace; -

Inasmuch as, what is preferred by the flesh, is hostile towards God, for, unto the law of God, it doth not submit itself, neither in fact can it. -

For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us!

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

But if what we see not we hope, we expect in patience.

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

We know that in everything God works with those who love him, whom he has called in accordance with his purpose, to bring about what is good.

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be 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].

Who [i.e., what] can separate us from Christ's love [for us]? [i.e., what unfortunate circumstance of life might suggest that Christ does not love us?] Would [it be] trouble? Or distress? Or persecution? Or inadequate food? Or inadequate clothing? Or danger? Or [even] death?

nor [things] above, nor [things] below, nor any [other] created thing will be able to separate us from God's love [for us], revealed through Christ Jesus our Lord [Note: The idea of this passage is "Regardless of what happens to us, God still loves us"].

I say what is true in Christ, and not what is false, my mind giving witness with me in the Holy Spirit,

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

and though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything either good or bad, so that God’s purpose [His choice, His election] would stand, not because of works [done by either child], but because of [the plan of] Him who calls them,

For even before the twins were born, and therefore had not done anything good or bad, Rebecca was told [Gen. 25:23], "The older one [i.e., Esau] will serve the younger one [i.e., Jacob]." This was so that God's purpose of choosing and calling [whomever He wanted to] might prevail, instead of [it depending on] what a person did.

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

So then, it does not depend on what a person wants or does, but on God, who shows pity [i.e., to whomever He wants].

But you [i.e., probably an objecting Jew] will say to me, "Why does God still find fault [with people]? For who can [successfully] resist what God wants to do?"

On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers [arrogantly] back to God and dares to defy Him? Will the thing which is formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”

A potter has the right to do what he wants to with his clay, doesn't he? He can make something for a special occasion or something for ordinary use from the same lump of clay.

What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

And what if He has done so to make known the riches of His glory to the objects of His mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory,