PAUL, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart to the gospel of God,??2 which he promised by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures,??3 concerning his Son born of the posterity of David as to the flesh,

But I wish you not to be ignorant, brothers, that I often purposed to come to you, and was hindered hitherto, that I might have some fruit also among you, as among the other gentiles.

For his invisible [attributes] are clearly seen from the creation of the world, being perceived by the things which are made, even his eternal power and deity, so that they have no defense,

Therefore God gave them up to infamous affections; for their females changed a natural enjoyment for that which is against nature,

and in like manner also the males, leaving the natural enjoyment of the female, became the subjects of inordinate desires for each other, males with males committing indecency, and receiving in return the recompense of their error which was fit.

And as they did not choose to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do things which are not proper,

Wherefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are that judge, for in that in which you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge do the same things.

for when the nations which have not the law perform by nature [the commandments] of the law, these who have not the law are a law to themselves,

and know his will, and approve of things which are excellent, being instructed by the law,

And the uncircumcision by nature which keeps the law shall judge you who with the written law and circumcision are a transgressor of the law.

For not that which is external is the Jew, nor is that which is external in the flesh circumcision.

But that which is in secret is the Jew, and circumcision of the heart is in the spirit not in the writing, the commendation of which is not of men but of God.

And he received the symbol of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which was in uncircumcision, so that he became the father of all that believe in uncircumcision, that righteousness may also be accounted to them,

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

as it is written, I have made you a father of many nations before God in whom he believed, who makes the dead alive and calls things which do not exist as existing.??18 who against hope believed in hope that he should become a father of many nations according to the saying shall your posterity be.

through whom also we have been introduced into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

but not as the fall so also is the gift; for if by the fall of one the many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is of the one man Jesus Christ, abounded to the many;

For [the death] which he died, he died to sin once; but [the life] which he lives, he lives to God.

But thanks be to God that you were servants of sin, but obeyed from the heart the form of teaching in which you were instructed,

What fruit had you therefore then in things of which you are now ashamed? for the end of them is death.

but now we are released from the law by which we were held having died, that we should serve [God] in newness of spirit, not in the old age of a writing.

and the commandment which was for life was found to be for death.

Did then that which is good become death to me? By no means, but sin; that sin might be made manifest, producing death to me through that which is good, that sin might become exceedingly sinful through the commandment.

For what I do this I approve not; for I do not what I wish, 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 in me, that is in my flesh, there dwells no good. For to wish is present with me, but to do the good is not;

for the good which I wish I do not, but the evil which I wish not this I do.

But if what I wish not this I do, I no longer do it, but sin which dwells in me.

I find therefore the law, that when I wish to do good evil is present with me;

but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and making me captive to the law of sin which is in my members.

For you received not the spirit of servitude again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption, by which we cry; Abba, Father.

and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he before prepared for glory,

What shall we say then? That nations who did not pursue righteousness attained a righteousness, but the righteousness which is by faith;

But what does it say? The word is nigh you, in your mouth and in your mind; that is, the word of the faith which we preach.

But I say, did not Israel know? First, Moses says, I will provoke you by that which is not a nation, and by a foolish nation will I excite you to anger.

For I wish you not to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery; that you may not be wise in your own conceit. For hardness in part has come upon Israel, till the fullness of the gentiles shall come in,

and be not conformed to this life, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, that you may prove what is the will of God which is good and well-pleasing and perfect.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor evil, adhere to that which is good,

Let every soul be subject to the superior powers. For there is no power except from God, and the [powers] which exist have been ordained by God.

Let us therefore pursue the things of peace and those which edify one another.

it is good not to eat meat nor drink wine, nor [do] any thing by which your brother stumbles.

but he that doubts is condemned if he eats, because it is not of faith; and every thing which is not of faith is sin.

Let us each please our neighbor in that which is good for edification;

For those things which were written before were written for our instruction, that through patience and the consolation of the Scriptures we may have hope.

For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor of the saints at Jerusalem.

that I may be delivered from those that obey not in Judea, and that my service which is for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,

that you receive her in the Lord worthily of the saints, and assist her in any thing in which she may have need of you; for she has been an assistant of many, and of myself also.

I exhort you, brothers, to observe those that cause dissensions and offenses contrary to the teaching which you learned, and avoid them;

For your obedience has come to all; I rejoice in you therefore, but I wish you to be wise for that which is good, and simple for evil.