Hence, our faith, cometh by something heard, and, that which is heard, through a declaration of Christ.

But I ask 'Is it possible that men have never heard?' No, indeed, for--'Their voices spread through all the earth, and their Message to the very ends of the world.'

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.

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.

And against Israel he saith, "All day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a people that believeth not, but speaketh against me."

"Lord, they have put Thy Prophets to death, and have overthrown Thy altars; and, now that I alone remain, they are thirsting for my blood"?

But if it is by His unmerited favor, it is not at all conditioned on what they have done. If that were so, His favor would not be favor at all.

What then? That which Israel seeketh after, the same, it hath not obtained: - the election, however, have obtained it, and, the rest, have been hardened; -

as it is written:

God gave them a spirit of insensitivity,
eyes that cannot see
and ears that cannot hear,
to this day.

Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

I say then - Did they stumble in order that they might fall? Far be it! But, by their fall, salvation hath come unto the nations, to the end of provoking them to jealousy.

Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. In view of the fact that I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

if by any means I may provoke to jealousy them that are my flesh, and may save some of them.

For if their rejection [by God] meant that [the rest of] the world could be restored to favor [with God], what would [God's] receiving the Jews back into fellowship be, except like dead people coming back to life?

Supposing that some of the branches have been broken off, and you, although you were but a wild olive, have been grafted in among the branches and have become a partaker with them of the fatness of the olive tree, do not glory over the branches;

Be not boasting over the branches! Howbeit, if thou boast, it is not, thou, that bearest the root, but the root, thee!

Thou wilt say, then - Branches were broken out in order that, I, might he grafted in.

Very well, but it was for lack of faith that they were broken off, and it is through your faith that you now stand where you are. Stop your haughty thinking, rather continue to be reverent,

seeing that God spared not the natural branches, lest haply he also spare not thee.

Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

For if thou wast cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and wast grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree; how much more shall these, which are the natural branches , be grafted into their own olive tree?

For I wish not, ye should be ignorant, brethren, of this sacred secret, lest within yourselves ye be presumptuous, that, a hardening in part, hath befallen Israel, until, the full measure of the nations, shall come in;

And so all Israel shall be saved. As it is written, "There shall come out of Zion he that doth deliver, and shall turn away the ungodliness of Jacob.

for this is my covenant with them, that I shall take away their sins."

For verily the gifts and calling of God are such, that it cannot repent him of them.

So, these also, have now refused to yield, by your own mercy, in order that, themselves also, should now become objects of mercy;

For God hath shut up all together, in a refusal to yield, in order that, upon all, he may bestow mercy.

Other who hath given unto him first, that he might be recompensed again?

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

Or ministering, use it in our ministering, or he that teacheth, let him use his gift in his teaching,

Or he that exhorteth, in his exhorting, he that imparteth, let it be with liberality, he that taketh a lead, with diligence, he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Your love, be without hypocrisy, - loathing that which is wicked, cleaving to that which is good;

Let not that business which ye have in hand be tedious to you. Be fervent in the spirit. Apply yourselves to the time.

Bless them that persecute, bless, and do not curse.

Rejoice with them that rejoice, weep with them that weep:

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.

Stop returning evil for evil to anyone. Always see to it that your affairs are right in the sight of everybody.

be at peace with all men, if possible, so far as that depends on you.

dear brethren, avenge not yourselves, but leave that to the resentment of another: for it is written, "vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."

But [Prov. 25:21-25 says], "Feed your enemy if he is hungry; give him something to drink if he is thirsty. For when you do this, it will be [like] heaping burning coals on his head." [i.e., it can cause him burning shame that can lead to his repentance and ultimate forgiveness].

Let, every soul, unto protecting authorities be in subjection; for there is no authority save by God, and, they that are in being, have by God been arranged, -

So that, he who rangeth himself against the authority, against the arrangement of God opposeth himself, and, they who oppose, shall unto themselves a sentence of judgment receive.

For, they who bear rule, are not a terror unto the good work but unto the evil. Wouldst thou not be afraid of the authority? That which is good, be thou doing, and thou shall have praise of the same;

For, God's minister, is he unto thee for that which is good. But, if, that which is evil, thou be doing, be afraid! For, not in vain, the sword he beareth; for, God's minister, he is, - an avenger, unto anger, to him who practiseth what is evil.

But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for it is not without reason that they bear the sword. Indeed, they are God's servants to administer punishment to anyone who does wrong. Therefore, it is necessary for you to be acquiescent to the authorities, not only for the sake of God's punishment, but also for the sake of your own conscience.

Pay them all their respective dues, tribute to one, taxes to another, respect to this man, honour to that.

Nothing to any, be owing - save to be loving one another; for, he that loveth his neighbour, hath given to, law, its fulfillment.

Love never does anything that is harmful to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the Law.

See then that the time has come for you to be awake from sleep: for now is your salvation nearer than when you first had faith.

Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and put a stop to gratifying the evil desires that lurk in your lower nature.

Him that is weak in his faith, receive ye, - not for disputing opinions: -

One, indeed, hath faith to eat all things, whereas, he that is weak, eateth herbs:

Let not, him that eateth, despise him that eateth not, and let not, him that eateth not, judge him that eateth; for, God, hath received him.

Who are you to make yourself a judge of another man's servant? it is to his master that he is responsible for good or bad. Yes, his place will be safe, because the Lord is able to keep him from falling.

This man puts one day before another: to that man they are the same. Let every man be certain in his mind.

He that regardeth the day, unto the Lord, regardeth it, - and, he that eateth, unto the Lord, doth eat, for he giveth thanks unto God; and, he that eateth not, unto the Lord, doth not eat and give God thanks.

And for this purpose Christ went into death and came back again, that he might be the Lord of the dead and of the living.

For it is written, I live, saith the Lord, that to me shall bow every knee, and every tongue shall confess to God.

So that every one of us shall give an account of himself to God.

Then let us not be judges of one another any longer: but keep this in mind, that no man is to make it hard for his brother, or give him cause for doubting.

I am conscious of this, and am certain in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself; but for the man in whose opinion it is unclean, for him it is unclean.

If, in fact, because of food, thy brother is being grieved, no longer, by the rule of love, art thou walking: - do not, by thy food, that man, be destroying, on whose behalf Christ died!

Therefore, let not that which is your good be evil spoken of.

for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking [what one likes], but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

For, he that in this doeth service unto the Christ, is acceptable unto God, and approved unto men.

So let us keep on pursuing the things that make for peace and our mutual upbuilding.

Do not let the work of God come to nothing on account of food. All things are certainly clean; but it is evil for that man who by taking food makes it hard for another.

It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble.

The faith which you have, have it to yourself before God. Happy is the man who is not judged by that to which he gives approval.

But, he that is in doubt, if he eat, hath condemned himself, - because, it was not of faith, and, everything which is not of faith, is sin.

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Let each one of us please his neighbor for that which is good, unto edifying.

For, even the Christ, not unto himself gave pleasure, but, even as it is written - The reproaches of them that we reproaching thee, fell upon me:

Now those things which were put down in writing before our time were for our learning, so that through quiet waiting and through the comfort of the holy Writings we might have hope.

The God of patience and consolation give unto every one of you, that ye be like likeminded one towards another after the example of Jesus Christ:

So that with one mouth you may give glory to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

wherefore be kindly affected to one another, as Christ was to you, that you might glorify God.

Now I say that Christ has been made a servant of the circumcision to give effect to the undertakings given by God to the fathers,

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.

And, again, Isaiah, saith - There shall be the root of Jesse, and he that ariseth to rule nations, - upon, him, shall nations hope.

Now may the God of hope make you full of joy and peace through faith, so that all hope may be yours in the power of the Holy Spirit.

And I myself am certain of you, brothers, that you are full of what is good, complete in all knowledge, able to give direction to one another.

Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God,

To be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, doing the work of a priest in the good news of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles might be pleasing to God, being made holy by the Holy Spirit.

So, as a Christian, I am proud of the things that I have done for God.

for I will not dare to speak anything of the things that Christ did not work through me, to obedience of nations, by word and deed,

By signs and wonders, in the power of the Holy Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have given all the good news of Christ;

Making it my purpose not to take the good news where Christ was named, so that my work might not be resting on that of others;

But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.

That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you.

when I take my journey into Spain, I hope to see you in my way, and be forwarded by you to that place, after having for some time enjoy'd the pleasure of your company.

For it hath been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints that are at Jerusalem.

Yes, they have kindly done this, and, in fact, it was a debt they owed them. For seeing that the Gentiles have been admitted in to partnership with the Jews in their spiritual blessings, they in turn are under an obligation to render sacred service to the Jews in temporal things.

So after discharging this duty, and making sure that these kind gifts reach those for whom they are intended, I shall start for Spain, passing through Rome on my way there;

And I am certain that when I come, I will be full of the blessing of Christ.

Now I make request to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that you will be working together with me in your prayers to God for me;

So that I may be kept safe from those in Judaea who have not put themselves under the rule of God, and that the help which I am taking for Jerusalem may be pleasing to the saints;