professing to be wise, they were made fools,

And, according as they did not approve of having God in knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mind, to do the things not seemly;

much in every way; for first, indeed, that they were intrusted with the oracles of God;

All did go out of the way, together they became unprofitable, there is none doing good, there is not even one.

A sepulchre opened is their throat; with their tongues they used deceit; poison of asps is under their lips.

And a way of peace they did not know.

'Happy they whose lawless acts were forgiven, and whose sins were covered;

for if they who are of law are heirs, the faith hath been made void, and the promise hath been made useless;

nor because they are seed of Abraham are all children, but -- 'in Isaac shall a seed be called to thee;'

(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 --

and it shall be -- in the place where it was said to them, Ye are not My people; there they shall be called sons of the living God.'

wherefore? because -- not by faith, but as by works of law; for they did stumble at the stone of stumbling,

for I bear them testimony that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge,

for not knowing the righteousness of God, and their own righteousness seeking to establish, to the righteousness of God they did not submit.

How then shall they call upon him in whom they did not believe? and how shall they believe on him of whom they did not hear? and how shall they hear apart from one preaching?

and how shall they preach, if they may not be sent? according as it hath been written, 'How beautiful the feet of those proclaiming good tidings of peace, of those proclaiming good tidings of the good things!'

But they were not all obedient to the good tidings, for Isaiah saith, 'Lord, who did give credence to our report?'

but I say, Did they not hear? yes, indeed -- 'to all the earth their voice went forth, and to the ends of the habitable world their sayings.'

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

I say, then, Did they stumble that they might fall? let it not be! but by their fall the salvation is to the nations, to arouse them to jealousy;

by unbelief they were broken off, and thou hast stood by faith; be not high-minded, but be fearing;

And those also, if they may not remain in unbelief, shall be graffed in, for God is able again to graff them in;

for if thou, out of the olive tree, wild by nature, wast cut out, and, contrary to nature, wast graffed into a good olive tree, how much rather shall they, who are according to nature, be graffed into their own olive tree?

As regards, indeed, the good tidings, they are enemies on your account; and as regards the choice -- beloved on account of the fathers;

so also these now did not believe, that in your kindness they also may find kindness;

for because of this also pay ye tribute; for servants of God they are, on this very thing attending continually;

but according as it hath been written, 'To whom it was not told concerning him, they shall see; and they who have not heard, shall understand.'

for it pleased well, and their debtors they are, for if in their spiritual things the nations did participate, they ought also, in the fleshly things, to minister to them.

for such our Lord Jesus Christ do not serve, but their own belly; and through the good word and fair speech they deceive the hearts of the harmless,

which no one of the rulers of this age did know, for if they had known, the Lord of the glory they would not have crucified;

and the natural man doth not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for to him they are foolishness, and he is not able to know them, because spiritually they are discerned;

and again, 'The Lord doth know the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain.'

have ye not known that he who is joined to the harlot is one body? 'for they shall be -- saith He -- the two for one flesh.'

And I say to the unmarried and to the widows: it is good for them if they may remain even as I am;

and if they have not continence -- let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn;

for the unbelieving husband hath been sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife hath been sanctified in the husband; otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

and every one who is striving, is in all things temperate; these, indeed, then, that a corruptible crown they may receive, but we an incorruptible;

and all the same spiritual drink did drink, for they were drinking of a spiritual rock following them, and the rock was the Christ;

but in the most of them God was not well pleased, for they were strewn in the wilderness,

And all these things as types did happen to those persons, and they were written for our admonition, to whom the end of the ages did come,

no, but that the things that the nations sacrifice -- they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not wish you to come into the fellowship of the demons.

as I also in all things do please all, not seeking my own profit, but that of many -- that they may be saved.

The love doth never fail; and whether there be prophecies, they shall become useless; whether tongues, they shall cease; whether knowledge, it shall become useless;

yet the things without life giving sound -- whether pipe or harp -- if a difference in the sounds they may not give, how shall be known that which is piped or that which is harped?

in the law it hath been written, that, 'With other tongues and with other lips I will speak to this people, and not even so will they hear Me, saith the Lord;'

If, therefore, the whole assembly may come together, to the same place, and all may speak with tongues, and there may come in unlearned or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

and if they wish to learn anything, at home their own husbands let them question, for it is a shame to women to speak in an assembly.

if any one doth think to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge the things that I write to you -- that of the Lord they are commands;

and by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace that is towards me came not in vain, but more abundantly than they all did I labour, yet not I, but the grace of God that is with me;

whether, then, I or they, so we preach, and so ye did believe.

Seeing what shall they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? why also are they baptized for the dead?

and if it be meet for me also to go, with me they shall go.

And I entreat you, brethren, ye have known the household of Stephanas, that it is the first-fruit of Achaia, and to the ministration to the saints they did set themselves --

for they did refresh my spirit and yours; acknowledge ye, therefore, those who are such.

and whenever they may turn unto the Lord, the vail is taken away.

and what agreement to the sanctuary of God with idols? for ye are a sanctuary of the living God, according as God said -- 'I will dwell in them, and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people,

because, according to their power, I testify, and above their power, they were willing of themselves,

and not according as we expected, but themselves they did give first to the Lord, and to us, through the will of God,

Necessary, therefore, I thought it to exhort the brethren, that they may go before to you, and may make up before your formerly announced blessing, that this be ready, as a blessing, and not as covetousness.

For we do not make bold to rank or to compare ourselves with certain of those commending themselves, but they, among themselves measuring themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not wise,

and what I do, I also will do, that I may cut off the occasion of those wishing an occasion, that in that which they boast they may be found according as we also;

Hebrews are they? I also! Israelites are they? I also! seed of Abraham are they? I also!

ministrants of Christ are they? -- as beside myself I speak -- I more; in labours more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths many times;

lest again having come, my God may humble me in regard to you, and I may bewail many of those having sinned before, and not having reformed concerning the uncleanness, and whoredom, and lasciviousness, that they did practise.

and only they were hearing, that 'he who is persecuting us then, doth now proclaim good news -- the faith that then he was wasting;'

and they were glorifying God in me.

and that because of the false brethren brought in unawares, who did come in privily to spy out our liberty that we have in Christ Jesus, that us they might bring under bondage,

And from those who were esteemed to be something -- whatever they were then, it maketh no difference to me -- the face of man God accepteth not, for -- to me those esteemed did add nothing,

and having known the grace that was given to me, James, and Cephas, and John, who were esteemed to be pillars, a right hand of fellowship they did give to me, and to Barnabas, that we to the nations, and they to the circumcision may go,

for before the coming of certain from James, with the nations he was eating, and when they came, he was withdrawing and separating himself, fearing those of the circumcision,

But when I saw that they are not walking uprightly to the truth of the good news, I said to Peter before all, 'If thou, being a Jew, in the manner of the nations dost live, and not in the manner of the Jews, how the nations dost thou compel to Judaize?

they are zealous for you -- yet not well, but they wish to shut us out, that for them ye may be zealous;

O that even they would cut themselves off who are unsettling you!

as many as are willing to make a good appearance in the flesh, these constrain you to be circumcised -- only that for the cross of the Christ they may not be persecuted,

for neither do those circumcised themselves keep the law, but they wish you to be circumcised, that in your flesh they may glory.

for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they shall be -- the two -- for one flesh;'

the fathers! vex not your children, lest they be discouraged.

with Onesimus the faithful and beloved brother, who is of you; all things to you shall they make known that are here.

for they themselves concerning us do declare what entrance we had unto you, and how ye did turn unto God from the idols, to serve a living and true God,

for ye became imitators, brethren, of the assemblies of God that are in Judea in Christ Jesus, because such things ye suffered, even ye, from your own countrymen, as also they from the Jews,

who did both put to death the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and did persecute us, and God they are not pleasing, and to all men are contrary,

forbidding us to speak to the nations that they might be saved, to fill up their sins always, but the anger did come upon them -- to the end!

for when they may say, Peace and surety, then sudden destruction doth stand by them, as the travail doth her who is with child, and they shall not escape;

and in all deceitfulness of the unrighteousness in those perishing, because the love of the truth they did not receive for their being saved,

that they may be judged -- all who did not believe the truth, but were well pleased in the unrighteousness.

and such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness working, their own bread they may eat;

willing to be teachers of law, not understanding either the things they say, nor concerning what they asseverate,

of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I did deliver to the Adversary, that they might be instructed not to speak evil.

and she shall be saved through the child-bearing, if they remain in faith, and love, and sanctification, with sobriety.

and these things charge, that they may be blameless;

and younger widows be refusing, for when they may revel against the Christ, they wish to marry,

having judgment, because the first faith they did cast away,

and at the same time also, they learn to be idle, going about the houses; and not only idle, but also tattlers and busybodies, speaking the things they ought not;

of certain men the sins are manifest beforehand, leading before to judgment, and certain also they follow after;

and those having believing masters, let them not slight them, because they are brethren, but rather let them serve, because they are stedfast and beloved, who of the benefit are partaking. These things be teaching and exhorting;

treasuring up to themselves a right foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on the life age-during.

thou hast known this, that they did turn from me -- all those in Asia, of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes;

because of this all things do I endure, because of the choice ones, that they also salvation may obtain that is in Christ Jesus, with glory age-during.

and the profane vain talkings stand aloof from, for to more impiety they will advance,

and the foolish and uninstructed questions be avoiding, having known that they beget strife,