For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse.

Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves,

For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature.

who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things.

We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.

Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such things, and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?

Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves accusing or else excusing them)

and know his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,

and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,

You therefore who teach another, don't you teach yourself? You who preach that a man shouldn't steal, do you steal?

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh;

but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.

May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar. As it is written, "That you might be justified in your words, and might prevail when you come into judgment."

Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), "Let us do evil, that good may come?" Those who say so are justly condemned.

What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin.

Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.

being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;

to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time; that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.

We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh?

Is this blessing then pronounced on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.

He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they might be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might also be accounted to them.

He is the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had in uncircumcision.

For the promise to Abraham and to his seed that he should be heir of the world wasn't through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace, to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

As it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations." This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were.

Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, "So will your seed be."

and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was also able to perform.

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

Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering works perseverance;

But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

The law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly;

that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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

Or don't you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.

knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin.

But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him;

knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no more has dominion over him!

For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God.

Therefore don't let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

Don't you know that to whom you present yourselves as servants to obedience, his servants you are whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?

But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto you were delivered.

What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

Or don't you know, brothers (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives?

For the woman that has a husband is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law of the husband.

So then if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she would be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she is joined to another man.

Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit to God.

But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

Did then that which is good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful.

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin.

For I don't know what I am doing. For I don't practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do.

But if what I don't desire, that I do, I consent to the law that it is good.

So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.

For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don't find it doing that which is good.

For the good which I desire, I don't do; but the evil which I don't desire, that I practice.

But if what I don't desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.

I find then the law, that, to me, while I desire to do good, evil is present.

For what the law couldn't do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh;

that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn't have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God;

and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.

that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.

For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.

For we were saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees?

But if we hope for that which we don't see, we wait for it with patience.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.

For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.

For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers' sake, my relatives according to the flesh,

But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel.

That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as a seed.

For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls,

For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

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

"It will be that in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' There they will be called 'children of the living God.'"

What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn't follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;

Brothers, my heart's desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved.

For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

But the righteousness which is of faith says this, "Don't say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down);

or, 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)"

But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart;" that is, the word of faith, which we preach:

that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

But I ask, didn't Israel know? First Moses says, "I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation, with a nation void of understanding I will make you angry."

What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn't obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened.

According as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day."

Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Bow down their back always."

I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.

You will say then, "Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in."

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

For I don't desire you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you won't be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,

even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy.

For God has shut up all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.

Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.