so as to show all the wealth of his glory in dealing with the objects of his mercy, whom he has prepared from the beginning to share his glory,

to such as we, whom he has called, both from among the Jews, and from among the Gentiles.

Since he is completing and finishing quickly a matter in righteousness, because a matter that has been cut short upon the earth, Lord will perform.

As Isaiah again has foretold, "Unless the Lord of hosts had left us some descendants, we would have fared as Sodom did and would have been like Gomorrah."

But Israel, pursuing the law for righteousness, has not achieved the righteousness of the law.

And why? Simply because Israel has relied not on faith but on what they could do. They have stumbled over the stone that makes men stumble ??33 as it is written, Here I lay a stone in Sion that will make men stumble, even a rock to trip them up; but he who believes in Him will never be disappointed.

As it is said, See, I am putting in Zion a stone causing a fall, and a rock in the way: but he who has faith in him will not be put to shame.

For Christ has put an end to law as a way to right standing for everyone who puts his trust in Him.

For Moses lays down in writing the righteousness which is of the law, The man who has practised those things shall live by them.

for if you openly confess, that Jesus is the Lord, and sincerely believe, that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

For with the heart man has faith to get righteousness, and with the mouth he says that Jesus is Lord to get salvation.

Because it is said in the holy Writings, Whoever has faith in him will not be shamed.

And how can they preach, unless they may be sent forth? as has been written, How beautiful are the feet of those, who preach the gospel of good things!

But all did not obey the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message?

But I ask, “Did they not hear?” Yes, they did:

Their voice has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the inhabited world.

But I say, Has not Israel known? First, Moses says, I will provoke you to jealousy through them that are not a nation: through a nation without understanding I will anger you.

I ask, then, has God rejected His people? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he pleads with God against Israel?

Thus, then, in the present time also there has been a remnant according to election of grace.

But if it is in His grace that He has selected them, then His choice is no longer determined by human actions. Otherwise grace would be grace no longer.

What is it then? What Israel seeks for, that he has not obtained; but the election has obtained, and the rest have been blinded,

according as it is written, God has given to them a spirit of slumber, eyes not to see, and ears not to hear, unto this day.

I ask, then, have they stumbled in order to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their stumbling, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.

But if their stumbling has resulted in the enrichment of the world, and their overthrow becomes the enrichment of heathen peoples, how much richer the result will be when the full quota of Jews comes in!

For if the rejection of them has resulted in the reconciling of the world, what will the result be of the final reception of them but life from the dead?

If, however, some of the branches, have been broken out, and, thou, being a wild olive hast been grafted in among them, and hast become a joint partaker of the root of the fatness of the olive,

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

if God indeed has not spared the natural branches; lest it might be he spare not thee either.

See then that God is good but his rules are fixed: to those who were put away he was hard, but to you he has been good, on the condition that you keep in his mercy; if not, you will be cut off as they were.

And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again.

For, if, thou, out of the naturally wild olive was cut out, and, beyond nature, hast been engrafted into the good olive, how much rather, shall these, the natural branches be engrafted into their own olive tree?

So that you will not be conceited, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery: A partial hardening has come to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

and so all Israel shall be saved: as has been written, A leader shall come out of Zion, shall turn ungodliness from Jacob.

So, now these [same] Jews have also been disobedient [to God], so that they may also now obtain [God's] mercy by means of the mercy [He has] shown to you [Gentiles].

For God has imprisoned all in disobedience, so that He may have mercy on all.

For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been His counselor?

Or who has ever first given to Him,
and has to be repaid?

For the universe owes its origin to Him, was created by Him, and has its aim and purpose in Him. To Him be the glory throughout the Ages! Amen.

I beg you, therefore, brothers, through these mercies God has shown you, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies as a living sacrifice, devoted and well-pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.

Do not conform to the fashion of this world; but be transformed by the complete change that has come over your minds, so that you may discern what God's will is--all that is good, acceptable, and perfect.

For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.

For, just as in the human body there is a union of many parts, and each part has its own function,

But having different gifts, according to the grace which has been given to us, whether it be prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

Or the position of a Deacon of the church, let a man give himself to it; or he who has the power of teaching, let him make use of it;

He who has the power of comforting, let him do so; he who gives, let him give freely; he who has the power of ruling, let him do it with a serious mind; he who has mercy on others, let it be with joy.

avenging not yourselves, beloved, but give place to wrath; for it has been written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.

But if one who has hate for you is in need of food or of drink, give it to him, for in so doing you will put coals of fire on his head.

Every person must be submissive to the ruling authorities, for all authorities come from God. And the existence of authorities has been established by God.

So that he who resists the office of authority has opposed the ordinance of God, and those who have opposed will receive condemnation to themselves.

The man who does right has nothing to fear from the magistrates, as the wrongdoer has. If you want to have no fear of the authorities, do right, and they will commend you for it,

Be in debt for nothing, but to have love for one another: for he who has love for his neighbour has kept all 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.

The night is far gone, and the day has drawn near. Therefore let us throw off the deeds of darkness and put on the weapons of light.

One man has faith to take all things as food: another who is feeble in faith takes only green food.

Let not him who takes food have a low opinion of him who does not: and let not him who does not take food be a judge of him who does; for he has God's approval.

Who are you to criticize another man's servant? It is his own master's business whether he stands or falls, and he will stand, for the Lord has power to make him stand.

For every man's life and every man's death has a relation to others as well as to himself.

For to this end Christ has died and lived again, that he might rule over both dead and living.

For it has been written; As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

For if on account of meat thy brother is grieved, thou walkest no longer according to love. Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ has died.

And he who in these things is Christ's servant, is pleasing to God and has the approval of men.

do not for such a thing as meat, pull down what God has been raising. all things indeed are pure; but they become evil to him who by eating giveth offence.

The faith which thou hast, have to thyself before God: happy, he that bringeth not judgment upon himself by that which he approveth;

But the man who has misgivings about eating, if he then eats, has already condemned himself by so doing, because he did not follow his faith, and any action that does not follow one's faith is a sin.

for Christ did not please himself; but, as has been written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

For everything that was written of old has been written for our instruction, that through patience, and through the comfort of the Scriptures, we might have hope.

Therefore accept one another, just as Christ also has accepted you, to the glory of 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 that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as has been written, Therefore I will confess thee among the Gentiles, and in thy name sing praises.

nevertheless, brethren, I have writ to the Gentile part of you, and admonish'd you with the greater freedom by virtue of the commission that God has given me,

Because of the charge with which God has entrusted me, that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus to go to the Gentiles--that I should act as a priest of God's Good News, so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be an acceptable sacrifice, consecrated by the Holy Spirit.

And I will keep myself from talking of anything but those things which Christ has done by me to put the Gentiles under his rule in word and in act,

with the power of signs and wonders, [and all of it] in the power of the Spirit. So [starting] from Jerusalem and as far away as Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel [faithfully preaching the good news] of Christ [where it had not before been preached].

My aim is to evangelize where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation,

but, as has been written, Those, to whom he has not been preached, shall see concerning him, and they who have not heard shall understand.

This has chiefly hindred me from coming to you.

For it has been the good pleasure of those of Macedonia and Achaia to send a certain amount of money for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.

Yes, it has been their good pleasure; and they are in their debt. For if the Gentiles have had a part in the things of the Spirit which were theirs, it is right for them, in the same way, to give them help in the things of the flesh.

Therefore, when I have finished this [mission] and have safely given to them what has been raised, I will go on by way of you to Spain.

That you will take her in kindly, after the way of the saints, as one who is the Lord's, and give her help in anything in which she may have need of you: because she has been a help to a great number and to myself.

Greet Mary, who has worked very hard for you.

Give my love to Apelles, who has the approval of Christ. Say a kind word to those who are of the house of Aristobulus.

Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who have worked hard in the Lord.
Greet my dear friend Persis, who has worked very hard in the Lord.

Remember me to Rufus, that choicest Christian, and to his mother, who has been a mother to me too.

The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good, yet innocent about what is evil.

25 Now to him who is able to establish you according to my Good News and the proclaiming of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret through long ages,

Now to him who is able to make you strong in agreement with the good news which I gave you and the preaching of Jesus Christ, in the light of the revelation of that secret which has been kept through times eternal,

But is now made clear; and by the writings of the prophets, by the order of the eternal God, the knowledge of it has been given to all the nations, so that they may come under the rule of the faith;

From Paul, who has been called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, And from Sosthenes, our Brother.

I give praise to my God for you at all times, because of the grace of God which has been given to you in Christ Jesus;

Even as the witness of the Christ has been made certain among you:

for he, who has called you to the communication of his son Jesus Christ our Lord, will make good his promise.

Because it has come to my knowledge, through those of the house of Chloe, that there are divisions among you, my brothers.

By 'quarrelling' I mean that each of you has his party-cry, "I belong to Paul," "And I to Apollos," "And I to Cephas," "And I to Christ."

Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

For Christ has not sent me to baptise, but to preach glad tidings; not in wisdom of word, that the cross of the Christ may not be made vain.

For it has been written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nought the understanding of the intelligent.

Where is the wise? where is he who has knowledge of the law? where is the man of this world who has a love of discussion? has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom has not known God, God has been pleased by the foolishness of the preaching to save those that believe.

while we proclaim a Christ who has been crucified--to the Jews a stumbling-block, to Gentiles foolishness,