For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

They are descended from our forefathers; they are the ones from whom Christ was born physically. He is God over everything [Note: Or this may be "God is over everything"] and should be praised forever! May it be so.

As it is written and forever remains written, “Jacob I loved (chose, protected, blessed), but Esau I hated (held in disregard compared to Jacob).”

What then shall we say? [There is] no injustice with God, [is there]? May it never be!

For he says to Moses, I will be merciful to him to whom I may be merciful, and I will compassionate him whom I may compassionate.

For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

if the divine Being has patiently bore with those objects of his displeasure, that had been working out their own destruction, why may he not reveal himself to make them feel his vindictive power,

As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

And Isaiah doth cry concerning Israel, 'If the number of the sons of Israel may be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved;

What then may we say? That the nations who did not go after righteousness have got righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith:

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

For Christ is the end of the Law, so that every one that believeth may obtain righteousness.

That if you may confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and may believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved:

For every one who may call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

But how, it may be asked, are they to invoke one in whom they have not learned to believe? And how are they to believe in one whose words they have not heard? And how are they to hear his words unless some one proclaims him?

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!'

Still, it may be said, every one did not give heed to the Good News. No, for Isaiah asks--'Lord, who has believed our teaching?'

But may I ask, They had no chance to hear, did they? Yes, indeed: "All over the earth their voices have gone, to the ends of the world their words."

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.

But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

Therefore I say, God has not rejected his people, has he? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, from the descendants of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.

But what saith the answer of God to him again? "I have reserved unto me seven thousand men which have not bowed their knees to Baal."

And if [they were selected] by God's unearned favor, [then] the choice is not based on the good that people may do. Otherwise, God's favor would not be [really] unearned.

David, too, says--'May their feasts prove a snare and a trap to them--a hindrance and a retribution;

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

I say then, they did not stumble so that they fell, [did they]? May it never be! But by their trespass, salvation [has come] to the Gentiles, in order to provoke them [to jealousy].

Now if the Jews sinning meant blessings for [the rest of] the world, and their [spiritual] defection meant blessings for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness [also produce blessings]! [Note: "Fullness" here may mean either a large or the complete number of Jews who will be saved, or become completely obedient to God].

But I speak to you that are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I glorify my ministry;

If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

for, if by rejecting them, the world may be reconciled; what shall their restoration be, but a general resurrection?

"Branches have been lopped off," you will say, "for the sake of my being grafted in."

For if God did not spare the natural branches, fear lest He also may not spare you either!

Then behold the goodness and severity of God: upon those who fell indeed, severity; but upon you the goodness of God, if you may abide in his goodness: since you too may be cut off.

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

For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of this mystery, that ye may not be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the nations be come in;

For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

Because God's selection and his mercies may not be changed.

Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all [Jew and Gentile alike].

O how deep is the wealth of the wisdom and knowledge of God! no one is able to make discovery of his decisions, and his ways may not be searched out.

Or who has first given to him, so that he may claim a recompense?'

For everything was created by Him, exists through His [power] and is intended for His [glory]. May He be praised forever. May it be so.

Well then, my brothers, I appeal to you by all the mercy of God to dedicate your bodies as a living sacrifice, consecrated and acceptable to God; that is your cult, a spiritual rite.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, 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.

if possible, as much as may be in your power, live peaceably with all men,

Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath of God : for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord.

For they are God's servants appointed for your good. But, if you do what is wrong, you may well be afraid; for the sword they carry is not without meaning! They are God's servants to inflict his punishments on those who do wrong.

The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not covet," and any other commandment there may be, are summed up in this sentence, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.

for both, if we may live, to the Lord we live; if also we may die, to the Lord we die; both then if we may live, also if we may die, we are the Lord's;

for because of this Christ both died and rose again, and lived again, that both of dead and of living he may be Lord.

So why do you criticize your brother? And you, why do you look down upon your brother? All of us have to stand before the tribunal of God ??11 for it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bend before me, every tongue shall offer praise to God.

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

no longer, therefore, may we judge one another, but this judge ye rather, not to put a stumbling-stone before the brother, or an offence.

Through my union with the Lord Jesus, I know and am persuaded that nothing is 'defiling in itself.' A thing is 'defiling' only to him who holds it to be so.

Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

You must not break down God's work for the mere sake of food! Everything may be clean, but it is wrong for a man to prove a stumbling-block by what he eats;

and he who is making a difference, if he may eat, hath been condemned, because it is not of faith; and all that is not of faith is sin.

For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

For whatever was written beforehand was written for our instruction, in order that through patient endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope.

And may the God of the endurance, and of the exhortation, give to you to have the same mind toward one another, according to Christ Jesus;

That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

My meaning is that Christ has become a servant to the people of Israel in vindication of God's truthfulness-- in showing how sure are the promises made to our forefathers--

and that the Gentiles may glorify God for [his] mercy, just as it is written, "Because of this, I will praise you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praise to your name."

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish 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,

for me to be minister of Christ Jesus to the nations, carrying on as a sacrificial service the message of glad tidings of God, in order that the offering up of the nations might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.

For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,

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].

yea, making it my aim so to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build upon another man's foundation;

And it is really this which has again and again prevented my coming to you.

But now there is nothing more to keep me in these regions, and I have for many years desired to come to you

Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.

Right now, however, I'm going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints,

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 feel sure that when I do come to you, I shall come with Christ's abundant blessing on me.

Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;

That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints;

That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

May the God of peace be with you all! Amen.

It is my desire to say a good word for Phoebe, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae:

that ye receive her in the Lord, worthily of the saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever matter she may have need of you: for she herself also hath been a helper of many, and of mine own self.

Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:

Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

Give my love to Mary, who gave much care to you.

Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.

Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.

Greet Apelles, the one tested and approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.

Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.

Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet my beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord.

Greet Rufus, an eminent and choice man in the Lord, also his mother [who has been] a mother to me as well.