About his Son who, in the flesh, came from the family of David,

We have received grace and apostleship through Him to bring about the obedience of faith among all the nations, on behalf of His name,

First of all, I thank my God through Jesus the Messiah for all of you, because the news about your faith is being reported throughout the world.

For God, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about His Son, is my witness that I constantly mention you,

For I have no feeling of shame about the good news, because it is the power of God giving salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first, and then to the Greek.

because that which is known about God is evident within them [in their inner consciousness], for God made it evident to them.

Because, although they learned to know God, yet they did not offer him as God either praise or thanksgiving. Their speculations about him proved futile, and their undiscerning minds were darkened.

For they had substituted a lie for the truth about God, and had reverenced and worshiped created things more than the Creator, who is to be praised for ever. Amen.

Being full of all wrongdoing, evil, desire for the goods of others, hate, envy, putting to death, fighting, deceit, cruel ways, evil talk, and false statements about others;

Now we [Jews] know that God's judgment against people who practice such things [i.e., the Gentiles] is according to truth. [Note: Some use "You say," at the beginning of the sentence, making it an assertion of the Jews which Paul sets about to answer].

There is no partiality about God.

Now if you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the Law, and boast about God,

As you boast about the Law, do you dishonor God by breaking the Law?

No, a person is a Jew inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, brought about by the Spirit, not by a written law. That person's praise will come from God, not from people.

Now if our wrongdoing serves to emphasize more clearly that God does what is right, what should we say about that? Is God being unjust for sending [His] wrath [on the world]? (I am raising a human objection).

But if my "lie" [i.e., as you Jews call it] would result in God's truthfulness [about you Jews] increasing the honor He receives, why am I also still judged to be a sinner [by you]?

And they have not known the path of peace.”

But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified about by the law and the prophets--

What, then, is there to boast about? That has been eliminated. On what principle? On that of actions? No, but on the principle of faith.

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather humanly speaking, has found? [Has he obtained a favored standing?]

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

just as David also speaks about the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.

And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:

He did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.

but also on ours, to whom it is about to be reckoned -- to us believing on Him who did raise up Jesus our Lord out of the dead,

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;

Not only that, but we also continue to boast about God through our Lord Jesus the Messiah, through whom we have now been reconciled.

But death reigned from Adam to Moses, and upon them not having sinned upon the likeness of Adam's transgression, who is the type of him about to be.

Therefore what sort of fruit did you have then, about which you are now ashamed? For the end of those [things] [is] death.

What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, if it had not been for the Law, I would not have recognized sin. For I would not have known [for example] about coveting [what belongs to another, and would have had no sense of guilt] if the Law had not [repeatedly] said, “You shall not covet.”

Sin took advantage of the Commandment to deceive me, and used it to bring about my Death.

Did then a thing which is good become death to me? No, indeed, but sin did; so that through its bringing about death by means of what was good, it might be seen in its true light as sin, in order that by means of the Commandment the unspeakable sinfulness of sin might be plainly shown.

For those who live according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit.

for if ye live according to flesh, ye are about to die; but if, by the Spirit, ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live:

For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory about to be revealed in us;

We know that in everything God works with those who love him, whom he has called in accordance with his purpose, to bring about what is good.

What then shall we say about these [things]? If God [is] for us, who [can be] against us?

For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor beginnings, nor powers, nor things having stood, nor things about to be,

nor things about to be, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of god, that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For this is what the promise said: “About this time [next year] I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.”

And not only so, but Rebecca being about to have a child by our father Isaac--

For the Scripture says about Pharaoh, "I have raised you up for this very purpose, to demonstrate my power through you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

And Isaiah says about Israel, Even if the number of the children of Israel is as the sand of the sea, only a small part will get salvation:

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God about the Jews is that they would be saved.

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

For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

For Moses writes about the righteousness [that is] from the law: "The person who does [this] will live by it."

But what does it say? "The Message is close to you, in your mouth and in your heart;" that is, the Message which we are publishing about the faith--

How then will they call upon [him] in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe [in him] about whom they have not heard? And how will they hear about [him] without one who preaches [to them]?

Consequently, faith [comes] by hearing, and hearing through the word about Christ.

But about Israel he says, "The whole day [long] I held out my hands to a disobedient and resistant people."

God has not rejected his people, whom he foreknew! Or do you not know, in [the passage about] Elijah, what the scripture says--how he appeals to God against Israel?

do not boast about being better than the other branches. If you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

True, but they [i.e., the Jews] were [really] broken off because they did not believe [in Christ], and you [Gentiles] remain [in God's favor] because you do believe [in Him]. So, do not become arrogant [about it], but be fearful.

For I want to let you know about this secret, brothers, so that you will not claim to be wiser than you are: Stubbornness has come to part of Israel until the full number of the gentiles comes to faith.

Now in response to the [proclamation of the] good news [about Christ], the Jews became [God's] enemies for the sake of you [Gentiles]. But concerning [God's] select people, these Jews became [God's] dearly loved ones for the sake of their forefathers [i.e, who believed God's promises regarding their descendants].

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable [for He does not withdraw what He has given, nor does He change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call].

Do not [try to] pay back a wrong done to you by doing something wrong to the other person. Think about how to live honorably in front of all people.

Now this [is another reason for observing the law of love]: You should know that it is about time to wake up out of your [spiritual] sleep, because [the day of our final] salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed [in Christ].

The night is far advanced, and day is about to dawn. We must therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness, and clothe ourselves with the armour of Light.

But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for [nor even think about gratifying] the flesh in regard to its improper desires.

Now receive the one who is weak in faith, [but] not for quarrels about opinions.

So then each of us will give account about himself to God.

Let it not be possible for men to say evil about your good:

Therefore, whatever you believe about this matter should be held between you and God. That person is happy who does not condemn himself for practicing something he believes is right.

But he who is uncertain [about eating a particular thing] is condemned if he eats, because he is not acting from faith. Whatever is not from faith is sin [whatever is done with doubt is sinful].

Personally I am convinced about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, amply filled with all [spiritual] knowledge, and competent to admonish and counsel and instruct one another.

Therefore, in the Messiah Jesus I have the right to boast about my work for God.

For I will not dare to speak about anything except [that] which Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed,

Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

But, as Scripture says, "Those shall see, to whom no report about Him has hitherto come, and those who until now have not heard shall understand."

that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea; and that the charitable service which I am employed about, for the converts at Jerusalem, may be acceptable to them:

I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church at Cenchrea. [Note: This was a seaport town about seven miles east of Corinth].

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.

Now to the one who is able to strengthen you with my gospel and the message that I preach about Jesus, the Messiah, by revealing the secret that was kept hidden from long ago

but now is disclosed, and through the prophetic scriptures has been made known to all the nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith --