I do not wish however that ye should be ignorant, brethren, that, many times, have I purposed to come unto you, but have been hindered, until the present, - in order that, some fruit, I might have among you also, even as among the other nations,

because what should be known of God they are acquainted with; for God hath manifested it unto them.

For, the unseen things of him, from a world's creation, by the things made, being perceived, are clearly seen, even his eternal power and divinity, - to the end they should be without excuse;

Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves:

And just as they had refused to continue to have a full knowledge of God, so it was to utterly worthless minds that God gave them up, for them to do things which should not be done.

Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?

For circumcision is of value if you do the law, but if you should be a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.

No, indeed; let us hold God to be true, though every man should prove to be false. As it stands written, "That Thou mayest be shown to be just in the sentence Thou pronouncest, and gain Thy cause when Thou contendest."

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).

I speak as a man. God forbid; for then how should God judge the world?

And why not say, (as some slanderously report and claim that we teach) “Let us do evil so that good may come of it”? Their condemnation [by God] is just.

for the shewing forth of his righteousness in the present time, so that he should be just, and justify him that is of the faith of Jesus.

Therefore shall we leave the law inactive by faith It may not be: but we should establish the law.

What should we say then [about what] our forefather Abraham discovered?

A happy man to whom the Lord should not reckon sin.

And he received the sign of circumcision, as a seal of the righteousness which is by faith: which faith he had, yet being uncircumcised, that he should be the father of all them that believe: though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also;

For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

so that the promise should be made sure to all Abraham's true descendants; not merely to those who are righteous through the Law, but to those who are righteous through a faith like that of Abraham. Thus in the sight of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and makes reference to things that do not exist, as though they did, Abraham is the forefather of all of us. As it is written, "I have appointed you to be the forefather of many nations."

In hope against hope Abraham believed that he would become a father of many nations, as he had been promised [by God]: “So [numberless] shall your descendants be.”

But the law, in the meantime, entered in that sin should increase. Neverthelater, where abundance of sin was, there was more plenteousness of grace.

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

God forbid, that we who have died to sin should live any longer therein.

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

So, you [too] should consider yourselves dead to sin [i.e., no longer under its power], but [spiritually] alive to God, in [fellowship with] Christ.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

What then? should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Far be the thought.

I am using human reasoning because of your human weakness. For just as you once offered the parts of your bodies as slaves to impurity and to wickedness, which led to further wickedness; so now [you should] offer the parts of your body as slaves to do what is right, which leads to holy living.

But now are ye delivered from sin, and made the servants of God, and have your fruit that ye should be sanctified; and the end: everlasting life.

For the married woman is bound by law to her husband so long as he is alive; but if the husband should die, she is clear from the law of the husband:

so then, the husband being alive, she shall be called an adulteress if she be to another man; but if the husband should die, she is free from the law, so as not to be an adulteress, though she be to another man.

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

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.”

The very Commandment that should have meant Life I found to result in Death!

in order that the righteous requirement of the law should be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to flesh but according to Spirit.

Therefore, brethren, it is not to our lower natures that we are under obligation that we should live by their rule.

For you have not received a spirit of slavery in order that you should once more be afraid; but you have received a spirit of adoption, in which we cry out, "My Father, my dear Father!"

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Because whom he has foreknown, he has also predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he should be the firstborn among many brethren.

What then should we conclude from this? [Just this]: If God is on our side, who can [successfully] oppose us?

For could I myself wish that an anathema should be from Christ upon 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.

it was said to her, “The older (Esau) will serve the younger (Jacob).”

What should we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not!

For the scripture says to Pharaoh, For this very thing I have raised thee up from amongst men, that I might thus shew in thee my power, and so that my name should be declared in all the earth.

Nay, but who are you, a mere man, that you should cavil against GOD? Shall the thing moulded say to him who moulded it, "Why have you made me thus?"

[What if He did this] in order to demonstrate His wealth of glory toward people who deserved His mercy, whom He had previously determined should receive [such special] honor?

But Esaias cries concerning Israel, Should the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved:

Even as Isaiah says in an earlier place, "Were it not that the Lord, the God of Hosts, had left us some few descendants, we should have become like Sodom, and have come to resemble Gomorrah."

What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith.

while Israel, straining after a law that should bring uprightness, did not come up to it.

And why? Because they were pursuing a righteousness which should arise not from faith, but from what they regarded as merit. They stuck their foot against the stone which lay in their way;

But the righteousness from faith says thus: Thou should not say in thy heart, Who will ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down)

For every one whoever should call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

What then? What Israel seeks, this it did not obtain, but the election obtained; and the rest were hardened,??8 as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear??o this day.

(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Wherefore, if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the gentiles, how much more should it be so if they all believed?

this concerns you Gentiles. for as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I should do honour to my character,

Therefore, you should not brag [about your superiority] over the [natural] branches [i.e., the rejected Jews]. But, if you must brag, it should not be over you [Gentiles] nourishing the roots [i.e., the Jews], but over the roots nourishing you.

Granted. They were broken off ??for their lack of faith. And you owe your position to your faith. You should feel awed instead of being uplifted.

lest God should not spare you, since he did not spare even the natural branches.

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

So, these also, have now refused to yield, by your own mercy, in order that, themselves also, should now become objects of mercy;

And you people must not be conformed to [the values and standards of] this age, but you should become transformed [i.e., changed in attitude and action] by having your mind renewed [i.e., to think in a totally different way]. Then you will be able to determine [and practice] God's will, the thing that is good, and acceptable and perfect.

For I say, through the grace which has been given to me, to every one that is among you, not to have high thoughts above what he should think; but to think so as to be wise, as God has dealt to each a measure of faith.

And we [all] have different gifts, in harmony with the unearned favor [God has] shown us. If our gift is the ability to prophesy [i.e., to speak for God], we should make use of this gift in harmony with the amount of faith we have.

Or, if our gift is serving, we should devote ourselves to rendering service. Or, if our gift is teaching, we should devote ourselves to teaching.

The teacher must do the same in his teaching; and he who exhorts others, in his exhortation. He who gives should be liberal; he who is in authority should be energetic and alert; and he who succours the afflicted should do it cheerfully.

If therefore thine enemy should hunger, feed him; if he should thirst, give him drink; for, so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head.

Every one should be in the higher authorities; for there is no authority apart from God. The authorities that now exist have been appointed by God.

For he is God’s servant to you for good. But if you do wrong, [you should] be afraid; for he does not carry the [executioner’s] sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an avenger who brings punishment on the wrongdoer.

But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for it is not without reason that they bear the sword. Indeed, they are God's servants to administer punishment to anyone who does wrong. Therefore, it is necessary for you to be acquiescent to the authorities, not only for the sake of God's punishment, but also for the sake of your own conscience.

This is the reason why you should pay taxes also. For the authorities are God's servants who continually tend to this matter [i.e., of collecting taxes].

This also, knowing the time, that it is already time that we should be aroused out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

The night is almost over and the day is near. So, we should stop doing the deeds of darkness [i.e., sinful things] and we should arm ourselves with the weapons of light [i.e., virtues for right living].

We should be living properly, as in the daytime [i.e., when people normally behave themselves], not engaging in orgies and drunkenness; not practicing sexual immorality and indecent vices; not quarrelsome and jealous.

But you should welcome [into your fellowship] the person whose faith is weak, and not argue [with him] over questionable matters.

The person who can eat anything should not look down on the person who cannot eat [what was used in idolatrous worship]; and the person who cannot eat [such things] should not pass judgment on the person who can. For God accepts that person, too.

Who are you that you should find fault with the servant of another? Whether he stands or falls is a matter which concerns his own master. But stand he will; for the Master can give him power to stand.

One person regards a certain day more important than another; the next person regards every day alike. Each person should be fully convinced in his own mind [i.e., concerning their relative importance].

For both if we should live, it is to the Lord we live; and if we should die, it is to the Lord we die: both if we should live then, and if we should die, we are the Lord's.

Then why should you criticize your brother? Or, why should you look down on your brother? Surely, we shall all stand before God to be judged,

Therefore let us no longer judge one another; but, instead of that, you should come to this judgement--that we must not put a stumbling-block in our brother's path, nor anything to trip him up.

Therefore our efforts should be directed towards all that makes for peace and the mutual building up of character.

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.

Now those of us who are strong [spiritually] should put up with [or, help] the failings of [spiritually] weak people, and not [simply] do what pleases ourselves.

[Instead], each of us should do what pleases his neighbor in order to accomplish something good and uplifting [in his life].

That unanimously in one mouth ye should glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

and that the nations should glorify God for mercy; according as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the nations, and will sing to thy name.

And again:

Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
all the peoples should praise Him!

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that ye should abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:

but that (as it is written) They should see who never had learned about him, and they who had never heard of him should understand.

whenever I should go to Spain; (for I hope to see you as I go through, and by you to be set forward thither, if first I shall have been in part filled with your company;)

So you should welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints and assist her in whatever matter she may require your help. For indeed she has been a benefactor of many—and of me also.