GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New International Version NIV
14 I have an obligation to those who are civilized and those who aren't, to those who are wise and those who aren't.
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I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.
15 That's why I'm eager to tell you who live in Rome the Good News also.
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That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.
16 I'm not ashamed of the Good News. It is God's power to save everyone who believes, Jews first and Greeks as well.
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For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
17 God's approval is revealed in this Good News. This approval begins and ends with faith as Scripture says, "The person who has God's approval will live by faith."
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For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
18 God's anger is revealed from heaven against every ungodly and immoral thing people do as they try to suppress the truth by their immoral living.
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The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
19 What can be known about God is clear to them because he has made it clear to them.
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since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
20 From the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly observed in what he made. As a result, people have no excuse.
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For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
21 They knew God but did not praise and thank him for being God. Instead, their thoughts were pointless, and their misguided minds were plunged into darkness.
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For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 While claiming to be wise, they became fools.
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Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
23 They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for statues that looked like mortal humans, birds, animals, and snakes.
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and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 For this reason God allowed their lusts to control them. As a result, they dishonor their bodies by sexual perversion with each other.
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Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.