King James Version KJV
Good News Translation GNT
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
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From Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus and an apostle chosen and called by God to preach his Good News.
2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
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The Good News was promised long ago by God through his prophets, as written in the Holy Scriptures.
3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
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It is about his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: as to his humanity, he was born a descendant of David;
4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
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as to his divine holiness, he was shown with great power to be the Son of God by being raised from death.
5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
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Through him God gave me the privilege of being an apostle for the sake of Christ, in order to lead people of all nations to believe and obey.
6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
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This also includes you who are in Rome, whom God has called to belong to Jesus Christ.
7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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And so I write to all of you in Rome whom God loves and has called to be his own people: May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
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First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because the whole world is hearing about your faith.
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
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God is my witness that what I say is true - the God whom I serve with all my heart by preaching the Good News about his Son. God knows that I remember you
10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
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every time I pray. I ask that God in his good will may at last make it possible for me to visit you now.
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
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For I want very much to see you, in order to share a spiritual blessing with you to make you strong.
12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
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What I mean is that both you and I will be helped at the same time, you by my faith and I by yours.
13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
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You must remember, my friends, that many times I have planned to visit you, but something has always kept me from doing so. I want to win converts among you also, as I have among other Gentiles.
14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
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For I have an obligation to all peoples, to the civilized and to the savage, to the educated and to the ignorant.
15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
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So then, I am eager to preach the Good News to you also who live in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
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I have complete confidence in the gospel; it is God's power to save all who believe, first the Jews and also the Gentiles.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
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For the gospel reveals how God puts people right with himself: it is through faith from beginning to end. As the scripture says, "The person who is put right with God through faith shall live."
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
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God's anger is revealed from heaven against all the sin and evil of the people whose evil ways prevent the truth from being known.
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
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God punishes them, because what can be known about God is plain to them, for God himself made it plain.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
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Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. So those people have no excuse at all!
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
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They know God, but they do not give him the honor that belongs to him, nor do they thank him. Instead, their thoughts have become complete nonsense, and their empty minds are filled with darkness.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
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They say they are wise, but they are fools;
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
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instead of worshiping the immortal God, they worship images made to look like mortals or birds or animals or reptiles.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
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And so God has given those people over to do the filthy things their hearts desire, and they do shameful things with each other.
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
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They exchange the truth about God for a lie; they worship and serve what God has created instead of the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever! Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
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Because they do this, God has given them over to shameful passions. Even the women pervert the natural use of their sex by unnatural acts.
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
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In the same way the men give up natural sexual relations with women and burn with passion for each other. Men do shameful things with each other, and as a result they bring upon themselves the punishment they deserve for their wrongdoing.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
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Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to corrupted minds, so that they do the things that they should not do.
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
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They are filled with all kinds of wickedness, evil, greed, and vice; they are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, deceit, and malice. They gossip
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
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and speak evil of one another; they are hateful to God, insolent, proud, and boastful; they think of more ways to do evil; they disobey their parents;
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
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they have no conscience; they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness or pity for others.
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
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They know that God's law says that people who live in this way deserve death. Yet, not only do they continue to do these very things, but they even approve of others who do them.