New International Version NIV
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—
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From Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle and appointed to spread the Good News of God.
2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures
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(God had already promised this Good News through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures.
3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David,
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This Good News is about his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. In his human nature he was a descendant of David.
4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
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In his spiritual, holy nature he was declared the Son of God. This was shown in a powerful way when he came back to life.
5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake.
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Through him we have received God's kindness and the privilege of being apostles who bring people from every nation to the obedience that is associated with faith. This is for the honor of his name.
6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
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You are among those who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ.)
7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
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To everyone in Rome whom God loves and has called to be his holy people. Good will and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are yours!
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.
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First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for every one of you because the news of your faith is spreading throughout the whole world.
9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you
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I serve God by spreading the Good News about his Son. God is my witness that I always mention you
10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
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every time I pray. I ask that somehow God will now at last make it possible for me to visit you.
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—
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I long to see you to share a spiritual blessing with you so that you will be strengthened.
12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.
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What I mean is that we may be encouraged by each other's faith.
13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
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I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I often planned to visit you. However, until now I have been kept from doing so. What I want is to enjoy some of the results of working among you as I have also enjoyed the results of working among the rest of the nations.
14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.
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I have an obligation to those who are civilized and those who aren't, to those who are wise and those who aren't.
15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.
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That's why I'm eager to tell you who live in Rome the Good News also.
16 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.
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I'm not ashamed of the Good News. It is God's power to save everyone who believes, Jews first and Greeks as well.
17 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.”
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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."
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
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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.
19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
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What can be known about God is clear to them because he has made it clear to them.
20 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.
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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.
21 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.
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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.
22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
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While claiming to be wise, they became fools.
23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
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They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for statues that looked like mortal humans, birds, animals, and snakes.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
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For this reason God allowed their lusts to control them. As a result, they dishonor their bodies by sexual perversion with each other.
25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
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These people have exchanged God's truth for a lie. So they have become ungodly and serve what is created rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen!
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.
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For this reason God allowed their shameful passions to control them. Their women have exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.
27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
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Likewise, their men have given up natural sexual relations with women and burn with lust for each other. Men commit indecent acts with men, so they experience among themselves the punishment they deserve for their perversion.
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.
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And because they thought it was worthless to acknowledge God, God allowed their own immoral minds to control them. So they do these indecent things.
29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,
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Their lives are filled with all kinds of sexual sins, wickedness, and greed. They are mean. They are filled with envy, murder, quarreling, deceit, and viciousness. They are gossips,
30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;
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slanderers, haters of God, haughty, arrogant, and boastful. They think up new ways to be cruel. They don't obey their parents,
31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.
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don't have any sense, don't keep promises, and don't show love to their own families or mercy to others.
32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
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Although they know God's judgment that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do these things but also approve of others who do them.
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.
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.