Psalms 49; Psalms 50; Romans 1

1 Hear this, all you nations. Listen, all you who live in this world.

2 Listen, ordinary and important people alike. Listen, those of you who are rich or poor.

3 My mouth will speak wise words. What I say from my heart will give understanding.

4 I will pay attention to a proverb. I will explain my riddle as I play the harp.

5 Why should I be afraid when trouble comes? Why should I fear when sinners are all around me? They are the kind of people who want to take advantage of me.

6 They trust in their wealth. They brag about how rich they are.

7 No man can pay for the life of anyone else. No one can give God what that would cost.

8 The price for a life is very high. No payment is ever enough.

9 No one can pay enough to live forever and not rot in the grave.

10 Everyone can see that even wise people die. Foolish and dumb people also pass away. All of them leave their wealth to others.

11 Their graves will remain their houses forever. Their graves will be their homes for all time to come. Naming lands after themselves won't help either.

12 Even though people may be very rich, they don't live on and on. They are like the animals. They die.

13 That's what happens to those who trust in themselves. It also happens to their followers, who agree with what they say. "Selah"

14 Like sheep they will end up in the grave. Death will swallow them up. When honest people come to power, a new day will dawn. The bodies of sinners will waste away in the grave. They will end up far away from their princely houses.

15 But God will save me from the grave. He will certainly take me to himself. "Selah"

16 Don't be upset when someone becomes rich. Don't be troubled when he becomes more and more wealthy.

17 He won't take anything with him when he dies. His riches won't go down to the grave with him.

18 While he lived, he believed he was blessed. People praised him when things were going well for him.

19 But he will die, like his people of long ago. He will never again see the light that leads to life.

20 People who have riches but don't understand are like the animals. They die.

1 The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks. He calls out to the earth from the sunrise in the east to the sunset in the west.

2 From Zion, perfect and beautiful, God's glory shines out.

3 Our God comes, and he won't be silent. A burning fire goes ahead of him. A terrible storm is all around him.

4 He calls out to heaven and earth to be his witnesses. Then he judges his people.

5 He says, "Gather my holy people around me. They made a covenant with me by offering a sacrifice."

6 The heavens announce that what God decides is right. He himself is the Judge. "Selah"

7 God says, "Listen, my people, and I will speak. Listen, Israel, and I will give witness against you. I am God, your God.

8 I don't find fault with you because of your sacrifices. I don't find fault with the burnt offerings you always bring me.

9 I don't need a bull from your barn. I don't need goats from your pens.

10 Every animal in the forest already belongs to me. And so do the cattle on a thousand hills.

11 I own every bird in the mountains. The creatures of the field belong to me.

12 If I were hungry, I wouldn't tell you. The world belongs to me. And so does everything in it.

13 Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats?

14 Bring me thank offerings, because I am your God. Carry out the promises you made to me, because I am the Most High God.

15 Call out to me when trouble comes. I will save you. And you will honor me."

16 But here is what God says to sinful people. "What right do you have to speak the words of my laws? How dare you speak the words of my covenant!

17 You hate my teaching. You turn your back on what I say.

18 When you see a thief, you join him. You make friends with those who commit adultery.

19 You use your mouth to speak evil. You use your tongue to spread lies.

20 You always speak against your brother. You always tell lies about your own mother's son.

21 You have done those things, and I kept silent. So you thought I was just like you. But now I'm going to correct you. I will bring charges against you.

22 "You who forget God, think about this. If you don't, I will tear you to pieces. No one will be able to save you.

23 Anyone who sacrifices thank offerings to me honors me. He makes it possible for me to show him that I am the God who saves."

1 I, Paul, am writing this letter. I serve Christ Jesus. I have been appointed to be an apostle. God set me apart to tell others his good news.

2 He promised the good news long ago. He announced it through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures.

3 The good news is about God's Son. As a human being, the Son of God belonged to King David's family line.

4 By the power of the Holy Spirit, he was appointed to be the mighty Son of God because he rose from the dead. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.

5 I received God's grace because of what Jesus did so that I could bring glory to him. He made me an apostle to all those who aren't Jews. I must invite them to have faith in God and obey him.

6 You also are among those who are appointed to belong to Jesus Christ.

7 I am sending this letter to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and appointed to be his 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 all of you. People all over the world are talking about your faith.

9 I serve God with my whole heart. I preach the good news about his Son. God knows that I always remember you

10 in my prayers. I pray that now at last it may be God's plan to open the way for me to visit you.

11 I long to see you. I want to make you strong by giving you a gift from the Holy Spirit.

12 I want us to cheer each other up by sharing our faith.

13 Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that I planned many times to visit you. But until now I have been kept from coming. My work has produced results among others who are not Jews. In the same way, I want to see results among you.

14 I have a duty both to Greeks and to non-Greeks. I have a duty both to wise people and to foolish people.

15 So I really want to preach the good news also to you who live in Rome.

16 I am not ashamed of the good news. It is God's power. And it will save everyone who believes. It is meant first for the Jews. It is meant also for those who aren't Jews.

17 The good news shows how God makes people right with himself. From beginning to end, becoming right with God depends on a person's faith. It is written, "Those who are right with God will live by faith."(Habakkuk 2:4)

18 God shows his anger from heaven. It is against all the godless and evil things people do. They are so evil that they say no to the truth.

19 The truth about God is plain to them. God has made it plain.

20 Ever since the world was created it has been possible to see the qualities of God that are not seen. I'm talking about his eternal power and about the fact that he is God. Those things can be seen in what he has made. So people have no excuse for what they do.

21 They knew God. But they didn't honor him as God. They didn't thank him. Their thinking became worthless. Their foolish hearts became dark.

22 They claimed to be wise. But they made fools of themselves.

23 They would rather have statues of gods than the glorious God who lives forever. Their statues of gods are made to look like people, birds, animals and reptiles.

24 So God let them go. He allowed them to do what their sinful hearts wanted to. He let them commit sexual sins. They polluted one another's bodies by what they did.

25 They chose a lie instead of God's truth. They worshiped and served created things. They didn't worship the Creator. But he must be praised forever. Amen.

26 So God let them go. They were filled with shameful longings. Their women committed sexual acts that were not natural.

27 In the same way, the men turned away from their natural love for women. They burned with sexual longing for each other. Men did shameful things with other men. They suffered in their bodies for all the twisted things they did.

28 They didn't think it was important to know God. So God let them go. He allowed them to have dirty minds. They did things they shouldn't do.

29 They are full of every kind of sin, evil and ungodliness. They want more than they need. They commit murder. They want what belongs to other people. They fight and cheat. They hate others. They say mean things about other people.

30 They tell lies about them. They hate God. They are rude and proud. They brag. They think of new ways to do evil. They don't obey their parents.

31 They are foolish. They can't be trusted. They are not loving and kind.

32 They know that God's commands are right. They know that those who do evil things should die. But they continue to do those very things. They also approve of others who do them.