Romans 1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, who was called to be an apostle, and set apart for preaching the Gospel of God.

AUV⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ [This letter is from] Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, [who was] called to be an apostle, [and] set apart for [preaching] the Gospel of God. ² God had promised this good news a long time ago through His prophets [and had it written] in the holy Scriptures [i.e., the Old Testament]. ³ It was about His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born as a physical descendant of King David. ⁴ He was appointed to be the Son of God with power through the Spirit of holiness [Note: This could refer to the Holy Spirit] when He was raised from the dead. ⁵ It was through Jesus, and for His name’s sake, that we [i.e., I] received God’s favor to become an apostle, in order to bring about obedience based on faith from among people of all nations. ⁶ (OMITTED TEXT) ⁷ All of you there in Rome [i.e., the church there] are also among such obedient believers. You are called Jesus Christ’s [people], loved by God and called to be His holy people. May you have unearned favor and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ⁸ First of all, I want to thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being told about throughout the whole world. ⁹ For God, whom I serve wholeheartedly in [preaching] the Gospel of His Son, is my witness [to the truth] of how continually I mention you in my prayers. ¹⁰ I am always requesting that somehow, by God’s will, I may now eventually be able to visit you. ¹¹ For I long to see you so that I can provide you with some spiritual gift [See I Cor. 12:1-11], for the purpose of strengthening you [in the faith]. ¹² What I mean is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. ¹³ And I want you to be aware, brothers, of how frequently I [had] planned to visit you (but was prevented from doing so until now). I wanted to come in order to bear some fruit [i.e., make additional converts] among you, just as I have done among the other Gentiles [i.e., unconverted people]. ¹⁴ I have a debt to pay [i.e., an obligation to preach] to Greeks and heathens; to the educated and to the ignorant. ¹⁵ So, to the best of my ability, I am eager to preach the Gospel to all of you in Rome also. ¹⁶ I am not ashamed of the good news [i.e., the Gospel], because it is God’s power for [bringing] salvation to every person who believes [in Jesus]; first to Jews and then to Greeks [i.e., unconverted Gentiles]. ¹⁷ For the Gospel reveals how a person can be made right with God. It is through faith [in Jesus], from beginning to end, just as it is written [Hab. 2:4], “The righteous person will [obtain] life by [his] faith [in God].” ¹⁸ For God’s extreme anger is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people who restrain the truth [from being known and obeyed] by their wickedness. ¹⁹ For what is known about God is plain to these people [i.e., to the Gentiles], because God has made it clear to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities of eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, [capable of] being perceived through the things that He has made. So, these people have no excuse [i.e., for not believing in Him]. ²¹ Now they knew who God was, but they did not honor Him as God or thank Him [for their blessings]. Instead they engaged in their useless speculations and their foolish minds were filled with [spiritual] darkness. ²² They claimed to be wise, but became fools, ²³ and exchanged the honor belonging to the immortal God for the statues of mortal men, and birds, and animals and reptiles. ²⁴ So, God allowed [or, abandoned] them to have the impure desires of their hearts, and to [practice] degrading behavior with their bodies among themselves. ²⁵ For they exchanged God’s truth for the [devil’s] lie, and worshiped and served what was created instead of the Creator, who is to be praised forever. May it be so. ²⁶ For this reason God allowed [or, abandoned] them to [practice] degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function [i.e., of sex] for what is against nature [i.e., lesbianism]. ²⁷ And men did the same thing, leaving the natural function [i.e., of sex] with women, and burning in their desire for each other. Men committed indecent [sexual] acts with other men [i.e., homosexuality], and [so] brought on themselves the penalty they deserved for this perversion. ²⁸ And since these people refused to acknowledge God, He has allowed [or, abandoned] them to have degraded minds and to practice those things which they should not do. ²⁹ They are full of all kinds of wickedness, evil, greed, and maliciousness. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, hateful toward God, arrogant, proud and boastful. They think up evil things to do; they disobey their parents; ³¹ they do not have any sense; they do not keep their promises; they fail to show natural affection; and they are merciless. ³² These people know that God’s decrees require that those who practice such things deserve to die [i.e., either spiritual or temporal punishment], yet they not only do the same things [themselves], but even approve of other people who practice them.