The document was marked with 45 Deletions, 47 Insertions, 0 Moves.
Romans Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Chapter 1
1From Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus.
God chose me to be an apostle, and he appointed me to preach the good news 2that he promised long ago by
what his prophets said in the holy Scriptures. 3-4This good news is about his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ! As a
human, he was from the family of David. But the Holy Spirit proved that Jesus is the powerful Son of God,
because he was raised from death. 5Jesus was kind to me and chose me to be an apostle, so that people of
all nations would obey and have faith. 6You are some of those people chosen by Jesus Christ. 7This letter is
to all of you in Rome. God loves you and has chosen you to be his very own people.
I pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!
A Prayer of Thanks
8First, I thank God in the name of Jesus Christ for all of you. I do this because people everywhere in the
world are talking about your faith. 9God has seen how I never stop praying for you, while I serve him with all
my heart and tell the good news about his Son.
10In all my prayers, I ask God to make it possible for me to visit you. 11I want to see you and share with you
the same blessings that God's Spirit has given me. Then you will grow stronger in your faith. 12What I am
saying is that we can encourage each other by the faith that is ours.
13My friends, I want you to know that I have often planned to come for a visit. But something has always
kept me from doing it. I want to win followers to Christ in Rome, as I have done in many other places. 14-15It
doesn't matter if people are civilized and educated, or if they are uncivilized and uneducated. I must tell the
good news to everyone. That's why I am eager to visit all of you in Rome.
The Power of the Good News
16I am proud of the good news! It is God's powerful way of saving all people who have faith, whether they
are Jews or Gentiles. 17The good news tells how God accepts everyone who has faith, but only those who
have faith. It is just as the Scriptures say, "The people God accepts because of their faith will live."
Everyone Is Guilty
18From heaven God shows how angry he is with all the wicked and evil things that sinful people do to crush
the truth. 19They know everything that can be known about God, because God has shown it all to them.
20God's eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown
what these are like by all he has made. That's why those people don't have any excuse. 21They know about
God, but they don't honor him or even thank him. Their thoughts are useless, and their stupid minds are in the
dark. 22They claim to be wise, but they are fools. 23They don't worship the glorious and eternal God.
Instead, they worship idols that are made to look like humans who cannot live forever, and like birds, animals,
and reptiles.
24So God let these people go their own way. They did what they wanted to do, and their filthy thoughts
made them do shameful things with their bodies. 25They gave up the truth about God for a lie, and they
worshiped God's creation instead of God, who will be praised forever. Amen.
26God let them follow their own evil desires. Women no longer wanted to have sex in a natural way, and they
did things with each other that were not natural. 27Men behaved in the same way. They stopped wanting to
have sex with women and had strong desires for sex with other men. They did shameful things with each
other, and what has happened to them is punishment for their foolish deeds.
28Since these people refused even to think about God, he let their useless minds rule over them. That's why
they do all sorts of indecent things. 29They are evil, wicked, and greedy, as well as mean in every possible
way. They want what others have, and they murder, argue, cheat, and are hard to get along with. They
gossip, 30say cruel things about others, and hate God. They are proud, conceited, and boastful, always
thinking up new ways to do evil.
These people don't respect their parents. 31They are stupid, unreliable, and don't have any love or pity for
others. 32They know God has said that anyone who acts this way deserves to die. But they keep on doing
evil things, and they even encourage others to do them.
Chapter 2
God's Judgment Is Fair
1Some of you accuse others of doing wrong. But there is no excuse for what you do. When you judge others,
you condemn yourselves, because you are guilty of doing the very same things. 2We know that God is right
to judge everyone who behaves in this way. 3Do you really think God won't punish you, when you behave
exactly like the people you accuse? 4You surely don't think much of God's wonderful goodness or of his
patience and willingness to put up with you. Don't you know that the reason God is good to you is because
he wants you to turn to him?
5But you are stubborn and refuse to turn to God. So you are making things even worse for yourselves on that
day when he will show how angry he is and will judge the world with fairness. 6God will reward each of us for
what we have done. 7He will give eternal life to everyone who has patiently done what is good in the hope of
receiving glory, honor, and life that lasts forever. 8But he will show how angry and furious he can be with
every selfish person who rejects the truth and wants to do evil. 9All who are wicked will be punished with
trouble and suffering. It doesn't matter if they are Jews or Gentiles. 10But all who do right will be rewarded
with glory, honor, and peace, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. 11God doesn't have any favorites!
12Those people who don't know about God's Law will still be punished for what they do wrong. And the Law
will be used to judge everyone who knows what it says. 13God accepts those who obey his Law, but not
those who simply hear it.
14Some people naturally obey the Law's commands, even though they don't have the Law. 15This proves
that the conscience is like a law written in the human heart. And it will show whether we are forgiven or
condemned, 16when God appoints Jesus Christ to judge everyone's secret thoughts, just as my message
says.
The Jews and the Law
17Some of you call yourselves Jews. You trust in the Law and take pride in God. 18By reading the Scriptures
you learn how God wants you to behave, and you discover what is right. 19You are sure that you are a guide
for the blind and a light for all who are in the dark. 20And since there is knowledge and truth in God's Law,
you think you can instruct fools and teach young people.
21But how can you teach others when you refuse to learn? You preach that it is wrong to steal. But do you
steal? 22You say people should be faithful in marriage. But are you faithful? You hate idols, yet you rob their
temples. 23You take pride in the Law, but you disobey the Law and bring shame to God. 24It is just as the
Scriptures tell us, "You have made foreigners say insulting things about God."
25Being circumcised is worthwhile, if you obey the Law. But if you don't obey the Law, you are no better off
than people who are not circumcised. 26In fact, if they obey the Law, they are as good as anyone who is
circumcised. 27So everyone who obeys the Law, but has never been circumcised, will condemn you. Even
though you are circumcised and have the Law, you still don't obey its teachings.
28Just because you live like a Jew and are circumcised doesn't make you a real Jew. 29To be a real Jew you
must obey the Law. True circumcision is something that happens deep in your heart, not something done to
your body. And besides, you should want praise from God and not from humans.
Chapter 3
1What good is it to be a Jew? What good is it to be circumcised? 2It is good in a lot of ways! First of all,
God's messages were spoken to the Jews. 3It is true that some of them did not believe the message. But
does this mean that God cannot be trusted, just because they did not have faith? 4No, indeed! God tells the
truth, even if everyone else is a liar. The Scriptures say about God,
"Your words
will be proven true,
and in court
you will win your case."
5If our evil deeds show how right God is, then what can we say? Is it wrong for God to become angry and
punish us? What a foolish thing to ask. 6But the answer is, "No." Otherwise, how could God judge the world?
7Since your lies bring great honor to God by showing how truthful he is, you may ask why God still says you
are a sinner. 8You might as well say, "Let's do something evil, so that something good will come of it!" Some
people even claim that we are saying this. But God is fair and will judge them as well.
No One Is Good
9What does all this mean? Does it mean that we Jews are better off than the Gentiles? No, it doesn't! Jews,
as well as Gentiles, are ruled by sin, just as I have said. 10The Scriptures tell us, "No one is acceptable to
God!
11Not one of them understands
or even searches for God.
12They have all turned away
and are worthless.
There isn't one person
who does right.
13Their words are like
an open pit,
and their tongues are good
only for telling lies.
Each word is as deadly
as the fangs of a snake,
14and they say nothing
but bitter curses.
15These people quickly
become violent.
16Wherever they go,
they leave ruin
and destruction.
17They don't know how
to live in peace.
18They don't even fear God."
19We know that everything in the Law was written for those who are under its power. The Law says these
things to stop anyone from making excuses and to let God show that the whole world is guilty. 20God doesn't
accept people simply because they obey the Law. No, indeed! All the Law does is to point out our sin.
God's Way of Accepting People
21Now we see how God does make us acceptable to him. The Law and the Prophets tell how we become
acceptable, and it isn't by obeying the Law of Moses. 22God treats everyone alike. He accepts people only
because they have faith in Jesus Christ. 23All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. 24But God
treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free
from our sins. 25-26God sent Christ to be our sacrifice. Christ offered his life's blood, so that by faith in him
we could come to God. And God did this to show that in the past he was right to be patient and forgive
sinners. This also shows that God is right when he accepts people who have faith in Jesus. 27What is left for
us to brag about? Not a thing! Is it because we obeyed some law? No! It is because of faith. 28We see that
people are acceptable to God because they have faith, and not because they obey the Law. 29Does God
belong only to the Jews? Isn't he also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, he is! 30There is only one God, and he
accepts Gentiles as well as Jews, simply because of their faith. 31Do we destroy the Law by our faith? Not at
all! We make it even more powerful.
Chapter 4
The Example of Abraham
1Well then, what can we say about our ancestor Abraham? 2If he became acceptable to God because of
what he did, then he would have something to brag about. But he would never be able to brag about it to
God. 3The Scriptures say, "God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith in him."
4Money paid to workers isn't a gift. It is something they earn by working. 5But you cannot make God accept
you because of something you do. God accepts sinners only because they have faith in him. 6In the
Scriptures David talks about the blessings that come to people who are acceptable to God, even though they
don't do anything to deserve these blessings. David says,
7"God blesses people
whose sins are forgiven
and whose evil deeds
are forgotten.
8The Lord blesses people
whose sins are erased
from his book."
9Are these blessings meant for circumcised people or for those who are not circumcised? Well, the Scriptures
say that God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith in him. 10But when did this happen? Was it
before or after Abraham was circumcised? Of course, it was before.
11Abraham let himself be circumcised to show that he had been accepted because of his faith even before he
was circumcised. This makes Abraham the father of all who are acceptable to God because of their faith,
even though they are not circumcised. 12This also makes Abraham the father of everyone who is circumcised
and has faith in God, as Abraham did before he was circumcised.
The Promise Is for All Who Have Faith
13God promised Abraham and his descendants that he would give them the world. This promise wasn't made
because Abraham had obeyed a law, but because his faith in God made him acceptable. 14If Abraham and his
descendants were given this promise because they had obeyed a law, then faith would mean nothing, and the
promise would be worthless.
15God becomes angry when his Law is broken. But where there isn't a law, it cannot be broken. 16Everything
depends on having faith in God, so that God's promise is assured by his great kindness. This promise isn't only
for Abraham's descendants who have the Law. It is for all who are Abraham's descendants because they have
faith, just as he did. Abraham is the ancestor of us all. 17The Scriptures say that Abraham would become the
ancestor of many nations. This promise was made to Abraham because he had faith in God, who raises the
dead to life and creates new things.
18God promised Abraham a lot of descendants. And when it all seemed hopeless, Abraham still had faith in
God and became the ancestor of many nations. 19Abraham's faith never became weak, not even when he
was nearly a hundred years old. He knew that he was almost dead and that his wife Sarah could not have
children. 20But Abraham never doubted or questioned God's promise. His faith made him strong, and he gave
all the credit to God.
21Abraham was certain that God could do what he had promised. 22So God accepted him, 23just as we read
in the Scriptures. But these words were not written only for Abraham. 24They were written for us, since we
will also be accepted because of our faith in God, who raised our Lord Jesus to life. 25God gave Jesus to die
for our sins, and he raised him to life, so that we would be made acceptable to God.
Chapter 5
What It Means To Be Acceptable to God
1By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we live at
peace with God. 2Christ has also introduced us to God's undeserved kindness on which we take our stand. So
we are happy, as we look forward to sharing in the glory of God. 3But that's not all! We gladly suffer, because
we know that suffering helps us to endure. 4And endurance builds character, which gives us a hope 5that will
never disappoint us. All of this happens because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his
love. 6Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. 7No one is really willing to die for an
honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. 8But God showed how much
he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.
9But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life's blood, we will also be
kept safe from God's anger. 10Even when we were God's enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son
died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will
be saved by his Son's life. 11And in addition to everything else, we are happy because God sent our Lord
Jesus Christ to make peace with us.
Adam and Christ
12Adam sinned, and that sin brought death into the world. Now everyone has sinned, and so everyone must
die. 13Sin was in the world before the Law came. But no record of sin was kept, because there was no Law.
14Yet death still had power over all who lived from the time of Adam to the time of Moses. This happened,
though not everyone disobeyed a direct command from God, as Adam did.
In some ways Adam is like Christ who came later. 15But the gift that God was kind enough to give was very
different from Adam's sin. That one sin brought death to many others. Yet in an even greater way, Jesus
Christ alone brought God's gift of kindness to many people.
16There is a lot of difference between Adam's sin and God's gift. That one sin led to punishment. But God's
gift made it possible for us to be acceptable to him, even though we have sinned many times. 17Death ruled
like a king because Adam had sinned. But that cannot compare with what Jesus Christ has done. God has
been so kind to us, and he has accepted us because of Jesus. And so we will live and rule like kings.
18Everyone was going to be punished because Adam sinned. But because of the good thing that Christ has
done, God accepts us and gives us the gift of life. 19Adam disobeyed God and caused many others to be
sinners. But Jesus obeyed him and will make many people acceptable to God.
20The Law came, so that the full power of sin could be seen. Yet where sin was powerful, God's kindness was
even more powerful. 21Sin ruled by means of death. But God's kindness now rules, and God has accepted us
because of Jesus Christ our Lord. This means that we will have eternal life.
Chapter 6
Dead to Sin but Alive because of Christ
1What should we say? Should we keep on sinning, so that God's wonderful kindness will show up even better?
2No, we should not! If we are dead to sin, how can we go on sinning? 3Don't you know that all who share in
Christ Jesus by being baptized also share in his death? 4When we were baptized, we died and were buried
with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of
God the Father.
5If we shared in Jesus' death by being baptized, we will be raised to life with him. 6We know that the persons
we used to be were nailed to the cross with Jesus. This was done, so that our sinful bodies would no longer
be the slaves of sin. 7We know that sin doesn't have power over dead people.
8As surely as we died with Christ, we believe we will also live with him. 9We know that death no longer has
any power over Christ. He died and was raised to life, never again to die. 10When Christ died, he died for sin
once and for all. But now he is alive, and he lives only for God. 11In the same way, you must think of
yourselves as dead to the power of sin. But Christ Jesus has given life to you, and you live for God.
12Don't let sin rule your body. After all, your body is bound to die, so don't obey its desires 13or let any part
of it become a slave of evil. Give yourselves to God, as people who have been raised from death to life. Make
every part of your body a slave that pleases God. 14Don't let sin keep ruling your lives. You are ruled by God's
kindness and not by the Law.
Slaves Who Do What Pleases God
15What does all this mean? Does it mean we are free to sin, because we are ruled by God's wonderful
kindness and not by the Law? Certainly not! 16Don't you know that you are slaves of anyone you obey? You
can be slaves of sin and die, or you can be obedient slaves of God and be acceptable to him. 17You used to
be slaves of sin. But I thank God that with all your heart you obeyed the teaching you received from me.
18Now you are set free from sin and are slaves who please God.
19I am using these everyday examples, because in some ways you are still weak. You used to let the
different parts of your body be slaves of your evil thoughts. But now you must make every part of your body
serve God, so that you will belong completely to him.
20When you were slaves of sin, you didn't have to please God. 21But what good did you receive from the
things you did? All you have to show for them is your shame, and they lead to death. 22Now you have been
set free from sin, and you are God's slaves. This will make you holy and will lead you to eternal life. 23Sin
pays off with death. But God's gift is eternal life given by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Chapter 7
An Example from Marriage
1My friends, you surely understand enough about law to know that laws only have power over people who are
alive. 2For example, the Law says that a man's wife must remain his wife as long as he lives. But once her
husband is dead, she is free 3to marry someone else. However, if she goes off with another man while her
husband is still alive, she is said to be unfaithful.
4That is how it is with you, my friends. You are now part of the body of Christ and are dead to the power of
the Law. You are free to belong to Christ, who was raised to life so that we could serve God. 5When we
thought only of ourselves, the Law made us have sinful desires. It made every part of our bodies into slaves
who are doomed to die. 6But the Law no longer rules over us. We are like dead people, and it cannot have
any power over us. Now we can serve God in a new way by obeying his Spirit, and not in the old way by
obeying the written Law.
The Battle with Sin
7Does this mean that the Law is sinful? Certainly not! But if it had not been for the Law, I would not have
known what sin is really like. For example, I would not have known what it means to want something that
belongs to someone else, unless the Law had told me not to do that. 8It was sin that used this command as
a way of making me have all kinds of desires. But without the Law, sin is dead.
9Before I knew about the Law, I was alive. But as soon as I heard that command, sin came to life, 10and I
died. The very command that was supposed to bring life to me, instead brought death. 11Sin used this
command to trick me, and because of it I died. 12Still, the Law and its commands are holy and correct and
good.
13Am I saying that something good caused my death? Certainly not! It was sin that killed me by using
something good. Now we can see how terrible and evil sin really is. 14We know that the Law is spiritual. But I
am merely a human, and I have been sold as a slave to sin. 15In fact, I don't understand why I act the way I
do. I don't do what I know is right. I do the things I hate. 16Although I don't do what I know is right, I agree
that the Law is good. 17So I am not the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does
them.
18I know that my selfish desires won't let me do anything that is good. Even when I want to do right, I
cannot. 19Instead of doing what I know is right, I do wrong. 20And so, if I don't do what I know is right, I am
no longer the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them.
21The Law has shown me that something in me keeps me from doing what I know is right. 22With my whole
heart I agree with the Law of God. 23But in every part of me I discover something fighting against my mind,
and it makes me a prisoner of sin that controls everything I do. 24What a miserable person I am. Who will
rescue me from this body that is doomed to die? 25Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me.
So with my mind I serve the Law of God, although my selfish desires make me serve the law of sin.
Chapter 8
Living by the Power of God's Spirit
1If you belong to Christ Jesus, you won't be punished. 2The Holy Spirit will give you life that comes from
Christ Jesus and will set you free from sin and death. 3The Law of Moses cannot do this, because our selfish
desires make the Law weak. But God set you free when he sent his own Son to be like us sinners and to be a
sacrifice for our sin. God used Christ's body to condemn sin. 4He did this, so that we would do what the Law
commands by obeying the Spirit instead of our own desires. 5People who are ruled by their desires think only
of themselves. Everyone who is ruled by the Holy Spirit thinks about spiritual things. 6If our minds are ruled by
our desires, we will die. But if our minds are ruled by the Spirit, we will have life and peace. 7Our desires fight
against God, because they do not and cannot obey God's laws. 8If we follow our desires, we cannot please
God.
9You are no longer ruled by your desires, but by God's Spirit, who lives in you. People who don't have the
Spirit of Christ in them don't belong to him. 10But Christ lives in you. So you are alive because God has
accepted you, even though your bodies must die because of your sins. 11Yet God raised Jesus to life! God's
Spirit now lives in you, and he will raise you to life by his Spirit.
12My dear friends, we must not live to satisfy our desires. 13If you do, you will die. But you will live, if by the
help of God's Spirit you say "No" to your desires. 14Only those people who are led by God's Spirit are his
children. 15God's Spirit doesn't make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call
him our Father. 16God's Spirit makes us sure that we are his children. 17His Spirit lets us know that together
with Christ we will be given what God has promised. We will also share in the glory of Christ, because we have
suffered with him.
A Wonderful Future for God's People
18I am sure that what we are suffering now cannot compare with the glory that will be shown to us. 19In
fact, all creation is eagerly waiting for God to show who his children are. 20Meanwhile, creation is confused,
but not because it wants to be confused. God made it this way in the hope 21that creation would be set free
from decay and would share in the glorious freedom of his children. 22We know that all creation is still
groaning and is in pain, like a woman about to give birth.
23The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for
God to show that we are his children. This means that our bodies will also be set free. 24And this hope is
what saves us. But if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping. 25However, we
hope for something we have not yet seen, and we patiently wait for it. 26In certain ways we are weak, but
the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in
ways that cannot be put into words. 27All of our thoughts are known to God. He can understand what is in
the mind of the Spirit, as the Spirit prays for God's people. 28We know that God is always at work for the
good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose, 29and he has always
known who his chosen ones would be. He had decided to let them become like his own Son, so that his Son
would be the first of many children. 30God then accepted the people he had already decided to choose, and
he has shared his glory with them.
God's Love
31What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? 32God did not keep back
his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won't he freely give us everything else? 33If God says
his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? 34Or can anyone condemn
them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God's right side, speaking to him for us.
35Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and
nakedness, or danger and death? 36It is exactly as the Scriptures say, "For you we face death
all day long.
We are like sheep
on their way
to be butchered."
37In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. 38I am sure that nothing
can separate us from God's love--not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, 39and
not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ
Jesus our Lord!
Chapter 9
God's Choice of Israel
1I am a follower of Christ, and the Holy Spirit is a witness to my conscience. So I tell the truth and I am not
lying when I say 2my heart is broken and I am in great sorrow. 3I would gladly be placed under God's curse
and be separated from Christ for the good of my own people. 4They are the descendants of Israel, and they
are also God's chosen people. God showed them his glory. He made agreements with them and gave them his
Law. The temple is theirs and so are the promises that God made to them. 5They have those famous
ancestors, who were also the ancestors of Jesus Christ. I pray that God, who rules over all, will be praised
forever! Amen. 6It cannot be said that God broke his promise. After all, not all of the people of Israel are the
true people of God. 7-8In fact, when God made the promise to Abraham, he meant only Abraham's
descendants by his son Isaac. God was talking only about Isaac when he promised 9Sarah, "At this time next
year I will return, and you will already have a son."
10Don't forget what happened to the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. 11-12Even before they were born or
had done anything good or bad, the Lord told Rebekah that her older son would serve the younger one. The
Lord said this to show that he makes his own choices and that it wasn't because of anything either of them
had done. 13That's why the Scriptures say that the Lord liked Jacob more than Esau.
14Are we saying that God is unfair? Certainly not! 15The Lord told Moses that he has pity and mercy on
anyone he wants to. 16Everything then depends on God's mercy and not on what people want or do. 17In
the Scriptures the Lord says to Pharaoh of Egypt, "I let you become Pharaoh, so that I could show you my
power and be praised by all people on earth." 18Everything depends on what God decides to do, and he can
either have pity on people or make them stubborn.
God's Anger and Mercy
19Someone may ask, "How can God blame us, if he makes us behave in the way he wants us to?" 20But, my
friend, I ask, "Who do you think you are to question God? Does the clay have the right to ask the potter why
he shaped it the way he did? 21Doesn't a potter have the right to make a fancy bowl and a plain bowl out of
the same lump of clay?"
22God wanted to show his anger and reveal his power against everyone who deserved to be destroyed. But
instead, he patiently put up with them. 23He did this by showing how glorious he is when he has pity on the
people he has chosen to share in his glory. 24Whether Jews or Gentiles, we are those chosen ones, 25just as
the Lord says in the book of Hosea,
"Although they are not
my people,
I will make them my people.
I will treat with love
those nations
that have never been loved.
26"Once they were told,
`You are not my people.'
But in that very place
they will be called
children of the living God."
27And this is what the prophet Isaiah said about the people of Israel,
"The people of Israel
are as many
as the grains of sand
along the beach.
But only a few who are left
will be saved.
28The Lord will be quick
and sure to do on earth
what he has warned
he will do."
29Isaiah also said,
"If the Lord All-Powerful
had not spared some
of our descendants,
we would have been destroyed
like the cities of Sodom
and Gomorrah."
Israel and the Good News
30What does all of this mean? It means that the Gentiles were not trying to be acceptable to God, but they
found that he would accept them if they had faith. 31-32It also means that the people of Israel were not
acceptable to God. And why not? It was because they were trying to be acceptable by obeying the Law
instead of by having faith in God. The people of Israel fell over the stone that makes people stumble, 33just
as God says in the Scriptures, "Look! I am placing in Zion
a stone to make people
stumble and fall.
But those who have faith
in that one
will never
be disappointed."
Chapter 10
1Dear friends, my greatest wish and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. 2I know they
love God, but they don't understand 3what makes people acceptable to him. So they refuse to trust God, and
they try to be acceptable by obeying the Law. 4But Christ makes the Law no longer necessary for those who
become acceptable to God by faith.
Anyone Can Be Saved
5Moses said that a person could become acceptable to God by obeying the Law. He did this when he wrote,
"If you want to live, you must do all that the Law commands."
6But people whose faith makes them acceptable to God will never ask, "Who will go up to heaven to bring
Christ down?" 7Neither will they ask, "Who will go down into the world of the dead to raise him to life?"
8All who are acceptable because of their faith simply say, "The message is as near as your mouth or your
heart." And this is the same message we preach about faith. 9So you will be saved, if you honestly say,
"Jesus is Lord," and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. 10God will accept you
and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others.
11The Scriptures say that no one who has faith will be disappointed, 12no matter if that person is a Jew or a
Gentile. There is only one Lord, and he is generous to everyone who asks for his help. 13All who call out to
the Lord will be saved.
14How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And
how can they hear, unless someone tells them? 15And how can anyone tell them without being sent by the
Lord? The Scriptures say it is a beautiful sight to see even the feet of someone coming to preach the good
news. 16Yet not everyone has believed the message. For example, the prophet Isaiah asked, "Lord, has
anyone believed what we said?"
17No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ. 18But am I saying that the people of
Israel did not hear? No, I am not! The Scriptures say,
"The message was told
everywhere on earth.
It was announced
all over the world."
19Did the people of Israel understand or not? Moses answered this question when he told that the Lord had
said,
"I will make Israel jealous
of people
who are a nation
of nobodies.
I will make them angry
at people
who don't understand
a thing."
20Isaiah was fearless enough to tell that the Lord had said,
"I was found by people
who were not looking
for me.
I appeared to the ones
who were not asking
about me."
21And Isaiah said about the people of Israel,
"All day long the Lord
has reached out
to people who are stubborn
and refuse to obey."
Chapter 11
God Has Not Rejected His People
1Am I saying that God has turned his back on his people? Certainly not! I am one of the people of Israel, and
I myself am a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin. 2God did not turn his back on his chosen
people. Don't you remember reading in the Scriptures how Elijah complained to God about the people of Israel?
3He said, "Lord, they killed your prophets and destroyed your altars. I am the only one left, and now they
want to kill me."
4But the Lord told Elijah, "I still have seven thousand followers who have not worshiped Baal." 5It is the same
way now. God was kind to the people of Israel, and so a few of them are still his followers. 6This happened
because of God's undeserved kindness and not because of anything they have done. It could not have
happened except for God's kindness.
7This means that only a chosen few of the people of Israel found what all of them were searching for. And
the rest of them were stubborn, 8just as the Scriptures say,
"God made them so stupid
that their eyes are blind,
and their ears
are still deaf."
9Then David said,
"Turn their meals
into bait for a trap,
so that they will stumble
and be given
what they deserve.
10Blindfold their eyes!
Don't let them see.
Bend their backs
beneath a burden
that will never be lifted."
Gentiles Will Be Saved
11Do I mean that the people of Israel fell, never to get up again? Certainly not! Their failure made it possible
for the Gentiles to be saved, and this will make the people of Israel jealous. 12But if the rest of the world's
people were helped so much by Israel's sin and loss, they will be helped even more by their full return.
13I am now speaking to you Gentiles, and as long as I am an apostle to you, I will take pride in my work. 14I
hope in this way to make some of my own people jealous enough to be saved. 15When Israel rejected God,
the rest of the people in the world were able to turn to him. So when God makes friends with Israel, it will be
like bringing the dead back to life. 16If part of a batch of dough is made holy by being offered to God, then all
of the dough is holy. If the roots of a tree are holy, the rest of the tree is holy too. 17You Gentiles are like
branches of a wild olive tree that were made to be part of a cultivated olive tree. You have taken the place
of some branches that were cut away from it. And because of this, you enjoy the blessings that come from
being part of that cultivated tree. 18But don't think you are better than the branches that were cut away.
Just remember that you are not supporting the roots of that tree. Its roots are supporting you.
19Maybe you think those branches were cut away, so that you could be put in their place. 20That's true
enough. But they were cut away because they did not have faith, and you are where you are because you
do have faith. So don't be proud, but be afraid. 21If God cut away those natural branches, couldn't he do the
same to you?
22Now you see both how kind and how hard God can be. He was hard on those who fell, but he was kind to
you. And he will keep on being kind to you, if you keep on trusting in his kindness. Otherwise, you will be cut
away too.
23If those other branches will start having faith, they will be made a part of that tree again. God has the
power to put them back. 24After all, it wasn't natural for branches to be cut from a wild olive tree and to be
made part of a cultivated olive tree. So it is much more likely that God will join the natural branches back to
the cultivated olive tree.
The People of Israel Will Be Brought Back
25My friends, I don't want you Gentiles to be too proud of yourselves. So I will explain the mystery of what
has happened to the people of Israel. Some of them have become stubborn, and they will stay like that until
the complete number of you Gentiles has come in. 26In this way all of Israel will be saved, as the Scriptures
say,
"From Zion someone will come
to rescue us.
Then Jacob's descendants
will stop being evil.
27This is what the Lord
has promised to do
when he forgives their sins."
28The people of Israel are treated as God's enemies, so that the good news can come to you Gentiles. But
they are still the chosen ones, and God loves them because of their famous ancestors. 29God doesn't take
back the gifts he has given or forget about the people he has chosen.
30At one time you Gentiles rejected God. But now Israel has rejected God, and you have been shown mercy.
31And because of the mercy shown to you, they will also be shown mercy. 32All people have disobeyed God,
and that's why he treats them as prisoners. But he does this, so that he can have mercy on all of them.
33Who can measure the wealth and wisdom and knowledge of God? Who can understand his decisions or
explain what he does?
34"Has anyone known
the thoughts of the Lord
or given him advice?
35Has anyone loaned
something to the Lord
that must be repaid?"
36Everything comes from the Lord. All things were made because of him and will return to him. Praise the Lord
forever! Amen.
Chapter 12
Christ Brings New Life
1Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing.
That's the most sensible way to serve God. 2Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the
way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.
3I realize how kind God has been to me, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really
are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you. 4A body is made
up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. 5That's how it is with us. There are many of us, but we
each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another.
6God has also given each of us different gifts to use. If we can prophesy, we should do it according to the
amount of faith we have. 7If we can serve others, we should serve. If we can teach, we should teach. 8If
we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are
leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully.
Rules for Christian Living
9Be sincere in your love for others. Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good.
10Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself. 11Never give up.
Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. 12Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble
and never stop praying. 13Take care of God's needy people and welcome strangers into your home.
14Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them. 15When
others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad. 16Be friendly with everyone. Don't be
proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people. 17Don't mistreat someone
who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, 18and do your best to live at peace with
everyone. 19Dear friends, don't try to get even. Let God take revenge. In the Scriptures the Lord says,
"I am the one to take revenge
and pay them back."
20The Scriptures also say,
"If your enemies are hungry,
give them something to eat.
And if they are thirsty,
give them something
to drink.
This will be the same
as piling burning coals
on their heads."
21Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.
Chapter 13
Obey Rulers
1Obey the rulers who have authority over you. Only God can give authority to anyone, and he puts these
rulers in their places of power. 2People who oppose the authorities are opposing what God has done, and they
will be punished. 3Rulers are a threat to evil people, not to good people. There is no need to be afraid of the
authorities. Just do right, and they will praise you for it. 4After all, they are God's servants, and it is their
duty to help you.
If you do something wrong, you ought to be afraid, because these rulers have the right to punish you. They
are God's servants who punish criminals to show how angry God is. 5But you should obey the rulers because
you know it is the right thing to do, and not just because of God's anger.
6You must also pay your taxes. The authorities are God's servants, and it is their duty to take care of these
matters. 7Pay all that you owe, whether it is taxes and fees or respect and honor.
Love
8Let love be your only debt! If you love others, you have done all that the Law demands. 9In the Law there
are many commands, such as, "Be faithful in marriage. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not want what belongs
to others." But all of these are summed up in the command that says, "Love others as much as you love
yourself." 10No one who loves others will harm them. So love is all that the Law demands.
The Day When Christ Returns
11You know what sort of times we live in, and so you should live properly. It is time to wake up. You know
that the day when we will be saved is nearer now than when we first put our faith in the Lord. 12Night is
almost over, and day will soon appear. We must stop behaving as people do in the dark and be ready to live
in the light. 13So behave properly, as people do in the day. Don't go to wild parties or get drunk or be vulgar
or indecent. Don't quarrel or be jealous. 14Let the Lord Jesus Christ be as near to you as the clothes you
wear. Then you won't try to satisfy your selfish desires.
Chapter 14
Don't Criticize Others
1Welcome all the Lord's followers, even those whose faith is weak. Don't criticize them for having beliefs that
are different from yours. 2Some think it is all right to eat anything, while those whose faith is weak will eat
only vegetables. 3But you should not criticize others for eating or for not eating. After all, God welcomes
everyone. 4What right do you have to criticize someone else's servants? Only their Lord can decide if they
are doing right, and the Lord will make sure that they do right.
5Some of the Lord's followers think one day is more important than another. Others think all days are the
same. But each of you should make up your own mind. 6Any followers who count one day more important
than another day do it to honor their Lord. And any followers who eat meat give thanks to God, just like the
ones who don't eat meat.
7Whether we live or die, it must be for God, rather than for ourselves. 8Whether we live or die, it must be for
the Lord. Alive or dead, we still belong to the Lord. 9This is because Christ died and rose to life, so that he
would be the Lord of the dead and of the living. 10Why do you criticize other followers of the Lord? Why do
you look down on them? The day is coming when God will judge all of us. 11In the Scriptures God says,
"I swear by my very life
that everyone will kneel down
and praise my name!"
12And so, each of us must give an account to God for what we do.
Don't Cause Problems for Others
13We must stop judging others. We must also make up our minds not to upset anyone's faith. 14The Lord
Jesus has made it clear to me that God considers all foods fit to eat. But if you think some foods are unfit to
eat, then for you they are not fit.
15If you are hurting others by the foods you eat, you are not guided by love. Don't let your appetite destroy
someone Christ died for. 16Don't let your right to eat bring shame to Christ. 17God's kingdom isn't about
eating and drinking. It is about pleasing God, about living in peace, and about true happiness. All this comes
from the Holy Spirit. 18If you serve Christ in this way, you will please God and be respected by people. 19We
should try to live at peace and help each other have a strong faith. 20Don't let your appetite destroy what
God has done. All foods are fit to eat, but it is wrong to cause problems for others by what you eat. 21It is
best not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else that causes problems for other followers of the Lord.
22What you believe about these things should be kept between you and God. You are fortunate, if your
actions don't make you have doubts. 23But if you do have doubts about what you eat, you are going against
your beliefs. And you know that is wrong, because anything you do against your beliefs is sin.
Chapter 15
Please Others and Not Yourself
1If our faith is strong, we should be patient with the Lord's followers whose faith is weak. We should try to
please them instead of ourselves. 2We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases
them. 3Even Christ did not try to please himself. But as the Scriptures say, "The people who insulted you also
insulted me." 4And the Scriptures were written to teach and encourage us by giving us hope. 5God is the one
who makes us patient and cheerful. I pray that he will help you live at peace with each other, as you follow
Christ. 6Then all of you together will praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Good News Is for Jews and Gentiles
7Honor God by accepting each other, as Christ has accepted you. 8I tell you that Christ came as a servant of
the Jews to show that God has kept the promises he made to their famous ancestors. Christ also came, 9so
that the Gentiles would praise God for being kind to them. It is just as the Scriptures say,
"I will tell the nations
about you,
and I will sing praises
to your name."
10The Scriptures also say to the Gentiles, "Come and celebrate with God's people."
11Again the Scriptures say,
"Praise the Lord,
all you Gentiles.
All you nations, come
and worship him."
12Isaiah says,
"Someone from David's family
will come to power.
He will rule the nations,
and they will put their hope
in him."
13I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith.
And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.
Paul's Work as a Missionary
14My friends, I am sure that you are very good and that you have all the knowledge you need to teach each
other. 15But I have spoken to you plainly and have tried to remind you of some things. God was so kind to
me! 16He chose me to be a servant of Christ Jesus for the Gentiles and to do the work of a priest in the
service of his good news. God did this so that the Holy Spirit could make the Gentiles into a holy offering,
pleasing to him.
17Because of Christ Jesus, I can take pride in my service for God. 18In fact, all I will talk about is how Christ
let me speak and work, so that the Gentiles would obey him. 19Indeed, I will tell how Christ worked miracles
and wonders by the power of the Holy Spirit. I have preached the good news about him all the way from
Jerusalem to Illyricum. 20But I have always tried to preach where people have never heard about Christ. I am
like a builder who doesn't build on anyone else's foundation. 21It is just as the Scriptures say,
"All who haven't been told
about him
will see him,
and those who haven't heard
about him
will understand."
Paul's Plan To Visit Rome
22My work has always kept me from coming to see you. 23Now there is nothing left for me to do in this part
of the world, and for years I have wanted to visit you. 24So I plan to stop off on my way to Spain. Then
after a short, but refreshing, visit with you, I hope you will quickly send me on.
25-26I am now on my way to Jerusalem to deliver the money that the Lord's followers in Macedonia and
Achaia collected for God's needy people. 27This is something they really wanted to do. But sharing their
money with the Jews was also like paying back a debt, because the Jews had already shared their spiritual
blessings with the Gentiles. 28After I have safely delivered this money, I will visit you and then go on to
Spain. 29And when I do arrive in Rome, I know it will be with the full blessings of Christ.
30My friends, by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the love that comes from the Holy Spirit, I beg
you to pray sincerely with me and for me. 31Pray that God will protect me from the unbelievers in Judea, and
that his people in Jerusalem will be pleased with what I am doing. 32Ask God to let me come to you and have
a pleasant and refreshing visit. 33I pray that God, who gives peace, will be with all of you. Amen.
Chapter 16
Personal Greetings
1I have good things to say about Phoebe, who is a leader in the church at Cenchreae. 2Welcome her in a
way that is proper for someone who has faith in the Lord and is one of God's own people. Help her in any way
you can. After all, she has proved to be a respected leader for many others, including me.
3Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila. They have not only served Christ Jesus together with me, 4but
they have even risked their lives for me. I am grateful for them and so are all the Gentile churches. 5Greet
the church that meets in their home.
Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, who was the first person in Asia to have faith in Christ.
6Greet Mary, who has worked so hard for you.
7Greet my relatives Andronicus and Junias, who were in jail with me. They are highly respected by the
apostles and were followers of Christ before I was. 8Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend whose faith is in the
Lord.
9Greet Urbanus, who serves Christ along with us.
Greet my dear friend Stachys.
10Greet Apelles, a faithful servant of Christ.
Greet Aristobulus and his family.
11Greet Herodion, who is a relative of mine. Greet Narcissus and the others in his family, who have faith in
the Lord.
12Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who work hard for the Lord.
Greet my dear friend Persis. She also works hard for the Lord.
13Greet Rufus, that special servant of the Lord, and greet his mother, who has been like a mother to me.
14Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, and Hermas, as well as our friends who are with them.
15Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all of God's people who are with them.
16Be sure to give each other a warm greeting.
All of Christ's churches greet you.
17My friends, I beg you to watch out for anyone who causes trouble and divides the church by refusing to do
what all of you were taught. Stay away from them! 18They want to serve themselves and not Christ the
Lord. Their flattery and fancy talk fool people who don't know any better. 19I am glad that everyone knows
how well you obey the Lord. But still, I want you to understand what is good and not have anything to do
with evil. 20Then God, who gives peace, will soon crush Satan under your feet. I pray that our Lord Jesus will
be kind to you.
21Timothy, who works with me, sends his greetings, and so do my relatives, Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater.
22I, Tertius, also send my greetings. I am a follower of the Lord, and I wrote this letter. 23-24Gaius welcomes
me and the whole church into his home, and he sends his greetings.
Erastus, the city treasurer, and our dear friend Quartus send their greetings too.
Paul's Closing Prayer
25Praise God! He can make you strong by means of my good news, which is the message about Jesus Christ.
For ages and ages this message was kept secret, 26but now at last it has been told. The eternal God
commanded his prophets to write about the good news, so that all nations would obey and have faith. 27And
now, because of Jesus Christ, we can praise the only wise God forever! Amen.