Montgomery - Romans - 1

1:1  From Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for a gospel of God,

1:2  which through his prophets he promised beforetime, in holy writings;

1:3  this gospel is concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of David’s posterity in respect of his bodily nature,

1:4  but was by his resurrection from the dead instated as Son of God, with power, in respect of his spirit of holiness.

1:5  It is through him, even Jesus Christ our Lord, that I received grace and apostleship to promote obedience to the faith among all the Gentiles, for his name’s sake;

1:6  among whom you also are called to be Jesus Christ’s.

1:7  To all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. May God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, bless you, and give you peace.

1:8  First I thank my God, through Jesus Christ, for all of you, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout all the world.

1:9  God is my witness, to whom I render holy service in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how unceasingly I am ever making mention of you in my prayers,

1:10  always entreating him that now at length, if such be his will, the way may be made clear for me to come to you.

1:11  For I am longing so to see you, in order to impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established;

1:12  that is, that I with you may be encouraged by you, each of us by the other’s faith, yours and mine.

1:13  I want you to know, brothers, that many a time I have planned to come to you - though until now I have been hindered - so as to have some harvest-fruit among you also, even as I have among the rest of the Gentiles.

1:14  To Greeks and to barbarians, to the cultured and to the uncultured, I have a debt to discharge.

1:15  So much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

1:16  FOR I AM PROUD OF THE GOSPEL. IT IS GOD’S SAVING POWER FOR EVERY ONE WHO BELIEVES. FOR THE JEW FIRST, AND ALSO FOR THE GENTILE.

1:17  FOR IN IT IS BEING REVEALED A RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH PROCEEDS FROM GOD, FROM FAITH UNTO FAITH; AS IT IS WRITTEN.

1:18  For God’s wrath is ever being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who smother the truth by their unrighteousness.

1:19  This is so because that which may be known of God is manifest among them; for God has made it manifest to them.

1:20  For ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, even his everlasting power and divinity, has been clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made. So they have no excuse.

1:21  For although they knew God, yet they did not glorify him as God, nor give him thanks; but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened.

1:22  While they professed to be wise, they became fools,

1:23  and exchanged the majesty of the imperishable God for an idol, graven in the likeness of perishable man, or of birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things.

1:24  So God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their own bodies;

1:25  because they exchanged the truth of God for an untruth, and worshiped and served the creature, rather than the Creator who is blessed forever. Amen.

1:26  That is why God has given them up to passions of dishonor; for on the one hand their women actually changed the natural function of sex into that which is against nature;

1:27  and on the other hand their men likewise abandoned the natural use of women, and were ablaze with passion for one another; men with men practising shameless acts and receiving in their own person that recompense of their wrong-doing which necessarily followed.

1:28  And just as they refused to continue to retain God in their knowledge, so did God cast them out to an outcast mind, to do those things which were indecent.

1:29  They were overflowing with every kind of iniquity, depravity, greed, and malice. They were full of envy, murder, quarreling, deceit, and malignity.

1:30  They became whisperers, back-biters, hated of God, insolent, haughty, boastful. They invented sins. They were disobedient to parents.

1:31  They were without sense, without faith, without natural affection, without mercy.

1:32  Though they knew well the ordinance of God, that those who practise such vices are worthy of death, they not only continue to do the same, but were even applauding those who practise vice.