1Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God, 2which he promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring of David according to the flesh, 4who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5through whom we received grace and the office of apostle, for obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name's sake; 6among whom you are also called to belong to Jesus Christ;

7to all who are in Rome, loved by God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. 9For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how I constantly mention you 10always in my prayers, requesting, if by any means now at last I may succeed by the will of God to come to you. 11For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you; 12that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. 13Now I do not desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you, and was hindered so far, that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the other non-Jewish people. 14I have an obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15So, for my part, I am eager to preach the Good News to you also who are in Rome.

16For I am not ashamed of the Good News, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek. 17For in it is revealed God's righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, "But the righteous will live by faith."

18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people, who suppress the truth by unrighteousness, 19because what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made. So they are without excuse. 21Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but their thinking became nonsense, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23and traded the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal humans, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and crawling creatures.

24Therefore God also abandoned them in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, 25who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26For this reason, God abandoned them to their degrading passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for that which is contrary to nature. 27Likewise also the men, giving up natural relations with women, burned in their lust toward one another, men with men, committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error.

28Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God abandoned them to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not right; 29being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers, 30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31foolish, promise-breakers, heartless, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.