Romans

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

1Paul is writing this letter. He is a servant of Jesus Christ. God called him to be an apostle, a messenger sent out by Jesus. God set him apart to tell people the good news.

2(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

2God promised this good news long ago. He promised it through his prophets, people who told others what God said. Their words are written in the holy writings.

3Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

3The good news is about God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. As a human, he was born into the family of King David.

4And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

4The Spirit of holiness showed with power that Jesus is God's Son. God showed this by raising him from the dead.

5By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

5Through Jesus we were given God's kindness and a job to do. Our job is to help people in every nation trust and obey God. We do this for Jesus and his name.

6Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:

6You in Rome are some of those people. Jesus Christ has called you to belong to him.

7To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

7This letter is for everyone in Rome whom God loves. God has called you to be his own holy people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you kindness and peace.

8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you. People all over the world talk about how you trust God.

9For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

9God knows that this is true. I serve him with my whole heart by telling the good news about his Son. I pray for you all the time, and I never stop.

10Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

10In my prayers I keep asking God for one thing. I ask that he will let me travel safely and come to you at last.

11For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

11I really want to see you. I want to share a gift from God's Spirit with you. That gift will make you strong.

12That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

12I mean that we can cheer each other up. Your trust in God helps me. My trust in God helps you.

13Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

13Brothers and sisters, I want you to know something. Many times I planned to come to you. But each time something stopped me. I wanted good things to grow among you, as they have among other nations.

NoteThe King James Bible says Paul "was let" from coming. In 1611 "let" meant stopped or held back, which is the opposite of what "let" means today.

14I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.

14I owe this good news to everyone. I owe it to Greeks and to people who are not Greeks. I owe it to wise people and to simple people.

NoteThe King James Bible says "Barbarians." That word did not mean wild or cruel people. It simply meant people who were not Greek and did not speak Greek.

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

15So I am eager to come and tell the good news to you in Rome too.

16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

16I am not ashamed of the good news about Christ. It is God's power to save everyone who believes it. It came first to the Jews, and to the Greeks too.

17For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

17The good news shows how God makes people right with him. This happens by trusting him, from start to finish. The holy writings say, "The person who is right with God will live by trusting him."

18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

18God's anger is shown from heaven. It is against everything people do that is wrong and against God. They know the truth, but they hold it down by doing wrong.

19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

19People can know things about God. God himself has made those things clear to them.

20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

20No one can see God with their eyes. But ever since the world was made, the things he made show what he is like. They show his power that never ends, and that he is God. So people have no excuse.

21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

21They knew God, but they did not honor him as God. They did not thank him. Their thinking became empty, and their foolish hearts grew dark.

22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

22They said that they were wise. But they became fools.

23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

23God lives forever and never dies, and he is full of glory. They traded that glory for statues. They made statues shaped like people, birds, animals, and crawling things. All of those things die.

24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

24So God let them go and follow the wrong desires in their hearts. They used their bodies in dirty ways with each other. They brought shame on their own bodies.

25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

25They traded God's truth for a lie. They worshipped and served the things God made. They did not worship God, who made everything. He deserves praise forever. Amen.

26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

26Because of this, God let them go to shameful desires. Even their women stopped doing what is natural. They did what is not natural instead.

27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

27The men did the same thing. They left what is natural with women. They burned with strong desire for other men. Men did shameful things with men. In their own bodies they got the punishment their wrong deserved.

28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

28They did not want to keep God in their thinking. So God let their minds go bad. They did things that should never be done.

NoteThe King James Bible says these things "are not convenient." That did not mean unhandy. It meant things that are not right and should not be done.

29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

29They were filled with every kind of wrong. They did sexual wrong, evil, greed, and mean things. They were full of jealousy, murder, fighting, lying, and hate. They talked about people in secret.

NoteIn this list, "debate" means fighting and arguing, not a friendly talk. "Whisperers" means people who spread stories about others in secret.

30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

30They said bad things about others behind their backs. They hated God. They were rude, proud, and full of bragging. They thought up new ways to do evil. They did not obey their parents.

31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

31They did not use good sense. They broke their promises. They had no love in them. They would not make peace, and they showed no mercy.

32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

32They know what God has decided. People who do such things deserve to die. Still they keep doing them. They are even glad when other people do them.