unfoldingWord® Translation Questions
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| ULT | UST |
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| Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, a called apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, | {I,} Paul, {am writing this letter}. I serve the Messiah Jesus. He called me to represent him and specially chose me to proclaim God’s good news. |
God had promised the gospel before by his prophets in the holy Scriptures.
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| which he promised beforehand by his prophets in the holy Scriptures, | God previously promised this good news by means of his spokesmen who prophesied about it {and wrote it down} in the sacred writings. |
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| concerning his Son—the one having been born from a seed of David according to the flesh, | {This good news is} about God’s Son. He was born a natural descendant of David. |
According to the flesh, God’s Son was born out of the descendants of David.
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| the one having been designated the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection of dead ones—Jesus Christ our Lord, | In accordance with the Holy Spirit, God powerfully demonstrated that Jesus is his Son by causing him to live again after he had died. {God’s Son is} Jesus the Messiah, {who is} our Lord. |
Jesus Christ was declared to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead.
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| through whom we received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for the sake of his name, | Jesus favored us who represent him and authorized us to represent him on his behalf in order that all the nations would obey {God} by trusting {in Jesus the Messiah}. |
Paul received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations.
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| among whom you also are called ones of Jesus Christ. | Jesus the Messiah has also called you who are {living} among the nations. |
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| To all the ones being in Rome, beloved of God, called saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. | {I am writing this letter} to all of you {believers} who dwell in the city of Rome. God loves you and has called you to be people who belong to him. {May} God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Messiah {continue to} be kind to you and make you peaceful. |
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| First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ concerning all of you, because your faith is being proclaimed in the whole world. | Now, {the} first {thing I want to tell you, is that} I am constantly thanking my God through Jesus the Messiah for all of you {believers in the Messiah}. {I thank him} because {people} throughout the known world are proclaiming how you trust {in Jesus}. |
Paul thanks God because their faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.
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| For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how I continually make mention of you, | {I can say this truthfully} because God testifies for me that I frequently pray for you. I serve him devotedly by proclaiming the good news about his Son{, Jesus}. |
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| always requesting in my prayers if somehow now at last I will be successful by the will of God to come to you. | {When} I pray, I very often request that I might finally succeed in coming to {visit} you because God wants {me to}. |
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| For I long to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gracious gift to strengthen you, | {I pray for this} because I deeply desire to see you {in person} in order to share some kind of gracious gift with you from the Holy Spirit in order to help you become spiritually stronger. |
Paul desires to see them in order to give them some spiritual gift in order to strengthen them.
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| and that is to be mutually encouraged with you through each other’s faith, both yours and mine. | In other words, {I want to share some gracious gift with you} in order that we may mutually encourage one other. Both you and I can help each other by sharing how we mutually trust in God. |
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| Now I do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, that I often intended to come to you (but I was hindered until now), so that I might have some fruit among you also, just as also among the rest of the Gentiles. | My fellow believers, I certainly want you to know that I planned to visit you many times. But {God} has prevented me from visiting you until the present time. {I planned to visit you} in order to lead some people to believe in Christ among you as well, just like {how I have} also {done so} among the other nations. |
Paul had been unable to visit because he was hindered until now.
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| I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise ones and to foolish ones. | I am obligated {to proclaim the good news} to all non-Jewish people, whether or not they are {culturally} Greek and whether or not they are educated. |
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| So, as it depends on me, {I am} eager to proclaim the gospel also to you, the ones in Rome. | So then, if it were my choice, I would gladly proclaim the good news to you who dwell in Rome. |
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| For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to all the ones believing, both to the Jew first and to the Greek. | {I would gladly do this} because I am deeply honored to proclaim the good news because it is the powerful way that God uses to save anyone who believes {it}. {This is true for} both the Jews {who} first {heard the good news} and then everyone else. |
Paul says the gospel is the power of God for salvation for every one who believes.
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| For the righteousness of God is revealed in it from faith to faith, just as it is written, “But the righteous one will live by faith.” | {This is true} because whenever {people proclaim} the good news, they reveal how God makes people righteous, which is entirely through trusting {in the Messiah}. This is what {the prophet Habakkuk meant when} he wrote {in the Scriptures}, “But the person whom God makes righteous will live forever by trusting {in God}.” |
Paul quotes the scripture, “The righteous will live by faith.”
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| For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, the ones holding back the truth in unrighteousness, | {This is true} because from where God dwells he is revealing how he is furious toward {and will judge} every person who does ungodly and unrighteous things. These people suppress the things that God says are true by living in an unrighteous manner. |
The ungodly and unrighteous hold back the truth even though that which is known about God is visible to them.
| ULT | UST |
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| because that which {is} known about God is visible to them, for God made it visible to them. | {God will judge them} because what anyone can know about God is obvious to these people since God has made it obvious to them. |
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| For his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and divine nature, are clearly seen from the creation of the world, being understood by the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. | {This is true} because people can clearly perceive those things about God that they cannot see {with their eyes}. {These things are} how powerful God is and the fact that he is God. {People could perceive these things} since the time God created the universe. The things that God has made have understood {these things}. For this reason, people cannot excuse themselves {from acknowledging that God exists}. |
The unseen things about God are clearly visible through the created things.
God’s everlasting power and divine nature are clearly visible.
| ULT | UST |
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| For having known God, they did not glorify {him} as God, nor did they give {him} thanks. Instead, they became futile in their thoughts, and their senseless heart was darkened. | {People cannot excuse themselves} because they do not honor him as God, even though they know that he exists. They also refuse to thank him. In contrast, they think about worthless things, and they are unable to understand spiritual things. |
Those who do not glorify God nor give him thanks become foolish in their thoughts and their hearts are darkened.
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| Claiming to be wise ones, they became foolish, | {Although} they assert that they are wise, they are {actually} fools. |
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| and exchanged the glory of the imperishable God for a likeness of an image of perishable man, and of birds, and of four-footed beasts, and of creeping things. | They stop glorifying the God who is immortal, and instead they glorify idols that resemble mortal people, birds, four-legged animals, and animals that crawl {on the ground}. |
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| Therefore, God gave them over to the lusts of their hearts for uncleanness, to dishonor their bodies among themselves; | Consequently, God lets these people do the lustful things that they desire to do, so that they become {spiritually} impure and they disgrace their bodies with one another {by doing sexually immoral acts}. |
God gives them over to the lusts of their hearts for uncleanness, for their bodies to be dishonored among themselves.
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| who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshiped and served the creation instead of the Creator, who is blessed to eternity. Amen. | These people stop believing what is true about God and instead believe what is false {about idols}. They reverently worship things that God has created, instead of {worshiping} {the God} who created those things. {He is the one} whom people should bless forever! May it be so! |
| ULT | UST |
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| For this reason, God gave them over to passions of dishonor, for both their females exchanged the natural use for that {which is} contrary to nature, | Because {these people do that}, God lets them do the dishonorable things they strongly desire {to do}. For example, their women stop doing natural {sexual} acts {with men} and instead do unnatural {sexual} acts {with women}. |
The women burn in their lust for one another, and the men burn in their lust for one another.
| ULT | UST |
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| and likewise, the males also, having left the natural use of the female, burned in their lust for one another, male with male producing shameless acts and receiving in themselves the penalty which was necessary for their perversion. | Similarly, the men also stopped doing natural {sexual} acts with women {and} lusted intensely after other men. These men do shameless {sexual} acts with each other. They experience God penalizing them in their own bodies. {God must penalize them} because they pervert {God’s natural sexual acts}. |
| ULT | UST |
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| And just as they did not approve of having God in their full awareness, God gave them over to a disapproved mind, to do the things that are not proper, | As these people thought that acknowledging God was worthless, God let their minds become worthless. As a result, they do inappropriate things. |
God gives them up to a disapproved mind, to do those things that are not proper.
| ULT | UST |
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| filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, {and} malice, they are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, {and} evil intent. {They are} gossips, | {These people} are completely controlled by all kinds of unrighteous, wicked, covetous, and malicious {thoughts}. They are completely willing to be jealous, take another’s life, argue, deceive, and commit evil deeds {against others}. They reveal secrets {about others}. |
Those who have a depraved mind are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and evil intentions.
| ULT | UST |
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| slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, | They speak badly of {other people}. They hate God. They act violently. They think too highly of themselves. They boast {about themselves}. They think of {new kinds of} evil things {to do}. They do not obey their parents. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| senseless, faithless, heartless, {and} merciless. | These people are {morally} foolish. They do not do what they promise to do. They do not care {about other people}. They do not show mercy {to others}. |
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| Who, having fully known the righteous decree of God, that the ones practicing such things are worthy of death, they not only do these things, but they also give consent to the ones practicing them. | These people fully understand that God has righteously declared that people who keep doing such {inappropriate} things deserve to die {spiritually}. {Nevertheless,} they not only keep on doing those {inappropriate} things, but they even happily approve of people who do such things! |
Those with a depraved mind understand that those who practice such things are worthy of death.
They do unrighteous things anyway, and approve of those who practice them.
| ULT | UST |
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| Therefore, you are without excuse, O man—everyone judging—for in that which you judge the other you condemn yourself; for you, the one judging practice the same things. | Consequently, any one of you who judges another person cannot excuse yourself {at all} {when God condemns you}. {This is} because you are actually condemning yourself when you judge someone else, since you who judge someone else do the exact same things {that they do}! |
Some people are without excuse in their judging because what they judge in another they practice themselves.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against the ones practicing such things. | Certainly, we acknowledge that God will correctly judge those people who continue doing such {inappropriate} things. |
God judges according to truth when he judges those who practice unrighteousness.
| ULT | UST |
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| But do you think this, O man, the one judging the ones practicing such things and you are doing the same things, that you will escape from the judgment of God? | You who judge the people who continue to do such {inappropriate} things while you do the exact same things yourself should certainly not think that you can escape when God judges you! |
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| Or do you scorn the wealth of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? | You who despise {how} abundantly kind, tolerant, and patient God is must certainly know that God’s kind acts {are meant to} cause you to repent. |
God’s patience, kindness, and goodness are meant to lead a person to repentance.
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| But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up for yourself wrath on the day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, | Instead, because you are stubborn and refuse to repent, you are causing God to punish you even more severely. {This will happen} when God punishes {sinners} and reveals how justly he judges. |
Those with hard, unrepentant hearts are storing up for themselves wrath on the day of God’s righteous judgment.
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| who will pay back to each one according to his deeds: | God will {justly} reward or punish everyone for whatever they do. |
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| Indeed, eternal life to the ones, according to endurance of good work, seeking glory and honor and incorruptibility, | Living eternally {is how God repays} those people who keep striving for God to glorify, honor, and preserve them {forever}. {They do this} by persisting in doing what is good. |
Those who have done consistent, good actions will receive eternal life.
| ULT | UST |
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| but to the ones from selfish ambition indeed being disobedient to the truth and becoming obedient to unrighteousness, wrath and anger. | By contrast, God will fiercely punish those people who refuse to do what he says is true and right because they are selfishly ambitious. |
Those who obey unrighteousness receive wrath and anger.
| ULT | UST |
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| Tribulation and distress {will be} on every soul of man that produces the evil, both to the Jew first and to the Greek. | {God will cause} every human being who does what is evil to become distressed and troubled. {This will happen} especially to the Jew {who does what is evil} and also to everyone else {who does so}. |
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| But glory and honor and peace will be to everyone working the good, both to the Jew first and to the Greek. | By contrast, God will glorify, honor, and reconcile every person who does what is good. {This will happen} especially to the Jew {who does what is good} and also to everyone else {who does so}. |
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| For there is no favoritism with God. | {These things are true} because God is impartial. |
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| For as many as have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and as many as have sinned with the law will be judged by the law. | {We know this about God,} because he will punish forever all people who sin without {knowing} the laws {that God gave the Jews} {even though} they do not know those laws. At the same time, God will judge according to his laws whoever sins while knowing those laws. |
God shows no partiality, because those who sin, either Jew or Greek, will perish.
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| For the hearers of the law {are} not righteous with God, but the doers of the law will be justified. | {God will judge everyone who sins} because God does not make righteous those people who {only} hear his laws. Rather, God will make righteous those people who obey his laws. |
The doers of the law are justified before God.
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| For when Gentiles, the ones not having the law, do by nature the things of the law, they, not having the law, are a law to themselves, | {God will judge everyone who sins} because whenever nations which do not know the laws {that God gave the Jews} naturally obey rules from those laws, {they prove that} they know laws within their minds even though they do not know God’s laws. |
Gentiles show that they are a law to themselves when, by nature, they do the things of the Law.
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| who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, the thoughts between themselves both accusing or even defending them | {By naturally following some laws that God gave through Moses,} these people demonstrate that God has made each person aware of how to obey his laws. What they think shows that this is true, in that what each of them thinks will either accuse or even defend their actions. |
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| on the day when God will judge the secrets of men, according to my gospel, through Christ Jesus. | {This will happen} at the time when God {finally} judges the hidden thoughts that people think. {God’s} good news that I proclaim teaches that he will judge {mankind} through the Messiah Jesus. |
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| But if you name yourself a Jew and rely upon the law and boast in God, | Now, {I am addressing} you who identify yourselves as Jews: You depend on the laws {God gave you} {to avoid God’s judgment}. You brag that you know God. |
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| and know his will and approve of the things that are excellent, being instructed from the law; | You know what God wants. Also, since {some people} have taught you {God’s law}, you approve of what is superior. |
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| and you have become confident that you are a guide to blind men, a light to the ones in darkness, | You have even convinced yourselves that you {Jews} are the only ones who can teach those {non-Jewish people} who do not know {about God}. {You are convinced that} only you can enable ignorant people to understand {who God is}. |
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| an instructor of foolish men, a teacher of little children, having in the law the form of the knowledge and of the truth, | {You have convinced yourself that} you should instruct people who are foolish. {You have convinced yourself that} you should teach {people who are as ignorant as} infants. {You think this way} because you know the laws {God gave the Jews}, which fully contain what we can know and what is true. |
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| then you, the one teaching another, do you not teach yourself? You, the one preaching not to steal, do you steal? | So {even though you Jews have convinced yourself that these things are true}, you should teach yourselves to do what you teach others to do {because you do not do those things}! You keep telling others that they should not steal, but you steal! |
Paul mentions the sins of stealing, adultery, and the robbery of temples.
Paul challenges them that if they teach others the law, they should also teach themselves.
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| You, the one saying not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You, the one abhorring idols, do you rob temples? | You keep telling {people} not to have sexual relations with people whom they did not marry, {but} you do so! You {supposedly} detest idols, {but} you ransack temples {that contain idols}! |
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| You, who boast in the law, do you dishonor God through the transgression of the law? | You brag about {how well you understand} the laws {God gave you}, {but} you disgrace God by disobeying those laws! |
God’s name is being dishonored because the Jewish teachers of the law are transgressing the law.
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| For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written. | {These things are true} because it is what {the prophet Isaiah meant when} he wrote {in the Scriptures}, “The nations say bad things about God because of {how wickedly} you {Jews act}.” |
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| For circumcision indeed benefits if you practice the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. | {You Jews who have sinned will be judged} because, being circumcised {only} benefits you if you obey the laws {God gave you}. However, if you disobey those laws, being circumcised does not benefit you at all. |
Paul says that a Jewish person’s circumcision can become uncircumcision if that person is a violator of the law.
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| If, then, the uncircumcision keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be considered as circumcision? | So then, if uncircumcised people obey what God requires in the laws {he gave the Jews}, God will regard those uncircumcised people as being circumcised. |
Paul says that a Gentile person’s uncircumcision can be considered circumcision if that person keeps the requirements of the law.
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| And the uncircumcision by nature, fulfilling the law, will judge you who {are}, through letter and circumcision, a transgressor of the law! | And people who are physically uncircumcised yet fully obey the laws {from God} will judge you {Jews}! Although {you know} the written rules {God gave the Jews} and you are circumcised, you have disobeyed those laws! |
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| For he is not a Jew who {is} one visibly, neither is this circumcision visible in the flesh, | {This is true} because a {true} Jew is not someone who does Jewish rituals that people can see. {Similarly,} people cannot see {true} circumcision on a person’s body. |
Paul says that a true Jew is a Jew inwardly, with a circumcision of the heart.
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| but the Jew in secret {is}, and circumcision {is} of the heart in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose the praise {is} not from men but from God. | Rather, a {true} Jew is one {by means of something} that people cannot see. {True} circumcision {happens} in a person’s mind {and} the {Holy} Spirit does it. {Obeying} the written rules {God gave the Jews} cannot do it. God commends a true Jew, but other people do not. |
A true Jew receives praise from God.
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| What then {is} the advantage of the Jew, or what {is} the benefit of the circumcision? | {You Jews might say,} “{If what you have said is true,} then surely being a Jew is not advantageous! Surely being circumcised is not beneficial at all!” |
First of all among the advantages of the Jew is that they were entrusted with revelation from God.
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| Great in every way! For indeed first, that they were entrusted with the sayings of God. | {Then I would say,} “{Being a Jew benefits a person} in many ways!” {This is} certainly {true} because, first of all, God trusted the Jews with preserving what he had said {in the Scriptures}. |
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| For what if some were unfaithful? Their unfaithfulness will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? | {So you might say,} “Some of these {Jews} were certainly unfaithful {to God}! How unfaithful those people are certainly cannot invalidate how faithful God is!” |
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| May it never be! Instead, let God be true, but every man a liar. Just as it is written, “So that you might be justified in your words and you will prevail when you are judged.” | {Then I would say,} “Of course not!” On the contrary, God {is always} truthful, but everyone else is not. This is what {David meant when} he wrote {in the Scriptures}, “The result {of my sin} is that people will acknowledge that you{, God,} are right when you speak and victorious when people {try to} judge you.” |
Even though every man is a liar, God is found to be true.
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| But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what will we say? God {is} not unrighteous for imposing his wrath, {is he}? (I speak according to men.) | But {you might say,} “Suppose {this is true and} how unrighteous we {Jews} are {actually} confirms how righteous God is. {That} could not {possibly mean} that God is unrighteous because he punishes {us}!” (When I talk like this, I am expressing how human beings think.) |
Because God is righteous, he is able to judge the world.
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| May it never be! Otherwise, how will God judge the world? | {Then I would say,} “Of course not! If God were unrighteous when he punishes us, then he could not {possibly} judge {anyone in} the world!” |
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| But if the truth of God through my lie abounds to his glory, why am I still being judged as a sinner? | But {then you might say,} “Suppose {this is true, and} my lying further glorifies God {and} how truthful he is. {If that is so,} then {surely} God should not still judge me as if I were sinning! |
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| And not (just as we are blasphemed and just as some affirm us to say), “Let us do the evil things, so that the good things may come”?—whose judgment is just. | And {if this is true, then} you should {just} tell us to act wickedly in order that good things can happen!” (This is exactly what some people say falsely about me and claim that I say. It is right {for God} to condemn people {who speak and act} this way!) |
Judgment comes on those who say, “Let us do evil, that good may come.”
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| What then? Are we better off? Not at all. For we have already accused both Jews and Greeks, all of them, of being under sin. | {You Jews might then say,} “{If what you have said is true,} then we are surely not superior {to non-Jewish people}!” {And I would say that} indeed we are not. {I say this} because I have previously charged that all Jews and non-Jewish people cannot stop being sinful. |
It is written that there is none righteous, not one.
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| Just as it is written: “There is none righteous, not even one. | This is what {the prophets meant when} they wrote {in the Scriptures}, “No one is righteous, no one at all!” |
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| There is none who understands. There is none who seeks out God. | “No one thinks wisely. No one is even trying to know God! |
According to what is written, none understands and none seeks out God.
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| All of them turned away. They together became useless. There is none doing kindness—there is not even one.” | Everyone has refused to obey {God}. As a whole, they are worthless {for doing what God wants}. No one is kind, no one at all!” |
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| “Their throat {is} an opened grave. They keep deceiving with their tongues. The poison of asps {is} under their lips,” | “What people say is morally corrupt {like the smell of rotten corpses in} a grave! They constantly deceive {people} by what they say!” “What they say hurts people, like the venom of venomous snakes!” |
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| “whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” | “They constantly curse {others} and speak harshly {against them}.” |
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| “Their feet {are} swift to pour out blood. | “They rush eagerly to murder people. |
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| Destruction and suffering {are} in their ways. | Wherever they go, they destroy lives and make people suffer. |
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| And they do not know a way of peace.” | They do not understand how to live peacefully {with others}.” |
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| “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” | “They do not fear God {at all}!” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now we know that as many things as the law says, it speaks to the ones with the law, so that every mouth may be shut and all the world may become accountable to God | Certainly, we Jews know all that God says in his laws applies to {the Jews,} to whom God gave his laws. This is in order that no one can excuse themselves {from being judged by God.} {This is} also in order that God can justly punish everyone in the world as guilty. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| because not any flesh will be justified by works of law before him; for full awareness of sin {is} through law. | {This is true} because God will not make anyone righteous with himself {simply} because they obey the laws {he gave the Jews}. {This is so} because those laws {only} make people aware of how sinful they are. |
No flesh will be justified by the works of the law.
The full awareness of sin comes through the law.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been made visible, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets; | But now God has revealed how he makes people righteous. {Becoming righteous} is not related to obeying the laws {God gave the Jews}. {Yet,} in what they wrote {in the Scriptures} Moses and the prophets testify {about how God makes people righteous}. |
By the witnesses of the Law and the Prophets has a righteousness without the law now been made known.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| but the righteousness of God {is} through faith in Jesus Christ for all the ones believing, for there is no distinction. | How God makes people righteous is by trusting in Jesus the Messiah. {God will make} all {types of} people {righteous} if they trust in {Jesus}. {This is} because God does not distinguish {between different types of people}. |
The righteousness without the law is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For all sinned and fall short of the glory of God, | {This is} because all {types of} people sin and fail to acquire the glorious status from God. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that {is} in Christ Jesus; | God makes {these sinful people} righteous as a gift because he is so kind. {People receive this gift from God} when God unites them to Jesus the Messiah, who redeemed them {from being punished for being sinful}. |
A person is justified before God freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| whom God presented {as} a propitiation through faith in his blood for a demonstration of his righteousness, because of the overlooking of the sins that happened previously | God offered Jesus as the one who atones {for everyone’s sins}. {People are rescued from being punished for being sinful} by trusting in his {sacrificial} death. {God did this} in order to show how God makes people righteous. {This happened} because God disregarded people’s sinful acts that they had previously done. |
God provided Christ Jesus as a propitiation through faith in his blood.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| in the forbearance of God, for the demonstration of his righteousness at this present time, so that he could be just and justifying the one who {is} from faith in Jesus. | {God did this} because he is so tolerant. {God also did this} in order to show how he makes people righteous during our time. {This is} for the purpose of showing that God is righteous and that he makes people righteous {if} they trust in Jesus. |
God showed that he is the one who justifies anyone because of faith in Jesus.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Where then {is} the boasting? It is excluded. Through what kind of law? Of the works? No! But through a law of faith. | {You Jews might say,} “{If what you have said is true,} then surely no one can boast!” {Then I would say,} “Indeed, no one can!” {Then you might say,} “Surely {we can become righteous} by obeying the laws {God gave the Jews}! Surely doing {those things} {will make us righteous}!” {Then I would say,} “Absolutely not! On the contrary, {people become righteous} by trusting {in Jesus the Messiah}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For we reckon a man to be justified by faith apart from works of the law. | Indeed, we {Jewish Christians} consider people to become righteous by trusting {in Jesus the Messiah}. {Being righteous} is not related to doing those things {that God commanded} in the laws {he gave the Jews}.” |
A person is justified by faith totally apart from the works of the law.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Or {is he} God of Jews only? {Is he} not also of Gentiles? Yes, also of Gentiles, | {Or you might say,} “Surely God is not only the God of the Jews. Surely he is the God of {all} the nations too!” {So I would say,} “Absolutely! He is the God of {all} the nations too. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| if, indeed, God {is} one, who will justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through the {same} faith. | {This is true} because there is certainly {only} one God {for all people}. He will make righteous {both} the Jews who trust {in Jesus} and the non-Jewish people who trust in {Jesus}.” |
God justifies both by faith.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Do we then nullify the law through the {same} faith? May it never be! Instead, we uphold the law. | {You Jews might say,} “Then surely we make the laws {God gave us} invalid by trusting in {Jesus}!” {So I would say,} “Of course not! On the contrary, we confirm that {what God said in} those laws is valid.” |
We uphold the law through faith.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has discovered? | {You Jews might say,} “{If what you have said is true,} then surely our physical ancestor Abraham found out {about it}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For if Abraham was justified by works, he has a boast, but not before God. | {This must be true} because if Abraham became righteous based on doing the things {that God commanded in his laws}, then he could brag {about it}.” On the contrary, {I would say that} {Abraham could} not possibly {boast about it} to God! |
Abraham would have had reason to boast if he had been justified by works.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For what does the scripture say? “And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” | {I say this} because, {Moses} surely tells {us} in the Scriptures, “Abraham trusted in God, and God considered Abraham to be righteous because he trusted in him.” |
The scripture says that Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now to the one working, the wage is not credited according to grace, but according to obligation. | Indeed, when a person works, he does not consider the wage {he earns} to be a gracious gift. On the contrary, {that person considers the wage he earns} to be what his employer owes him. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now to the one not working, but believing on the one justifying the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. | By contrast, when a person does not obey {the laws God gave the Jews}, but trusts in the God who can make unrighteous people righteous, God considers him to be righteous because he trusted in him. |
God justifies the people who trust in him.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Even as David also speaks {of} the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: | This is also the same thing that David wrote {in the Scriptures} about how blessed people are when God considers them to be righteous, even though they do not do those things {that God commanded}. {David wrote:} |
According to David, blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven and whose sins are not counted by the Lord.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| “Blessed {are those} whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered. | “People are so happy when God forgives their lawless acts! People are so happy when God no longer acknowledges their sinful acts! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Blessed {is} a man whose sin the Lord does certainly not count.” | Any person whom the Lord never again considers to be sinful is so happy!” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Then {is} this blessedness upon the circumcision, or also upon the uncircumcision? For we say, “His faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” | Therefore, these happy people are not only circumcised {Jews} but even uncircumcised people {who are not Jews}! {This must be true} because we {Jews} quote {the scripture that states,} “God considers Abraham to be righteous because he trusted {in him}.” |
Abraham’s faith was counted as righteousness before he was circumcised.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| How then was it credited? Being in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? {It was} not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. | So then, {you surely know} when Abraham trusted in God and God considered {him to be righteous}! {You surely know whether this happened} before he was circumcised or afterward! {Indeed,} it was not while Abraham was circumcised, but while he was still uncircumcised {that God considered him to be righteous}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith that {he had} in his uncircumcision so that he would be the father of all the ones believing through uncircumcision, so that the righteousness would be credited to them; | Abraham was circumcised as a mark {in his body} to prove that God had made him righteous because Abraham trusted {in him} before he was circumcised. {This happened} in order for him to become the {spiritual} ancestor for every non-Jewish person who trusts in God in order that God would consider them to be righteous {because they trust in him}. |
Abraham is the father of all who believe, both the physically uncircumcised and the circumcised.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| and the father of circumcision to the one {being} not only from the circumcision, but to the ones also following in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham in uncircumcision. | {This} also {happened in order for Abraham to become} the {spiritual} ancestor of those people who are circumcised, that is, those circumcised {Jews} {who are not only circumcised in their bodies}, but who also trust in God the same way that our ancestor Abraham did even before he was circumcised. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he would be heir of the world {was} not through the law but through the righteousness of faith. | {This is true} because {when} God promised Abraham and those who descend from him that the {whole} world would belong to him, {God did not promise this} because {Abraham obeyed} the laws {God gave the Jews}. Rather, {God promised this} because God had made {Abraham} righteous because Abraham trusted {in him}. |
It was promised to Abraham and his descendants that they would be heirs of the world.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For if the heirs {are} from the law, the faith has been emptied, and the promise has been nullified. | {This is true} because, if people could inherit {what God promised Abraham} by obeying the laws {he gave the Jews}, {then} trusting {in God} would become useless! What God promised would also become invalid. |
If the promise had come through the law, then faith would be empty and the promise not true.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For the law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, neither {is there} transgression. | {This is} because the laws {God gave the Jews} are intended to punish {those who disobey them}. However, where God’s laws do not exist, no one can disobey {them}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For this reason {it is} by faith, in order that {it may be} according to grace, so that the promise might be certain to all the seed—not only to the one from the law, but also to the one from the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, | This is why what God promised comes by trusting in him in order to show how kind he is. {God was so kind} in order that he could secure what he promised to everyone who has {spiritually} descended {from Abraham}. {Those who have spiritually descended from Abraham} are not only those {Jews} who obey the laws {God gave them}, but also those who trust {in God} as Abraham did. Abraham is the {spiritual} ancestor of all of us {who trust in God}. |
The promise is given by faith so that it is by grace, and so that it is sure.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| just as it is written, “I have appointed you the father of many nations,” in the presence of God whom he trusted, the one making the dead ones live and calling the things not existing as existing; | (This is exactly what {God} said in the Scriptures {about Abraham}: “I have chosen you to be a {spiritual} ancestor for numerous people groups.”) God considers {Abraham to be our spiritual ancestor}. Abraham trusted God. {God is the one} who causes dead people to become alive {again}. He also commands things that do not exist {to exist}, then they exist. |
Paul says that God gives life to the dead and calls things that do not exist into existence.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| who against hope believed on the basis of hope so that he might become the father of many nations according to what {was} said, “So will your seed be.” | Abraham trusted {in God} by hoping {in God} despite what seemed hopeless. As a result, he became the {spiritual} ancestor for numerous people groups. {This happened} just as God had promised {him} {in the Scriptures}: “The people who descend from you will become as numerous {as the stars in the sky}.” |
When God made the promise to Abraham, Abraham was about a hundred years old and Sarah’s womb was dead.
Abraham confidently trusted God and did not hesitate in unbelief.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And not weakening in the faith, he considered his own body as already being dead (being about a hundred years old)—and the deadness of the womb of Sarah. | Abraham thought that his body was too old to produce children. (He was almost 100 years old!) {He also thought} that {his wife} Sarah was unable to become pregnant {because she never had been able to do so before}. {Nevertheless,} Abraham kept on trusting {God}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But toward the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but was strengthened in the faith, having given glory to God, | Indeed, Abraham did not faithlessly doubt what God had promised. On the contrary, God empowered Abraham to continue trusting {in him} while Abraham was glorifying God. |
Abraham confidently trusted God and did not hesitate in unbelief.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| and having been fully convinced that what he had promised, he is also able to do. | God also totally assured Abraham that he is able to do what he had promised {to do}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And therefore, “it was credited to him as righteousness.” | And this is why, “God considered Abraham to be righteous because he trusted in him.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now it was not written only for his sake, “It was credited to him,” | Yet, when {Moses} wrote {in the Scriptures}, “God considered how Abraham trusted {him},” {these words} not only refer to Abraham. |
The account of Abraham was written for his benefit and also for our benefit.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| but also for our sake, to whom it is about to be credited, to the ones believing in the one having raised Jesus our Lord from the dead ones, | On the contrary, {these words} also refer to us {who trust in Jesus}. God is going to consider how we {believers} trust {him}. {We are} the people who trust him. {He is} the one who caused our Lord Jesus to become alive again after he had died. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| who was given up for the sake of our trespasses and was raised for the sake of our justification. | God allowed people to kill Jesus because we sinned {against God}. {God} also caused Jesus to become alive again in order to make us righteous. |
We believe God has raised Jesus from the dead, who was delivered up for our sins and raised for our justification.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Therefore, having been justified by faith, let us have peacewith God through our Lord Jesus Christ, | Consequently, we should live peacefully with God by means of {what} our Lord Jesus the Messiah {did for us} because we have become righteous by trusting {in Jesus}. |
Because they are justified by faith, believers have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| through whom we also have access by this faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast on the basis of hope of the glory of God. | Our Lord Jesus the Messiah also allows us to continually experience how kind God is by trusting in Jesus. We can confidently boast that we will share in God’s glorious status. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And not only this, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that this suffering produces endurance; | This is not the only thing {about which we can confidently boast}. Rather, we can also confidently boast about the painful things {that we have experienced}. {We can do this} because we know that a painful thing {that we experience} causes us to endure {hardships better than before}. |
Suffering produces endurance, character, and hope.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| and this endurance, character; and this character, hope. | And being able to endure {hardships} results in {God} approving {us}. And {when God} approves {us, we become more} confident. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And that hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, the one given to us. | And when we become confident, we will not be disappointed. {This is} because the Holy Spirit has enabled us to deeply understand {how much} God loves us. God has given us this Holy Spirit. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For we still being weak, yet at the right time Christ died on behalf of ungodly ones. | In fact, while we were still helpless, {Jesus} the Messiah died for the sake of {us} impious people. {God caused this to happen} at just the right time. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For someone will hardly die on behalf of a righteous {person}. Perhaps, though, someone might even dare to die on behalf of the good {person}. | Indeed, someone would rarely consider dying for the sake of a person who is righteous, although someone might possibly even bravely consider dying for the sake of a good person. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that, we still being sinners, Christ died for us. | However, God shows his own love towards we {believers} by this fact: while we were still sinful, {Jesus} the Messiah died for our benefit! |
God demonstrates his love toward us, because while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Much more then, having now been justified by his blood, we will be saved through him from the wrath. | Consequently, since the Messiah’s {sacrificial} death has already made us righteous, it is even more certain that he will rescue us when God {finally} punishes {sinners}! |
Being justified by Christ’s blood, believers are saved from the wrath of God.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For if, being enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. | Indeed, God’s Son {Jesus} died to reconcile us to God while we were {still} {his} enemies. Therefore, since Jesus has {already} reconciled us to God, it is even more certain that he will rescue us {when God punishes sinners} because he is alive {again}! |
Unbelievers are enemies of God before they are reconciled to God through Jesus.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Not only this, but we also are boasting in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we now have received the reconciliation. | Now these are not the only things {God does for us}. Rather, we also boast about God by means of {what} our Lord Jesus the Messiah {has done for us}. Jesus has already reconciled us {with God}! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For this reason, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin, death, so also death spread to all men, because of which all sinned. | So then, sin started existing in the world because one man sinned, and {living things started} to die because he sinned. In the same way, everyone started dying as well, because everyone sins. |
Because of the sin of one man, sin entered into the world, death entered through sin, and death spread to all people.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For until law, sin was in the world, but sin is not charged, {there} being no law. | Indeed, people throughout the world sinned before {God gave his} laws {to the Jews}. However, God did not legally regard what they did as sinning, since those laws did not yet exist {to identify what it means to sin}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Nevertheless, death ruled from Adam until Moses, even over the ones not having sinned in the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a pattern of the one coming. | However, everyone died from {the time of the first man} Adam until {the time of} Moses. Even those people died who did not sin by violating the same command God gave to Adam. Adam is like the person who would come {later}. |
Adam was the one man through whom sin entered the world.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But not like the trespass, so also {is} the gracious gift. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gift by grace that {is} of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many! | But what God has kindly given {us} is not the same as how Adam rejected {God’s command}. In fact, it is true that many people died because the one man {Adam} rejected {God’s command}. {But} how kind God is and that which God kindly gives through the one man Jesus the Messiah extend to many people {and are} much greater! |
By Adam’s sin many died, but the grace of God and his free gift through Christ abounds to many.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And the gift {is} not as through one who sinned. For indeed, the judgment from one, to condemnation, but the gracious gift from many trespasses, to justification. | Yet, what God gives is not like {what happened} because the one man {Adam} sinned. {This is true} because, in fact, God judged {everyone} after the sinful thing {that Adam did}, which resulted in God condemning {everyone}. By contrast, what God kindly gave {people} after they rejected {his commands} many {times} resulted in God making them righteous. |
The judgment of condemnation resulted from Adam’s sin, but justification resulted from God’s free gift.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For if, by the trespass of the one, death ruled through the one, how much more will the ones receiving the abundance of the grace and the gift of the righteousness rule in life through the one, Jesus Christ. | Indeed, since everyone died because the one man {Adam} rejected {God’s command}, it is even more certain that those {people} who accept how abundantly kind God is and {are those people whom} he makes righteous will live in control {of themselves}. {This will happen} because of {what} Jesus the Messiah {has done}. |
Death ruled from Adam’s sin, and those who receive God’s gift rule through the life of Jesus Christ.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| So then, as through one trespass to all men {led} to condemnation, so also through one righteous act to all men {led} to justification of life. | Therefore, in the way that God condemned everyone because {Adam} rejected {God’s command}, in the same way, God makes everyone righteous, which results in {them} living eternally, because of the righteous act that {Jesus} did. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one will the many be made righteous ones. | Indeed, in the same way that people became sinful because the one man {Adam} disobeyed {God}, in the same way many people will become righteous because the one man {Jesus} obeyed {God}. |
Many were made sinners through Adam’s disobedience, and many will be made righteous through the obedience of Christ.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now the law slipped in so that the trespass might increase. But where the sin increased, the grace abounded even more | Yet {God} added {his} laws in order that people might reject {his commands} even more. Nevertheless, whenever people began to sin even more, then even more God showed how kind he is! |
The law came alongside in order that the trespass might increase.
God’s grace abounded more than the trespass.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| so that just as sin ruled in death, so also grace might rule through righteousness to everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord. | {This happened} so that God could be gracious to people by making them righteous. Just as being sinful controlled people by making them die, in the same way, when God makes people righteous, they live forever. {This is} because of {what} our Lord Jesus the Messiah {has done}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| What then will we say? Should we continue in the sin so that the grace might increase? | {Someone might say,} “{If what you have said is true,} then surely we {believers} should keep on sinning in order that, even more, God might show how kind he is even more!” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| May it never be! We who died to sin, how will we still live in it? | {Then I would say,} “Of course not!” We who are no longer controlled by sinning surely must not continue living sinfully! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? | You surely know that God unites to the Messiah Jesus whomever someone baptizes, and it is as if that baptized person also died with the Messiah! |
People baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into Christ’s death.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| We were buried, then, with him through the baptism into his death so that just as Christ was raised from dead ones through the glory of the Father, so also we in newness of life might walk. | So, by being baptized as if we died with {the Messiah}, it is like God buried us {in the tomb} with {Jesus}. {This is so} in order that, just as God the Father’s glorious power caused the Messiah to become alive again after he had died, in the same way, we too can live a new way of living. |
Believers should walk in newness of life.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For if we have become planted together in the likeness of his death, we will also certainly become {part of} the resurrection; | Indeed, since we share in what resembles Jesus dying, we will surely also share in God making us alive again. |
Believers are united to Christ in his death and resurrection.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| knowing this, that our old man was crucified together {with him} in order that the body of sin might be nullified, {for it} to no longer enslave us to the sin. | We know that God {also} did away with our former {sinful} way of living when people crucified Jesus. {He did this} in order to totally remove the way sin controls us, so that we no longer have to live sinfully. |
Our old man was crucified with Christ so that we should no longer be slaves to sin.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For the one having died has been freed from the sin. | {This is} because, when people {who live sinfully} share in {Jesus’} death, God frees them from having to live sinfully. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But if we died together with Christ, we believe that we will also live together with him, | Now since {it is as if} we died with the Messiah, we trust that we will also live with him {eternally}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| knowing that Christ, having been raised from dead ones, no longer dies; death no longer is lord over him. | We know that the Messiah can never die again, because God caused him to become alive again after he had died. Nothing can ever cause the Messiah to die again! |
We know that death no longer rules over Christ because Christ has been raised from the dead.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For that which he died, he died to sin once and never again. But what he lives, he lives to God. | {This is} because when Jesus died, he only had to die that one time only in order to remove {the way} sin {controls people}. Now that he is alive {again}, he lives in order to glorify God. |
A believer should think of himself as dead to sin.
A believer lives his life for God.
Christ died to sin once for all.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| In the same way, you also must consider yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. | Similarly, you too regard yourselves as no longer controlled by sinning. Indeed, {regard yourselves} as alive in order to glorify God because God has united you to the Messiah Jesus. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Therefore, do not let sin rule in your mortal body, to obey its lusts. | Since this is true, do not allow your sinful desires to control you. {This would} result in you doing {the sinful things} that you want to do. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And do not keep presenting your members {as} tools of unrighteousness to sin. But present yourselves to God, as living from dead ones, and your members {as} tools of righteousness to God. | Do not use your body parts in order to do unrighteous things {or} to sin. Instead, live in order to do what God wants you to do, like people whom God caused to live again after they had died. Also, use your body parts in order to do righteous things to glorify God. |
A believer should present the members of his body to God as tools of righteousness.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For sin must not be lord over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. | Indeed, do not allow your desire to sin to control you because the laws {God gave the Jews} do not control you. Instead, how kind God is controls you. |
A believer lives under grace, which allows him to rule over sin.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| What then? Should we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? May it never be! | {Someone might say,} “{If what you have said is true,} then surely we {believers} should keep on sinning because the laws {God gave the Jews} do not control us. Instead, how kind God is controls us!” {Then I would say,} “Of course not!” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Do you not know that to what you keep presenting yourselves {as} slaves for obedience, you become slaves to what you obey—whether of sin {leading} to death, or of obedience {leading} to righteousness? | You surely know that if you submit yourselves to be controlled by a thing or person, you become like slaves to that thing or person you submit to! {This is true} whether you submit yourselves to living sinfully, which will kill you {eternally}, or you submit yourselves to God, which will make you righteous. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But thanks {be} to God that you were slaves of sin, but you listened from the heart to the pattern of teaching that you were given over to. | Although you used to submit yourselves to living sinfully, {now} you are sincerely submissive to the type of teaching to which God has submitted you. Thank God! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And having been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness. | Indeed, since God liberated you from living sinfully, you are {now} serving {God} righteously. |
The end result of a person who makes himself a servant of God is righteousness.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| I speak as a man because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to uncleanness and to more and more lawlessness, so now present your members {as} slaves to righteousness {leading} to sanctification. | (I {Paul} am speaking in human terms, because you are spiritually immature.) Indeed, just as you {previously} used your body parts to live impurely and to increasingly break God’s laws, in the same way, now use your body parts to live righteously. {This will cause you} to live like God’s people should live. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with respect to righteousness. | {This is} because when you used to submit yourselves to living sinfully, you were not living righteously. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| So what fruit were you then having because of which things you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things {is} death. | So, formerly you did not benefit from those {sinful} things {you did} that now embarrass you. {This is because} those things will eventually kill {you} {eternally}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But now, having been freed from sin and having been enslaved to God, you have your fruit {leading} to sanctification, and the outcome {is} eternal life. | But now {that you trust in Jesus}, God has freed you from living sinfully and has caused you to serve him the way slaves would serve him. Therefore, you receive what is beneficial, which results in you living like God’s people should live. Indeed, {living in that way} will eventually result in you living eternally. |
Slaves of God have their fruit for sanctification.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For the wages of sin {is} death, but the gracious gift of God {is} eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | {I say this} because living sinfully causes those who do so to die {eternally}, but God graciously causes those who are united to our Lord, the Messiah Jesus, to live eternally. |
The wages of sin is death.
The free gift of God is eternal life.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Or do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those knowing the law), that the law is lord of the man for as long as he lives? | My fellow {Jewish} believers, you are well-aware that the laws {God gave the Jews} must be obeyed by {Jewish} people throughout their whole lives. ({I know that you are well-aware of this fact}, because I am speaking to people who are familiar with the laws {God gave the Jews}.) |
The law controls a person for as long as he lives.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For the married woman remains bound by law to the living husband, but if the husband dies, she has been released from the law of the husband. | For instance, according to the laws {God gave the Jews}, a married woman must remain married to her husband as long as he lives. However, if her husband dies, {God’s} law no longer requires her to remain married to him. |
A married woman is bound by the law of marriage until her husband dies.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| So then, the husband being alive, if she becomes {married} to another husband, she will be titled an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, having become {married} to another husband. | Therefore, if she marries another man while her husband is alive, {according to God’s law} she will be an adulterous woman. However, if her husband dies, she no longer has to obey {what} God’s law {requires of those who are married}. As a result, she would not be an adulterous woman if she married another man. |
Once she is free from the law of marriage, a woman may marry another man.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| So then, my brothers, you yourselves were also made dead to the law through the body of Christ so that you might become {married} to another, to the one having been raised from dead ones, in order that we might produce fruit for God. | So, my fellow {Jewish} believers, by means of the Messiah dying {on the cross} the laws {God gave the Jews} no longer control you. {God did this} in order to unite you to the Messiah, {as if you were marrying a new husband}. He is the person whom God made alive again after he had died. {God did this} in order that we may do things that please him. |
Believers are made dead to the law through the body of Christ.
Having been made dead to the law, believers are able to be joined to Christ.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions that {were} through the law were working in our members to produce fruit for death. | Indeed, when living sinfully used to control us, the laws {God gave us} caused us to want to sin even more. {Our living sinfully} controlled what we did with our body parts. As a result, we would {eventually} die {eternally}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But now we have been released from the law, having died to that by which we were being held, so that we might serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. | But now {that we trust in Jesus}, God cancels what his laws require {us to do}. The laws {God gave the Jews} no longer control us as if we were prisoners. As a result, we now serve God in the new way that comes from the {Holy} Spirit. {We} no longer {serve God} in the old way that the written rules {God gave the Jews} require. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| What then will we say? {Is} the law sin? May it never be! But I would not have known sin, if not through the law. For I would not have known the covetousness unless the law said, “You will not covet.” | {Someone might say,} “{If what you have said is true,} then surely the laws {God gave the Jews} are sinful!” {Then I would say,} “Of course not!” On the contrary, without the laws {God gave the Jews}, I would never have become aware of {what it means to} sin. For instance, if God did not say in his laws, “You must not covet,” I would never have become aware of {what it means to} covet. |
The law makes sin known.
No, the law is not sin.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But sin, having taken opportunity through the commandment, produced all covetousness in me. For apart from law, sin {is} dead. | However, since I am sinful, I wanted to covet in many ways because I knew that {God} commanded {us not to covet}. {This is} because if the laws {God gave the Jews} did not exist, living sinfully would cease. |
Sin, through the commandment of the law, brings about every lust in a person.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now at one time I was alive without law, but the commandment having come, sin came to life again, | There was a time when I was living without being aware of the laws {God gave the Jews}. But, when I became aware of those commandments, I wanted to sin even more. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| and I died. And the commandment that {was} for life, it was found {to be} for death to me. | I became {spiritually} dead. God’s command was supposed to result in me living {eternally}. But God’s command actually will result in me dying {eternally}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For sin, having taken the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it, killed {me}. | {This is so} because {I} wanted to sin even more because I knew what God had commanded. When I sinned, I tricked myself. Then {disobeying} what God had commanded killed me {spiritually}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| So then, the law {is} indeed holy, and the commandment {is} holy and righteous and good. | So the laws {God gave the Jews} are worthy of God and what God has commanded is worthy of God, just, and good. |
The law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Therefore, did what {is} good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, in order that it might be shown {to be} sin through what {is} good, producing death in me so that through the commandment, sin might become sinful beyond measure. | So, {God’s laws}, which are good, surely did not cause me to die {spiritually}! Of course not! Rather, living sinfully did so. {This happened} so that {God’s} good {laws} would reveal how sinful it is to live sinfully. {This also happened} so that what God commands would reveal that living sinfully is utterly sinful. |
Paul says that sin, through the law, brings about death in him.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For we know that the law is spiritual, but I myself am fleshly, sold into slavery under sin. | {This is true} because we are {all} aware that the laws {God gave the Jews} are from God’s Spirit. But as for me, I am {spiritually} weak. {It is as if} I must serve as a slave to living sinfully. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For what I produce, I do not understand. For what I do not want, this I practice. But what I hate, this I do. | {This is true} because I do not comprehend what I do! Indeed, I keep on doing what I do not want to do. But I do what I hate {that I do}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But if what I do not want, this I do, I agree with the law that {it is} good. | Now because I do what I do not want {to do}, {this proves that} I agree with the laws {God gave the Jews}. {I also testify} that they are good {laws}. |
When Paul does that which he does not want, then he agrees with the law that the law is good.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But now no longer I myself produce it, but the sin living in me! | This means that now I am no longer the one who causes me to do {these sinful things}. Rather, my wanting to live sinfully causes me {to do them}. |
Sin that lives in Paul causes him to do the things that he does not wish to do.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For I know that there does not live in me, (that is, in my flesh), good. For the wanting is present in me, but the producing of the good {is} not. | Indeed, I am aware that I am not good {at all}. In other words, my sinful self {is not good at all}. {This is true} because, even though I really want to do {what is good}, I am unable to do so. |
No good thing lives in Paul’s flesh.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For I do not do the good I want; but the evil I do not want, this I practice. | Indeed, I do not do the good things I want {to do}. Rather, I keep on doing evil things that I do not want {to do}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now if what I do not want, this I do, I myself no longer produce it, but the sin living in me. | Now because I do what I do not want {to do}, I am no longer the one who causes me to do {these sinful things}. Rather, my wanting to live sinfully causes me {to do them}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| I find, then, this law in me, the one wanting to do good, that evil is present in me. | Consequently, I realized that a principle exists: I keep on doing evil things, {even though} I really want to do good things. |
Paul finds the principle in him that he wants to do what is good, but evil is actually present in him.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For I delight in the law of God with the inner man. | {This is true} because the laws God gave {the Jews} make my mind rejoice. |
Paul’s inner man rejoices in the law of God.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But I see a different law in my members fighting against the law of my mind and taking me captive by the law of the sin that exists in my members. | Yet, I notice another principle that controls what I do with my body parts. {This principle} conflicts with the {other} principle that my mind {accepts}. It also controls me, making me its prisoner by means of the principle that I tend to live sinfully. {Living sinfully} controls what I do with my body parts. |
In the members of his body, Paul finds the principle of sin taking him captive.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| I am a miserable man! Who will rescue me from the body of this death? | I am truly a wretched person! {I feel as though there is no one} who could {possibly} rescue me from this body that kills me! |
Paul gives thanks to God for his deliverance through Jesus Christ.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve with the mind the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. | I thank God {who rescued me} by means of our Lord Jesus the Messiah! Therefore, I actually do obey with my mind the laws God gave {the Jews}. Yet {at the same time} with my sinful self {I obey} the principle that I tend to live sinfully. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| {There is} therefore now no condemnation at all for the ones in Christ Jesus. | So now, God absolutely does not condemn anyone whom he has united with the Messiah Jesus. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus set you free from the law of sin and death. | {This is true} because the principle that pertains to the life-giving Holy Spirit has caused you {believers} to no longer be controlled by the principle that causes people to sin and die {eternally}. {It did this} by uniting you with the Messiah Jesus. |
The principle of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made Paul free from the law of sin and death.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For what the law {was} unable {to do}, in that it was weak through the flesh, God {did}, having sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for the sake of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, | Indeed, God {accomplished} what the laws {he gave the Jews} could not accomplish, because they could not prevent people from living sinfully. Through {the crucifying of} {his Son’s} body, God removed {how} sinning {controls people}. {He did this} by sending his own Son {Jesus} {to the world} in a human body {that was} like the bodies of sinful people. {God sent his Son} in order to {remove} that which causes man to sin. |
The law was unable because it was weak through the flesh.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| so that the righteous deeds of the law might be fulfilled in us, those walking not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. | {God did these things} so that we {believers} could do the righteous acts that the laws {he gave the Jews} required. We can live as people whom living sinfully does not control. Rather, {we can live as people} whom the {Holy} Spirit controls. |
Those who walk according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For those existing according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those according to the Spirit, {on} the things of the Spirit. | {This is true} because those {people} whom living sinfully controls think about those things that are related to living sinfully. However, those people whom the {Holy} Spirit controls think about those things that are related to the {Holy} Spirit. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For the mindset of the flesh {is} death, but the mindset of the Spirit {is} life and peace; | Indeed, focusing on living sinfully will cause {a person} to die {eternally}. However, focusing on the {Holy} Spirit will cause {a person} to live {eternally and} peacefully. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| because the mindset of the flesh {is} hostility toward God, for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not able {to do so}. | {This is true} because {people} who focus on living sinfully are God’s enemies. {This is} because they do not voluntarily obey the laws God gave {the Jews}; they are incapable {of doing so}. |
The flesh is hostile toward God and is not able to be subject to the law.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But those existing in the flesh are not able to be pleasing to God. | But those whom living sinfully controls are incapable of pleasing God. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| However, you yourselves are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, since indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. But if someone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this one is not of him. | By contrast, you {believers} are not those whom living sinfully controls. Rather, you are those whom the {Holy} Spirit controls because God’s Spirit really does reside within you. But if some person does not possess Jesus the Messiah’s Spirit, this person does not belong to the Messiah. |
People who do not belong to God lack the Spirit of Christ living in them.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But if Christ {is} in you, the body {is} dead because of sin, but the Spirit {is} life because of righteousness. | Now, since the Messiah resides within you {believers}, the {Holy} Spirit gives {you} {eternal} life because he has made you righteous. {This is true} even though your bodies will die because you sin. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| If indeed the Spirit of the one having raised Jesus from dead ones lives in you, the one having raised Christ Jesus from dead ones will also make alive your mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you. | The {Holy} Spirit does indeed reside within you. {He came} from God, who caused Jesus to become alive again after he had died. {Since this is true,} God, who caused the Messiah Jesus to become alive again after he had died, will also cause your physical bodies to become alive {again} by his Spirit. This {Spirit} resides within you. |
God gives life to the believer’s mortal body through his Spirit, who lives in the believer.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| So then, brothers, we are debtors—not to the flesh to live according to the flesh. | Therefore, {my} fellow believers, we are obligated. {But we are not obligated} to live sinfully, {which means} to live like those whom living sinfully controls. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the practices of the body, you will live. | Indeed, if you live like those whom living sinfully controls, you will die {eternally}. However, if the {Holy} Spirit enables you to stop doing what is sinful with your bodies, you will live {eternally}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For as many as are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. | {This is} because those people whom God’s Spirit guides are God’s {spiritual} children. |
The sons of God are led by the Spirit of God.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For you did not receive again a spirit of slavery {leading} to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by which we cry out, “Abba, Father!” | Indeed, God has not given you {believers} an enslaved mind to terrify you, such as you had before. Rather, God has given you the Holy Spirit to {spiritually} adopt you {as his children}. {It is} the Holy Spirit who enables us to cry out, “Abba, my Father!” |
A believer is included into God’s family by adoption.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. | The {Holy} Spirit personally testifies, along with our own minds, that we are God’s {spiritual} children. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now if children, {then} also heirs: both heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer together with {him} so that we may also be glorified together with {him}. | Since we are {God’s spiritual} children, we are also those who will inherit {blessings from God}. We inherit {blessings from God himself} and also together with the Messiah {Jesus}. {This is true} only if we keep suffering together with the Messiah in order for God to also glorify us together with the Messiah. |
As children of God, believers are also heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For I consider that the sufferings of this present time {are} not worthy {to be compared} with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. | Indeed, I regard what we {believers in the Messiah} suffer at this time as being incomparable to what glorious things God will reveal to us {in the future}. |
The sufferings of the present time are to be endured so that believers may be glorified with Christ when the sons of God are revealed.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For the eager expectation of the creation is eagerly expecting the revelation of the sons of God. | Indeed, what God created is very eagerly waiting for {the time} when God reveals whom his {spiritual} children are. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For to the futility the creation was subjected, not willingly, but because of the one having subjected it, on the basis of hope | {This is} because God subjugated what he created so that it became useless. {What God created} did not want this to happen. Rather, {God subjugated what he created} because he wanted to {do so}. {He did this} to keep {the creation} confidently expecting |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| that also the creation itself will be freed from the slavery of the decay into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. | that God would also enable what he created to stop decaying and let it freely experience the same glorious status that belongs to his {spiritual} children. |
At the present time, the creation is under the slavery of decay.
The creation will be delivered into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For we know that all the creation groans and labors in pain together until now. | Indeed, we are aware that, {even} at the present time, everything God has created keeps groaning and suffering together {like a mother experiencing pain before bearing a child}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Not only that, but also we, having the firstfruits of the Spirit—even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly expecting our adoption, the redemption of our body. | {It is} not only {what God created that groans}! On the contrary, even we ourselves who possess the {Holy} Spirit as the first portion {from God} feel suffering. {We feel this way} while we eagerly wait for God to {spiritually} adopt us, which will be when God redeems our bodies. |
Believers are to wait with confidence and patience for the redemption of the body.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For in this hope we were saved. Now hope being seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? | {This is so} because God rescued us while we confidently expect this. If we {already} had what we have been confidently expecting, then we would have nothing to confidently expect. {This is} because surely nobody confidently expects something that he {already} has. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But if we hope for what we do not see, with endurance we are eagerly expecting {it}. | Yet, if we keep on confidently expecting what we do not yet have, then we will keep on eagerly waiting for it while persevering. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now in the same way, the Spirit also helps in our weakness. For the thing for which we should pray as we ought, we do not know, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groans. | The {Holy} Spirit similarly also assists us because we are weak. {This is} because we are not aware for what we should pray. However, the {Holy} Spirit personally pleads on our behalf by groaning without speaking words. |
The Spirit himself intercedes in behalf of the saints according to the will of God.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But the one searching the hearts knows what {is} the mindset of the Spirit, because he intercedes on behalf of the saints in accordance with God. | Now God is the one who investigates what we think and feel. He is aware of what the {Holy} Spirit intends, because the Spirit pleads for the sake of God’s people according to {what} God {wants}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And we know that for the ones loving God, God works all things together for good,for the ones being called according to his purpose. | We are certain that God makes all things that happen to benefit those who love him. {They are} the people whom God called because he previously planned {to do so}. |
God works all things together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Because those whom he foreknew, he also predestined {to be} a similar form to the image of his Son so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. | {This is} because those whom God chose in advance, he also decided in advance to make resemble his Son {Jesus}. {God did these things} in order for his Son {Jesus} to have first place among many {spiritual} siblings. |
God has predestined those whom he foreknew to be conformed to the image of his Son.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now those whom he predestined, these he also called. And those whom he called, these he also justified. And those whom he justified, these he also glorified. | Certainly, the people whom God chose in advance {to become his people}, he also summoned to become his people. And those people whom God summoned {to become his people}, he also made righteous. And those people whom God made righteous, he will also make glorious. |
Those he predestined, God also called, justified, and glorified.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| What then will we say to these things? If God {is} for us, who {is} against us? | {Since these things are true,} then we should say this about them: since God supports us, surely no one {is powerful enough} to oppose us! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| He who indeed did not spare his own Son, but gave him up on behalf of us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things? | God did not even spare his own Son, {Jesus}. On the contrary, God handed him over {to die} for the sake of us all. So God surely will also graciously give us, along with Jesus, every {blessing}! |
Believers know that God will freely give them all things because God gave up his own Son on behalf of all believers.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Who will bring an accusation against God’s elect? God {is} the one justifying. | Surely no one can {rightly} accuse those whom God chose {to become his people}! {This is because} God is the one who makes people righteous. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Who {is} the one condemning? Christ Jesus {is} the one having died—but more {than that}, having been raised, who also is at the right hand of God—the one also interceding on our behalf. | Surely no one can condemn {God’s people}! {This is because} the Messiah Jesus is the one who died. Furthermore, he is the one whom God made alive again. He is also at the place of highest honor next to God, and he even pleads for our sake. |
Christ Jesus is interceding on behalf of the saints at the right hand of God.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Who will separate us from the love of Christ?Tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? | Surely no one can make Jesus stop loving us! If people trouble us or distress us or persecute us, or if we are hungry or naked or in danger, or if people kill us with swords, surely none of those things can make Jesus stop loving us! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Just as it is written, “For your sake we are being put to death the whole day {long}. We were considered as sheep for slaughter.” | This is what {God meant when} he said {in the Scriptures}, “They constantly kill us because of you{, God}. They consider us to be like sheep for them to slaughter.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But in all these things we are more than conquerors through the one having loved us. | However, he who loved us enables us to completely overcome all of these things {that might happen to us}. |
Believers are more than conquerors through the one who loved them.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor governments, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, | In fact, God has persuaded me that {none of these things}—whether being dead, or what happens while we are alive, or angels, or demons who rule, or things that are happening to us, or things that will happen to us, or powerful demons, |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which {is} in Christ Jesus our Lord. | or what is above {us}, or what is below {us}, or anything else that God created—can stop God from loving us! {God loves us} because we are united to the Messiah Jesus, our Lord! |
Paul is convinced that no created thing can separate the believer from the love of God.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| I speak truth in Christ. I do not lie—my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit— | I speak what is true as one whom God has united with the Messiah. I do not speak what is false. The Holy Spirit confirms what my conscience testifies within myself {when I say} |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| that for me there is great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart. | that I grieve very greatly and constantly! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For I could wish myself to be accursed, {separated} from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race according to the flesh; | {I do so} because I truly wish that God would curse me and completely alienate me from {Jesus} the Messiah for my fellow {kinsmen} {to be saved}! They are physically related to me. |
Paul would be willing to be cursed by God for the sake of his brothers.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| who are Israelites, of whom {is} the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the law-giving, and the service, and the promises; | These {kinsmen of mine} are the Israelites. {They are those} whom God {spiritually} adopted. God allowed them to experience how glorious he is. God made covenants with them. God gave them his laws. God gave them the way to worship him. God also made promises to them. |
The Israelites have adoption, the glory, the covenants, the law, the worship of God, and the promises.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| of whom {are} the fathers, and from whom {is} the Christ—(that {is}, according to the flesh)—the one who {is} over all, blessed God to eternity. Amen. | {Our Jewish} forefathers {Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob} were Israelites. The Messiah is also one of them, as someone physically related to them. The Messiah rules over everything. {He is} the blessed God forever. May it be so! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But {it is} not such a thing that the word of God has failed. For not all the ones from Israel, these {are} Israel. | Yet God has not failed to do what he promised {to the Israelites}. {This is true} because not all people who have physically descended from Israel are {true} Israelites. |
Paul says that not everyone in Israel truly belongs to Israel, and not all of Abraham’s descendants are truly his children.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Neither that all the children are seed of Abraham. But, “In Isaac your seed will be called.” | {It is} also not {true} that all those who physically descended {from Abraham} are Abraham’s {true} offspring. Rather, {as God says to Abraham in the Scriptures,} “I will identify your {true} offspring through {those who descend from} Isaac.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| That is, the children of the flesh, these {are} not children of God. But the children of the promise are considered as seed. | In other words, the people who {only} physically descended {from Abraham} are not God’s {spiritual} children. Rather, those {who became God’s spiritual} children as a result of what God promised are regarded as {Abraham’s true spiritual} offspring. |
The children of the flesh are not counted as the children of God.
The children of the promise are counted as the children of God.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For this {is} the word of promise: “At this time I will come, and a son will be to Sarah.” | Indeed, this is what God promised {would happen} {when he said in the Scriptures}, “At a set time, I will come. As a result, Sarah will give birth to a son.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now, not only this, but Rebekah also having conceived from one {man}, our father Isaac— | This is not the only {promise God made}. But {God made a promise} also when Rebekah became pregnant by this same man, Isaac. {He is} the ancestor of us {Israelites}. |
The purpose of God according to choice was the cause behind the statement given to Rebecca.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| for not yet having been born, nor indeed having done anything good or bad, so that the purpose of God according to election might endure, | Indeed, {God chose only one of her two sons} even though she had not yet born them and they had not yet done anything right or wrong. {God did this} in order that what he had previously planned with regard to choosing {people} would happen. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| not by works, but by the one calling—it was said to her, “The older will be enslaved to the younger.” | {God did not choose only one of her sons} because of what he did. Rather, it was because God summons {those whom he chooses}. {This is why} God told Rebekah {in the Scriptures}, “Your older son will become a slave to your younger son.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| {It is} just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” | This is what {God meant when} he said {in the Scriptures}, “I love {the younger son} Jacob, but I emphatically reject {the older son} Esau.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| What then will we say? {There is} no unrighteousness with God{, is there}? May it never be! | {Someone might say,} “{If what you have said is true,} then surely God must be unrighteous!” {Then I would say,} “Of course not!” |
The cause behind God’s gifts of mercy and compassion is God’s choice.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy {on} whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion {on} whomever I will have compassion.” | {We know that God is truly righteous} because God told Moses {in the Scriptures}, “I will be merciful to whomever I want to be merciful. I will be compassionate to whomever I want to be compassionate.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| So then, {it is} not of the one willing, nor of the one running, but of God, the one having mercy. | Therefore, {who receives God’s mercy does} not {depend} on {how much} someone desires {to receive it}. {Who receives God’s mercy} also does not depend on {how much} effort someone exerts. Rather, {it depends on} what God wants. {He is} the one who is merciful. |
The cause behind God’s gifts of mercy and compassion is not the will or actions of the person receiving the gifts.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For the scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very {purpose} I raised you up: so that I might demonstrate my power in you and so that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” | Indeed, this is what God told Pharaoh in the Scriptures, “I allowed you {to become king in Egypt} for this exact reason: in order that I could use you to exhibit how powerful I am. I also {allowed you to become king} in order that I will be famous all over the world.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| So then, he has mercy on whom he wills, but whom he wills, he hardens. | Therefore, God is merciful to whomever he wants {to be merciful}. But he makes stubborn whomever he wants {to become stubborn}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| You will say then to me, “Why then does he still find fault? For who has ever withstood his will?” | As a result {of what I have said,} one of you may tell me, “{If what you have said is true,} then surely God should not blame people {for doing what they do}! {God should not do that} because no one can ever stop him from doing whatever he wants {to do}!” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| O man, who indeed are you, the one answering against God? The one molded will not say to the one having molded {it}, “Why did you make me this way?” will it? | {Then I would say,} “You {mere} human! You who argue with God are truly not worthy {to do so}! Who God has made surely must not say to God who made him, ‘You should not have made me to be like this!’” |
Paul replies, “Who are you who answers against God?”
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Or does the potter not have authority over the clay to make from the same lump not only what {is} a vessel for honor, but also what {is} for dishonor? | {God can surely do whatever he wants to do with what he has made. In the same way,} someone who makes containers can do whatever he wants to do with his materials. From the same material he can make both containers for special use and containers for ordinary use. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But {what} if God, willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction; | Now, {you should surely not argue with God} because he very patiently endured those people whom he would punish {and} had prepared to destroy {eternally}. {He endured them} because he wanted to show how angry he is and to reveal how powerful he is. |
God endured with much patience those prepared for destruction.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| and so that he might make known the wealth of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory— | {God} also {endures those whom he will punish} in order to reveal how abundantly glorious he is to those people to whom he will be merciful. God has previously arranged to glorify these people {eternally}. |
God made known to them the riches of his glory.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| even us whom he called, not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles? | We are also {among those people to whom God is merciful and} whom God has summoned. {God summons people} from {among} Jewish people and even from {among} non-Jewish people. |
God has called from both Jews and Gentiles those on whom he is having mercy.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| As he says also in Hosea: “I will call those {who were} not my people, ‘my people,’ and the one not loved, ‘Beloved.’ | In the same way, God also told Hosea {in the Scriptures}, “I will give the name ‘My people’ to people who were not my people. I will also give the name ‘Loved one’ to the person whom I did not love.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And it will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You {are} not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’” | {God also told Hosea,} “Then it will happen, in the {exact} same location where I previously told them, ‘You are not my people,’ I will give them the name, ‘Children of God who lives.’” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel might be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved, | Indeed, {elsewhere in the Scriptures} Isaiah shouts out about {the people} of Israel, “Even though there were as many Israelites as there are grains of sand along the seashore, God will refrain from punishing {only} a few of them. |
From all the children of Israel, a remnant will be saved.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| for the Lord will carry out his word on the earth, finishing {it} and cutting {it} short.” | {This is} because the Lord will fully and swiftly accomplish what he promised {to do} on the earth.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And just as Isaiah has said beforehand, “If the Lord of hosts did not leave us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah.” | {It is} also just like Isaiah previously said {in the Scriptures}, “Unless the Lord, who rules over angel armies, had preserved offspring for us {Israelites}, he would have utterly destroyed us like he destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who are not pursuing righteousness, obtained righteousness, but righteousness that {is} by faith. | {Since these things are true}, we should surely say that {although} the nations are not trying to be righteous, {they} became righteous. {However,} they became righteous by trusting {God}. |
The Gentiles attained it through the righteousness by faith.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not attain {it} through the law. | By contrast, {the people of} Israel tried to obey the laws {God gave them} in order to become righteous. {But} they could not become righteous by {obeying} those laws. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Why? Because {it was} not by faith, but as by works. They stumbled over the stone of stumbling, | The reason why {the people of Israel could not become righteous} is that they did not {try to become righteous} by trusting {God}. Instead, they tried to become righteous by working {for it}. {Because of this} {the Messiah offended them when he came. It is as if the Messiah is} a stone that causes them to trip. |
The Israelites stumbled over the stone of stumbling and the rock of offense.
Israel did not arrive at it because they pursued it by works, and not by faith.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| just as it is written, “Behold, I place in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and the one believing on it will not be ashamed.” | This is what {God meant when} he had {Isaiah} write {in the Scriptures}, “Pay attention! I am placing in Jerusalem {someone who is like} a stone that trips {people} and a rock that offends {people}. But God will not humiliate {anyone} who trusts in that person.” |
Those who do not stumble, but believe, will not be ashamed.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Brothers, the good pleasure of my heart and my prayer to God {is} on behalf of them for salvation. | My fellow believers, I strongly desire {that God will save the Israelites}. I also pray for him {to save} them! |
Paul’s desire is for the Israelites’ salvation.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For I testify about them that they have a zeal of God, but not according to full knowledge. | {This is} because I personally confirm that they are zealous about God. However, {they are} not {zealous} based on fully knowing {God}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For not knowing about the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit themselves to the righteousness of God. | {This is} because they are not aware of how God makes people righteous, and they try to make themselves righteous. {This is why} they refuse to subject themselves to the way God makes people righteous. |
The Israelites are seeking to establish their own righteousness.
The Israelites do not know of God’s righteousness.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For Christ {is} the completion of the law for righteousness for everyone who believes. | {They were wrong to try to make themselves righteous}, because {Jesus} the Messiah has ended the laws {that God gave the Jews}. {Christ did this} in order for God to make righteous anyone who trusts {in Jesus}. |
Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness for everyone who believes.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For Moses writes {about} the righteousness that {is} from the law: “The man having done these things will live by it.” | Indeed, this is what Moses wrote {in the Scriptures} about being righteous by {obeying} the laws {God gave the Jews}: “The person who obeys {all} {God’s} laws {perfectly} will live {eternally} by doing so.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But the righteousness by faith says thus, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down); | However, this is what {Moses} said {in the Scriptures} about people becoming righteous by trusting {in God}, “Do not say to yourselves, ‘Surely no one can go up to heaven!’” (This refers to trying to make the Messiah come down {to the earth}.) |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| or, “Who will descend into the abyss?” (that is, to bring Christ up from dead ones). | {Moses} also {said not to say,} “Surely no one can go down into the bottomless pit!” (This refers to trying to make the Messiah become alive again after he had died.) |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.” This is the word of faith, which we proclaim. | However, {Moses also} said this {in the Scriptures} {about people becoming righteous by trusting in God}, “You can easily know what God said. You can proclaim it and know it personally.” This refers to what God said about trusting {in him}. {This is what} we {believers in the Messiah} keep announcing. |
The word of faith is near, in the mouth and in the heart.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For if with your mouth you confess, “Jesus {is} Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from dead ones, you will be saved. | {What we keep announcing is} that God will save {any of} you who verbally acknowledges that Jesus is the Lord {over all things} and {personally} trusts that God made Jesus become alive again after he had died. |
Paul says a person must acknowledge with the mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in the heart that God raised him from the dead.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses to salvation. | {This is true} because God makes righteous anyone who personally trusts {in Jesus}, and he saves anyone who verbally acknowledges {that Jesus is the Lord}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame.” | Indeed, this is {what God} said in the Scriptures, “God will not humiliate {anyone} who trusts in that person.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord {is} of all, being rich to all the ones calling on him. | Indeed, the Lord {Jesus} does not discriminate between Jewish people and non-Jewish people. {This is} because {Jesus} is the same Lord {who rules} over everyone. He generously blesses all people who call out to him {to save them}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For “all, whoever calls on the name of the Lord, will be saved.” | Indeed, {Joel wrote in the Scriptures,} “God will save all people who call out to the Lord {to save them}.” |
Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| How then would they call on {him} in whom they have not believed? And how would they believe in {him} whom they have not heard? And how would they hear without someone preaching? | So, people certainly will not call out {for the Lord Jesus to save them} {if} they do not trust {in him}. And people certainly will not trust {in Jesus} {if} they have not heard {about him}. And people certainly will not hear {about Jesus} {if} someone does not proclaim {to them who he is}. |
Paul says that first a preacher is sent and the good news is heard and believed so that a person can call on the name of the Lord.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And how would they preach, unless they would be sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful {are} the feet of the ones proclaiming good news {of} good things!” | And certainly people would not proclaim {to other people who Jesus is} unless someone sends them out! This is what {Isaiah meant when} he wrote {in the Scriptures}, “It is a beautiful thing when people go and declare {to other people} the good news about good things!” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But not all of them obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” | However, not all {Jews} accepted the good news {about Jesus}. Indeed, this is what Isaiah {meant when} he said {in the Scriptures}, “Lord, no one trusts what we say!” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| So this faith {is} by hearing, and this hearing through the word of Christ. | So then, {a person can only} trust {in Jesus} by hearing {about him}. And {a person can only} hear {about Jesus} through {hearing} the message {that is about} the Messiah. |
The word of Christ is heard, which brings faith.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But I say, “Did they certainly not hear?” Yes, indeed. “Their sound went out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” | However, this is what I say, “The Jews most definitely heard {the message}!” It is a fact. {As David wrote in the Scriptures,} “{The heavenly bodies are like witnesses and} everyone throughout the entire world could hear what they said.” |
Yes, Israel heard the gospel.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But I say, “Did Israel certainly not know?” First Moses says, “I myself will provoke you to jealousy by a non-nation; by means of a senseless nation, I will provoke you to anger.” | This is also what I say, “{The people of} Israel most definitely understood {the message}!” {God} first said through Moses {in the Scriptures}, “I will {personally} make you envious and angry by {using} a nation that does not {belong to me} and does not {even} know {me}.” |
God said he would provoke Israel to jealousy by appearing a nation that had not known him.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now Isaiah is very bold, and he says, “I was found by the ones not seeking me; I appeared to the ones not asking for me.” | Moreover, {God} quite boldly declared through Isaiah {in the Scriptures}, “I revealed myself to those {non-Jewish people} who were not interested in knowing me and did not {even} ask about me.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But to Israel he says, “The whole day I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contradictory people.” | However, {God} told {the people of} Israel {in the Scriptures}, “I am always inviting {you} to know me, {but you} {constantly} disobey and oppose {me}!” |
When God reached out to Israel, he found a disobedient and resistant people.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| I say then, God did not reject his people, did he? May it never be! For I myself also am an Israelite, from the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. | Since {these things are true}, this is what I say, “God certainly has not rejected his people, the Israelites!” Of course not! {I know this is true} because I too am one of the Israelites. I descended from Abraham. {More specifically, I descended} from the tribe that descended from Benjamin. |
May it never be!
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Or do you not know what the scripture says about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? | God did not discard his people. {They are the people} whom he chose in advance. You certainly are aware of what the Prophet Elijah said in the Scriptures when he appealed to God against the people of Israel! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| “Lord, they killed your prophets, they tore down your altars, and I alone was left behind, and they seek my life.” | {Elijah said,} “Lord, the people of Israel murdered {all of} your prophets {except for me}! They demolished {all of} your altars! I am the very last {prophet} who is still alive! Now, they are trying to kill me {too}!” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for myself 7,000 men who have not bent a knee to Baal.” | However, this is how God replied to Elijah, “I have kept alive 7,000 men for my purposes. These men have not worshipped {the false god} Baal.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| In the same way, then, at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. | So, similarly, at this time some faithful Israelites also remain. {This is} because God has graciously chosen them {to remain}. |
Paul says that there is a remnant remaining that has been preserved because of the choice of grace.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But if by grace, {it is} no longer by works. Otherwise this grace becomes no longer grace. | Yet because {God chooses his people} based on how gracious he is, {God} does not {choose his people} based on what they do. {If God chose people based on what they do,} then how gracious he is would not {really} be gracious. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| What then? The thing Israel diligently seeks, this it did not obtain, but the elect obtained, and the rest {of them} were hardened, | So this is what we should conclude: Although {the people of} Israel keep trying to make themselves righteous, they cannot do so. Instead, those whom God {graciously} chose {from them} became righteous. But God made stubborn those people of Israel whom he did not {graciously} choose. |
The chosen among the Israelites obtained salvation, and the rest were hardened.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| just as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of dullness, eyes not to see, and ears not to hear, until this very day.” | This is exactly {what God meant when he wrote} in the Scriptures, “God caused the people of Israel to not think properly. Until this present day, God has made them completely unable to understand {how to become righteous}.” |
The spirit of dullness made their eyes unable to see and their ears unable to hear.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And David says, “Let their table become for a net and for a trap, and for a stumbling block and for a retribution to them. | David also stated {in the Scriptures}, “{O God}, make the luxurious way they live punish them completely {like a hunter catches an animal} in a net or trap! {Make the luxurious way they live} cause them to sin and pay them back {for sinning}! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Let their eyes be darkened to not see, and make their backs bend continually.” | Make them unable to understand! Make them suffer like slaves forever!” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| I say then, “They did not stumble so that they might fall, did they?” May it never be! Instead, by their transgression, this salvation {is} to the Gentiles, in order to provoke them to jealousy. | Since {these things are true}, this is what I say, “The Jewish people were certainly not offended in order that God would completely reject them!” Of course not! Rather, God saves non-Jewish people because the Jewish people disobeyed {him}. This happened in order for God to make the Jewish people envious {of non-Jewish people who know him}. |
Salvation has come to the Gentiles.
The salvation of the Gentiles will provoke the Israelites to jealousy.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now if their transgression {is} wealth of the world, and their loss {is} wealth of the Gentiles, how much more {will} their fullness {be}? | Indeed, God used how the Jewish people disobeyed {him and} failed {to make themselves righteous} to abundantly bless people from all the nations in the whole world. So, {when} the complete amount of {faithful} Jewish people {become righteous}, there will be even greater blessings! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now I am speaking to you the Gentiles. As much therefore as I myself am an apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry, | But now I am speaking to you {non-Jewish people who trust in Jesus}. God indeed made me his representative to non-Jewish people. Therefore, I show how glorious is what I do to minister {to non-Jewish people}. |
The root is Israel, and the wild branches are the Gentiles.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| if somehow I might provoke to jealousy my own flesh and might save some from them. | If possible, I want to make those who I am physically related to, the Jews, envious {of the non-Jewish people who know God}, so that God will save some of them. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For if their rejection {is} reconciliation of the world, what {is their} acceptance if not life from dead ones? | Indeed, God is reconciling with {people in} the world as a result of him rejecting the Jewish people. So, when God accepts the Jewish people, it will result in God making alive those who are dead. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now if the firstfruits {is} holy, the lump {of dough} also. And if the root {is} holy, the branches also. | Indeed, because {the ancestors of the Jewish people belong to God, just like} the first portion {of a lump of dough} belongs to God, {all the Jewish people belong to God, just like} that whole lump of dough {belongs to God}. Also, because {the ancestors of the Jewish people belonged to God, just like} the root {of an olive tree} belongs to God, {all the Jewish people belong to God, just like} the branches of that {same} tree {belong to God}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive branch, were grafted into them, and became partakers with them of the richness of the root of the olive tree, | Indeed, {God has removed some of the Jewish people from his people, as} a farmer breaks {unfruitful} branches off {of an olive tree}. But, {God has made} you {non-Jewish people who trust in Jesus} {part of his people, as} a farmer grafts wild olive branches into {a cultivated tree}. {You} also {share together in benefitting from being part of God’s people, as} grafted branches share in the nutrition in the olive tree root. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| do not boast over the branches. But if you boast, you yourself do not support the root, but the root, you. | Therefore, you {non-Jewish people who trust in Jesus} must not boast against the {Jewish people whom God removed, even though they are like} broken off branches! If you do boast, {you must realize that} you indeed do not sustain the Jewish people. Rather, {they sustain} you, as the root sustains {the branches}! |
Paul says the wild branches must avoid the attitude of boasting over the natural branches that were broken off.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I myself might be grafted in.” | So then, you might say, “{God removed some of the Jewish people from his people, as} a farmer breaks {unfruitful} branches off {of a tree}. {God did this} in order that {he could join} me {to his people, as} a farmer grafts a branch into {a tree}.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| {That is} true. They were broken off in unbelief, but you yourself stand firm in faith. Do not think arrogant things, but fear! | {I would reply by saying that} what you said is correct. {God removed} some of the Jewish people {from being his people, as} a farmer breaks off {unfruitful} branches because they were unfaithful. However, you {non-Jewish people who trust in Jesus} remain {part of God’s people} by trusting {in him}. Do not arrogantly think {that you are better than unbelieving Jewish people}! Rather, fear {God!} |
Paul warns the wild branches that if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare the wild branches if they fall into unbelief.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For if God did not spare of the natural branches, neither will he spare of you. | {You should fear God} because he did not show pity to the {faithless Jewish people, who are like} natural branches. So, he will not show pity to you {non-Jewish people} {if you stop trusting in Jesus}! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| See, then, the kindness and the severity of God: severity on the ones having fallen, but kindness of God on you, if you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you yourself also will be cut off. | Since {this is true}, pay attention to how kind and severe God can be! God acts severely toward those who stop trusting in him. However, God will act kindly toward you {non-Jewish people who trust in Jesus} if you continue accepting how kind he is. But, if you do not {do this}, {God will reject you, like} a farmer cuts an {unfruitful} branch off of a tree! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But those, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in. For God is able to graft them in again. | However, if those faithless Jewish people believe {in Jesus}, God will allow them to {rejoin his people, just as} a farmer grafts {branches} into {a tree}. {This is} because God is powerful enough to rejoin the Jewish people {to his people}. |
God can graft back into the olive tree natural branches that do not continue in their unbelief.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For if you from what {is} by nature a wild olive tree were cut off, and contrary to nature were grafted into a good olive tree, how much more will these, who {are} according to nature, be grafted back into their own olive tree? | Indeed, {God removed} you {non-Jewish people who trust in Jesus from the nations and joined you to his people, as} a farmer cuts off a branch from a naturally wild olive tree and grafts it into a cultivated olive tree, {even though doing so is} not natural. Since {this is true}, {God} will certainly {join Israelites back into his people, just as} a farmer grafts a naturally cultivated olive branch back into its own tree. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, in order that you might not be wise in yourselves, that a partial hardening has occurred in Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; | {I say this} because I really want you, my {non-Jewish} fellow believers, to know what God had previously hidden {from people}, so that you do not become arrogant. {God had previously hidden from people the fact} that some of {the people of} Israel will stubbornly oppose {him} until all the non-Jewish people God has chosen have joined his people. |
The partial hardening of Israel will last until the completion of the Gentiles comes in.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| and thus all Israel will be saved, just as it is written: “From Zion will come the Deliverer. He will turn away ungodly things from Jacob. | Then, in the same way, God will save all {of the people of} Israel. This is what {Isaiah meant when} he wrote {in the Scriptures}, “God will send from Jerusalem someone to rescue {his people}. {That man} will make {the descendants of} Jacob stop being ungodly.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And this {will be} for them the covenant with me, when I take away their sins.” | {God says,} “This is the agreement that I will make with the descendants of Jacob, when I forgive {them for the} sinful things {that they have done}.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Indeed, according to the gospel, {they are} enemies for your sake, but according to election, {they are} beloved for the sake of their forefathers. | With regard to {Jewish people rejecting} the good news, they are enemies {of God} for your benefit. However, with regard to {God} choosing {Jewish people}, God loves them for the sake of {what he promised} their ancestors. |
The Israelites continue to be loved by God because of the ancestors and because the call of God is unchangeable.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For the gracious gifts and the calling of God {are} without regret. | {This is true} because God does not revoke the things he graciously gives. {He} also {does not revoke} {the people whom} he summons {to be his people}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For just as you yourselves were formerly disobedient to God, but now were shown mercy in the disobedience of these, | Indeed, {it is} just as you {non-Jewish people who trust in Jesus} used to disobey God, but now God has been merciful to you because the Jewish people disobeyed {him}. |
Both Jew and Gentile have been shown to be disobedient.
God has shown mercy to the disobedient, both Jew and Gentile.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| thus also, these now were disobedient in your mercy so that they might also now be shown mercy. | In the same way, the Jewish people also are now disobeying {God} because God has been merciful to you {non-Jewish people}. {This happened} in order for God to now also be merciful to them. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For God shut up all {people} into disobedience in order that he might show mercy on all the {people}. | Indeed, God allowed everyone to disobey him in order to be merciful to them. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| O, the depth of the wealth and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable {are} his judgments, and his ways beyond discovering! | God is so very wealthy, wise, and knowledgeable! No one can fully understand what he does! |
No person can search God’s judgments and give him advice.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For, “Who has known the mind of the Lord or who has become his advisor?” | Indeed, {as Isaiah wrote,} “{No one} could {ever} comprehend what the Lord thinks or advise him!” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Or, “Who gave to him, that he should be repaid by him?” | Furthermore, “No one could {ever} give God {anything} that would cause God to owe him {something}!” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For from him and through him and to him {are} all things. To him {be} the glory to the ages. Amen. | {No one can do these things}, because everything {came} from God, {exists} by God, and {exists} for God. {I pray that} everyone will glorify him forever. May this truly be so! |
All things are from God, through God, and to God.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| I urge you therefore, brothers, by the compassions of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, well-pleasing to God, which {is} your reasonable service. | So then, {considering everything that I have told you,} I exhort you fellow believers, based on how compassionate God is: Devote yourselves {to God}, as if you were living animals someone offers to God. Be holy and please God. Doing so is the reasonable way for you to serve {God}. |
A believer’s spiritual service is to present himself a living sacrifice to God.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of the mind, so that you can approve what {is} the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God. | Do not change yourselves to be like the {sinful people who live at} the current time. Rather, let God change the way you behave by changing the way you think in order that you can test and prove what God wants {you to do}. {God wants you to do} what is good, pleasing, and flawless. |
A transformed mind enables a believer to know what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you to not think more highly of himself than what he ought to think, but to think with sound mind, as God has distributed to each one a measure of faith. | Indeed, based on {how} God has kindly authorized me {to represent him,} I am telling every one of you to not think you are better than you really are. Rather, think properly {about yourselves}, according to the amount of trusting {in God} that God has apportioned to each one {of you}. |
A believer should not think of himself more highly than he ought to think.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For just as we have many members in one body, but not all the members have the same function, | {You must think properly about yourselves} because, in the same way that a {human} body has many parts that all function for different purposes, |
The many believers are one body in Christ, and individually members of each other.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| in the same way, we, the many, are one body in Christ and the {body} individually {are} members of one other. | so also, we many {believers in the Messiah} are united to the Messiah as one group. {Each one of us is united to each other like} the individual parts {of a human body} are united. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But we have different gracious gifts according to the grace given to us: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; | Yet we {believers in the Messiah} have received different spiritual abilities in accordance with what God has kindly given to us. If {God has enabled you} to prophesy, {then prophesy} in accordance with the amount of trusting {in God} that God has apportioned to you. |
Each believer should exercise his gifts according to the proportion of his faith.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| if service, in the service; if the one teaching, in the teaching; | If {God has enabled you} to serve, {then you should} serve {others}. {If God has enabled you} to teach {others}, {then you should} teach {others}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| if the one encouraging, in the encouragement; the one giving, in generosity; the one leading, in diligence; the one showing mercy, with cheerfulness. | If {God has enabled you} to encourage {others}, {then} you should encourage {others. If God has enabled you} to give {what you have to others}, {then} you should generously give {what you have to others}. {If God has enabled you} to lead {others}, {then} you should lead {others} diligently. {If God has enabled you} to be merciful, {then} you should cheerfully be merciful. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| {Let} love {be} without hypocrisy, abhorring the wicked, holding on to the good; | Love {each other} genuinely. Detest what is wicked. Fervently retain what is good. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| in brotherly love, affectionate to one another; in honor, outdoing one another; | Be affectionate toward each other in regard to loving fellow believers. Be the first to honor other {fellow believers}. |
Believers should be affectionate to one another and respect one another.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| in diligence, not lazy; in the spirit, being eager; serving the Lord; | Do not be lazy, {but} be diligent. Be sincerely enthusiastic. Serve the Lord. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| in hope, rejoicing; in suffering, being patient; in prayer, persisting; | Rejoice because you are confident {in the Lord}. Be patient when you suffer. Pray persistently. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| in the needs of the saints, sharing; pursuing the hospitality. | Share {what you have} {to provide} what God’s people need. Find opportunities to welcome {others into your home}. |
Believers should share in the needs of the saints.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Bless the ones persecuting you; bless and do not curse; | {Ask God to} bless the people who mistreat you. {Ask God to} bless them rather than curse them. |
Believers should bless, and not curse, those who persecute them.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| to rejoice with those rejoicing; to weep with those weeping; | Rejoice along with those people who are rejoicing. Cry along with those who are crying. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| thinking the same thing toward one another, not thinking the high things, but accepting the lowly ones. Do not be wise in yourselves; | Be as concerned for each other as you are for yourselves. Do not think arrogantly {about yourselves}. Rather, associate with humble people. Do not be arrogant. |
Believers should accept lowly people.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| paying back to no one evil for evil; giving careful thought to good things in the sight of all men; | Do not do something evil to someone who has done something evil to you. Think carefully about {doing} things that everyone considers to be good. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| if possible, what {is} from you, living at peace with all men; | Live peacefully with everyone whenever it is possible for you to do so. |
As much as is possible, believers should seek peace with all people.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| not avenging yourselves, beloved, but give way to {God’s} wrath, for it is written, “‘Vengeance {is} for me; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” | {Fellow believers} whom I love, do not retaliate {when people do something evil against you}. Rather, let God punish {them}. {I say this} because Moses wrote {in the Scriptures}, “The Lord says, ‘I will retaliate {when people do something evil against you}. I will punish {them according to what they have done}.’” |
Believers should not avenge themselves, because vengeance belongs to the Lord.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. For doing this, you will heap coals of fire on his head.” | Rather {than permitting us to retaliate, God instructed us in the Scriptures}, “Feed your enemy if that person is hungry. Give your enemy something to drink if that person is thirsty. {Do this} because when you do so, {your enemy will feel ashamed, as if} you were piling up burning coals on top of that person’s head.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Do not be overcome by the evil, but overcome the evil with the good. | {In other words,} do not let what is evil defeat you {by causing you to do what is evil}. Rather, defeat what is evil by {doing} what is good. |
Believers should overcome evil with good.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Let every soul be subject to governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and the existing {authorities} are appointed by God. | Every one of you must submit yourselves to those whom God has authorized to govern you. {This is} because no one {can govern} unless God authorizes them {to do so}. God has instituted the existing governments. |
Earthly authorities are appointed by God and get their authority from God.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| So then, the one resisting that authority has opposed the command of God, and the ones who have opposed it will bring judgment on themselves. | So people who resist those whom God has authorized {to govern} are opposing what God has commanded. God will punish those people who oppose {those whom he has authorized to govern}. |
Those who oppose the earthly authority will receive judgment upon themselves.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For rulers are not a terror to the good deed, but to the evil {deed}. Now do you want to not fear the authority? Do the good, and you will have praise from it, | Indeed, the people who rule are {not supposed} to terrify {those people who do} what is good. Rather, {they are supposed to terrify} {those people who do} what is evil. If you do not want to fear those whom God authorizes to rule, {then} do what is good and those who rule will commend you for doing so. |
Paul tells believers to do what is good so that they can be unafraid of the ruling authority.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| for he is a servant of God to you for the good. But if you do the evil, fear; for he does not carry the sword in vain, for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath on the one practicing the evil. | {This is} because the people {whom God authorizes to rule} serve God for your benefit. But if you do what is evil, you should be afraid, because God has authorized those people who rule to punish {people} for a good reason. Indeed, those people who rule serve God by avenging {what is evil} in order to punish anyone who practices what is evil. |
God has given rulers the authority to carry the sword and to punish the one who does evil.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Therefore, {it is} necessary to be subjected not only because of the wrath, but also because of the conscience. | Consequently, you must submit yourselves {to those people whom God authorizes to rule}. {You must do this} not only because they can punish you, but also because you know {that to disobey them is to disobey God}! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For because of this you pay taxes also; for they are servants of God, persisting in this very thing. | Indeed, you also pay taxes because of these things. {You also pay taxes} because those people {whom God authorizes to rule} serve God. They devote themselves to serving {by governing}. |
God has given rulers the authority to require payment of taxes.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Pay back to everyone your obligations: tax to whom tax, toll to whom toll, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. | Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay taxes to whom you owe taxes. Pay fees to whom you owe fees. Fear those people whom you should fear. Honor those people whom you should honor. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Owe nothing to no one, except to love one another, for the one loving his neighbor has fulfilled the law. | Do not owe anything to anyone. Rather, continue to love other {people who believe in the Messiah} {as if you owe it to them}. {Do this} because someone who loves another person accomplishes {what God required in} the laws {he gave the Jews}. |
Paul says that believers should owe love to others.
A believer fulfills the law by loving his neighbor.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For this: “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,” and if any other commandment, it is summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” | {This is true} because {God commanded} these things {in his laws when he said}, “Do not have sexual relations with someone whom you did not marry. Do not murder. Do not rob people. Do not lust for what belongs to other people.” You could summarize anything else that God commands {in the laws he gave the Jews} with this {other} thing {God commanded}: “Love other people in the same way you love yourself.” |
Paul lists the commandments to not commit adultery, not kill, not steal, and not covet as part of the law.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Love for a neighbor does not work evil. Therefore, love {is the} fulfillment of the law. | {When you} love other people, {you} do not do evil things {to them}. This is why loving {other people} accomplishes {what God required in} the laws {he gave the Jews}. |
A believer fulfills the law by loving his neighbor.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And this, knowing the time, that {it is} already the hour for youto awake from sleep. For now our salvation {is} nearer than when we believed. | {Do} these things because you know what time it is. It is already the time for you to be spiritually alert because {the time when Jesus will return} to {finally} save us is now closer than when we began trusting {in him}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| The night advanced, and the day has come near. Let us therefore put off the works of the darkness, and let us put on the weapons of the light. | {In the same way that} the night ends just before the day begins{, the time of this sinful world is almost over, and Jesus will return soon}. So, we must stop doing {what is evil, which is like} what people do when it is dark. Instead, we must {oppose what is evil by doing what is good, which is like} a soldier puts on his armor {to fight the enemy} during the day. |
Paul says believers should put aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Let us walk decently, as in the day, not in drunken celebrations or drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and uncontrolled lust, not in strife and jealousy. | We must behave appropriately, as if it were daytime {and people could see what we do}. We must not celebrate drunkenly or get drunk {at all}. We must not do any unrestrained sexually immoral acts {at all}. We must not quarrel {with others} or be jealous {of others}. |
Believers are not to walk in wild celebrations, drunkenness, sexual immorality, uncontrolled lust, strife, or jealousy.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no forethought with regard to desires of the flesh. | Rather {than doing those things}, act like the Lord Jesus the Messiah would act. Do not concern yourselves with {anything that is related to} what your {sinful} self wants to do. |
The believer should make no provision for the lusts of the flesh.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now accept the one being weak in the faith, not for passing judgments on opinions. | Welcome any fellow {believer in the Messiah} who is immature in how they believe. {Do} not {welcome them} in order to argue with them about matters of opinion. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| One person believes to eat anything, but the one being weak eats vegetables. | {There are some people} who are convinced that they can eat any {kind of food}. But the immature {believer in the Messiah} {thinks that they can only} eat vegetables. |
A person who is stronger in faith eats anything, but a person who is weaker in faith eats only vegetables.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Let the one eating not despise the one not eating, and let the one not eating not judge the one eating. For God has accepted him. | {The believer in the Messiah} who eats {every kind of food} must not scorn {his fellow believer} who does not eat {every kind of food. The believer in the Messiah} who does not eat {every kind of food} also must not judge {his fellow believer} who eats {every kind of food}. {This is} because God has welcomed {both of} them. |
God has received both the one who eats anything and the one who eats only vegetables.
Believers who differ on what they eat should not despise or judge each other.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Who are you, the one judging a household slave belonging to another? To his own master he stands or falls. But he will be made to stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. | You should not judge {your fellow believer, who is like} a slave belonging to another {master}. He either pleases or does not please his master, {according to how the master judges}. Yet God will make him pleasing {to himself} because the Lord can do so. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Indeed, one {person} judges day from day, but another person judges every day {alike}. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. | Some people consider certain days to be special, while other people consider all days {to be the same}. Each person must be completely certain {that what they do honors God}. |
Paul mentions as an issue of personal conviction whether one day is valued over another or all days are valued equally.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| The one regarding the day, regards it for the Lord; and the one eating, eats for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God, and the one not eating, does not eat for the Lord; he also gives thanks to God. | The person who thinks certain days are special does so in order to {honor} the Lord. The person who eats {every kind of food} does so in order to {honor} the Lord. {This is} because that person is thankful to God. The person who refuses to eat {certain foods} does so in order to {honor} the Lord. That person is thankful to God as well. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For none of us lives for himself, and none dies for himself. | {This is true} because not one of us {believers in the Messiah} lives {only} to {please} himself, and not one of us dies {only} to {please} himself. |
Believers live and die for the Lord.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or whether we die, we are of the Lord. | Indeed, while we {believers in the Messiah} live, we live to {please} the Lord. When we die, we die to {please} the Lord. So then, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For to this {purpose} Christ died and lived {again}, so that he might be Lord of both dead ones and of living ones. | Indeed, this is why the Messiah {Jesus} died and {became} alive {again}: in order to become Lord over those who are dead and those who are alive. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But you, why do you judge your brother? And you also, why do you despise your brother? For we will all present ourselves before the judgment seat of God. | As for you, those of you who judge your fellow believers must not do so! You also must not scorn your fellow believers! {Do not do these things} because {one day} God will judge all of us {who believe in the Messiah}. |
All believers will ultimately stand before the judgment seat of God.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For it is written, “‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘to me every knee will bend, and every tongue will confess to God.’” | Indeed, Isaiah wrote in the Scriptures, “The Lord says {this oath}, ‘As certainly as I am alive, {it is just as certain that} everyone will worship me. And everyone will acknowledge to me {that I am God}.’” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| So then, each one of us will give an account concerning himself to God. | Therefore, each one of us {who believes in the Messiah} will certainly answer to God for whatever we do {while we are alive}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Therefore, let us no longer judge one another, but rather judge this: to not place a stumbling block for the brother or a trap. | So we must stop judging other believers. Instead, we must resolve not to do anything that could tempt our fellow believers to sin. |
A brother should not place a stumbling block or a snare for another brother on issues of personal conviction.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing {is} unclean by itself, except to the one considering anything to be unclean, for that one {it is} unclean. | I am absolutely convinced by the Lord Jesus that no {food} is inherently sinful {for believers in the Messiah to eat}. If someone regards some {food} as sinful to eat, then it is {only} sinful for that person to eat it. |
Paul is persuaded that no foods are unclean.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food that one for whom Christ died. | {Do not tempt fellow believers to sin} because, if you grieve your fellow believer by eating what that person considers to be sinful to eat, you are not acting in a loving manner anymore. Do not cause a fellow believer to {stop trusting in God and} become ruined {eternally} because of what you {want to} eat! The Messiah died to save that person! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| So do not allow your good to be blasphemed. | So then, do not do anything that will cause anyone to slander the good things that God has given you. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. | {Do not do this}, because eating and drinking do not characterize God’s kingdom. Rather, being righteous, peaceful, and joyful through the Holy Spirit {characterizes God’s kingdom}. |
The kingdom of God is about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For the one serving Christ in this way {is} well-pleasing to God and approved by men. | Indeed, {any} believer who serves the Messiah by doing these things greatly pleases God, and {other} people will {also} approve of that person. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| So then, let us pursue the things of peace and the things of the building up for one another. | Therefore, we must eagerly try to live peacefully {with other believers} and help each other become {spiritually} mature. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Do not tear down the work of God on account of food. All things {are} indeed clean, but {it is} evil for the man who eats with a stumbling block. | Do not ruin what God has done because {you want to eat certain} foods! God permits us to eat all {kinds of food}. However, it is sinful for someone to eat {certain foods} if doing so tempts {your fellow believer} to sin. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| {It is} good not to eat meat, nor to drink wine, nor {anything} by which your brother stumbles [or is offended or becomes weak]. | It is better not to eat {any} meat, or drink {any} wine, or {do} anything that could tempt your fellow believer to sin, [or that could offend that person or cause that person to remain spiritually immature]. |
Paul says it is good if the brother does not eat meat or drink wine in the presence of the other brother.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| The faith that you yourself have, keep according to yourself before God. Blessed {is} the one not judging himself in what he approves. | Keep what you believe {that God permits you to do} between you and God. The person who does not feel guilty concerning what he believes to be right is blessed. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But the one passing judgment is condemned if he eats, because {it is} not from faith. And all that {is} not from faith is sin. | By contrast, God judges someone who considers {eating certain foods to be sinful} and eats {those foods}. {This is} because that person did not act according to what that person believes {is right}. A person who does anything that is not according to what that person believes {is right} is sinning. |
Whatever actions are not taken from faith are sin.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now we, being able, ought to bear the weaknesses of the ones being unable, and not to please ourselves. | Indeed, we {spiritually} mature {believers in the Messiah} must support {our} fellow believers in the Messiah who are {spiritually} immature. We must not {only} do what pleases us. |
Believers with strong faith should bear the weaknesses of those with weak faith, in order to build them up.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, toward his building up. | Each one of us believers in the Messiah must do what pleases his fellow believers in order to do what is good {for them, and} in order to help them become {spiritually} mature. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For even Christ did not please himself. Instead, just as it is written, “The insults of the ones insulting you fell on me.” | For instance, not even the Messiah {Jesus} pleased himself! Rather, {he lived to please others}. This is what {David meant when} he wrote {in the Scriptures about the Messiah saying to God}, “When people insult you, they {also} insult me!” |
Christ did not live to please himself, but served others.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For whatever was previously written was written for our own instruction, in order that through the patience and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we would have the hope. | Indeed, the prophets previously wrote everything {in the Scriptures} in order to teach us. {They also wrote the Scriptures} in order to make us confident through what the Scriptures say that helps us endure and encourages us. |
The Scriptures written previously were written for our instruction.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now may the God of patience and of encouragement grant you to think the same with each other according to Christ Jesus, | I pray that {our} patient and encouraging God will allow you to live harmoniously with each other the way the Messiah Jesus did. |
Paul desires that the believers be of the same mind with each other.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| so that with one accord you might glorify with one mouth the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. | {I pray that you will live harmoniously with each other} in order that you might be united when you glorify God. {He is} the Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted you, to the glory of God. | Consequently, welcome your fellow believers {in the Messiah} in the same way that the Messiah {Jesus} also welcomed you in order to glorify God! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For I say that Christ has become a servant of the circumcision because of the truth of God, to confirm the promises of the fathers, | Indeed, I{, Paul,} am telling {you} that the Messiah {Jesus} serves the circumcised {Jews} because of how trustworthy God is. {He did this} in order to secure what God had promised to the {Jewish} forefathers {Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob}. |
Christ lived to served others.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| and also for the Gentiles to glorify God because of his mercy, just as it is written, “For this {reason}, I will confess you among the Gentiles and sing psalms to your name.” | {Jesus also did this} in order for the nations to glorify God because he is so merciful. This is what {David meant when} he wrote {in the Scriptures}, “So I will proclaim {who} you {are} {when I am} among the nations, and I will praise you by singing songs.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And again it says, “Rejoice, Gentiles, with his people.” | Again, {Moses} said in the Scriptures, “{All you} nations, celebrate along with God’s people!” |
The scriptures say the Gentiles will rejoice and praise the Lord.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And again, “Praise the Lord, all {you} Gentiles; and let all the peoples extol him.” | And also {in the Scriptures someone said}, “All {you} nations, praise the Lord! All {you} people groups, commend him!” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And again, Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even the one rising to rule over the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles will hope.” | {The Prophet} Isaiah also said {in the Scriptures}, “The one who descends from {David’s father} Jesse will come. He will begin to rule over the nations. The nations will become confident because of him.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that you might abound in this hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. | I pray that the God who makes {people} confident will cause you to feel exceedingly joyful and peaceful by trusting {in him}! {I pray that God will do this} in order for you to be exceedingly confident by the Holy Spirit enabling you. |
The believers will be filled with joy and peace, and will abound in hope.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But I myself am also persuaded about you, my brothers, that also you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to instruct one another. | My fellow believers, God has also persuaded me personally that each of you are exceedingly good, exceedingly knowledgeable of many things, and even able to teach other people. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But I wrote more boldly to you in part as reminding you, because of the grace given me by God, | {In this letter} I have written to you {believers in the Messiah} in a bold manner about some things in order to remind you {of them}. {I have done this} because God has kindly authorized me {to do so}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| in order for me to be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest the gospel of God so that the offering of the Gentiles might become well-pleasing, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. | {God did this} in order for me to serve the Messiah Jesus among non-Jewish people {by preaching} the good news from God as if I were a priest. {I do this} in order for the non-Jewish people {who trust in Jesus} to be {like} something offered {to God that} pleases {him, and that} the Holy Spirit has set apart {for him}. |
Paul’s mission is to be a servant of Christ Jesus sent to the Gentiles.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Therefore, in Christ Jesus I have a boast {about} the things pertaining to God. | So, as someone who is united with the Messiah Jesus, I have {good reasons} to boast about what God is doing {through me}! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For I will not dare to speak anything {except} what Christ produced through me for the obedience of the Gentiles—by word and deed, | Indeed, I will only be so bold as to speak about what the Messiah has done through me {that has led} to the nations obediently {trusting in God’s good news}! {The Messiah did this} through what I said and did. |
Christ has worked through Paul by word and action, by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem, and round about as far as Illyricum, I have fulfilled the gospel of Christ; | {The Messiah also did this} through powerful and wonderful miracles as God’s {Holy} Spirit powerfully {enabled me}! As a result, I have completed proclaiming the good news about the Messiah all the way around from Jerusalem to the {province of} Illyricum. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| but in this way, counting it honor to proclaim the gospel, not where Christ has been named, in order that I might not build upon another man’s foundation. | And so, I aspire to preach the good news where people have never heard about the Messiah {Jesus}. {I desire this} in order to not {interfere with someone else’s work, as if I were} building something where another person had already laid the foundation. |
Paul desires to proclaim the gospel where Christ is not known by name.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But just as it is written: “Those to whom it was not reported concerning him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” | Rather, {I preach the good news to those who have never heard it.} This is what {Isaiah meant when} he wrote {in the Scriptures}, “Those people whom no one told about him will perceive {who he is}. Those people who have not heard {about him} will comprehend {who he is}.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Therefore, I was also prevented these many times from coming to you. | That also hindered me over and over again from visiting all of you {at Rome}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But now, no longer having a place in these regions, and having a longing from a considerable {number} of years to come to you, | Yet at the present time I have nowhere left to go in these areas {to proclaim the good news}. I also have deeply desired to visit you for many years. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| whenever I travel to Spain, I indeed hope, passing through, to see you, and to be sent ahead there by you, if I might first be satisfied for a while by you. | {So} whenever I go to {the province of} Spain, I truly expect to visit you while passing through {Rome}. {I} also {expect} you to help me continue my journey to Spain after I first enjoy being with you for some time. |
Paul plans to travel to Spain, which will also allow him to come to Rome.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But now I am traveling to Jerusalem, ministering to the saints. | Yet, at the present time I am going to Jerusalem in order to serve God’s people {there}. |
Paul is now going to Jerusalem to serve the believers there.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For Macedonia and Achaia were well-pleased to make a certain contribution to the poor ones of the saints in Jerusalem. | {I am doing this} because {the believers in} the provinces of Macedonia and Achaia were glad to give money to help the poor people of God {who live} in Jerusalem. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For they were pleased, and they are obligated to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are obligated also to minister to them in material things. | In fact, those believers were glad, and they should {help} the poor believers in Jerusalem. {This is} because the non-Jewish believers have spiritually benefited from the Jewish believers. {So,} the non-Jewish believers should also serve the Jewish believers by providing what they physically need. |
The Gentiles believers owe the Jewish believers material things because the Gentile believers have shared in the spiritual things of the Jewish believers.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Therefore, having completed this and having sealed this fruit to them, I will go away through you to Spain. | So then, after I finish this task and safely deliver this money to the poor believers in Jerusalem, I will pass through {your city} on my way to Spain. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But I know that coming to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. | I am certain that the Messiah will fully bless {us} when I visit you! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in the prayers to God for me, | Fellow believers, I appeal to you based on our Lord Jesus the Messiah and how the {Holy} Spirit has enabled us to love {each other}: Fervently pray to God with me {and} for me! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| so that I might be delivered from the disobedient ones in Judea, and {so that} my service that {is} for Jerusalem might be acceptable to the saints; | {Pray} that God will rescue me from the Jews in the province of Judea who do not believe {in Jesus}. {Pray} also that God’s people in Jerusalem will accept the money that I give them for {the poor believers there}. |
Paul wishes to be delivered from those who are disobedient in Judea.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| so that I might come to you in joy through the will of God, {and} might be refreshed together with you. | {Pray also} that I can joyfully visit you as God wants, {and} we may refresh each other. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now the God of peace {be} with you all. Amen. | Finally, {I pray that} the God who makes {us} peaceful will be with all of you. May it be so! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now I commend to you Phoebe our sister, also being a servant of the church which {is} in Cenchrea, | I, {Paul,} recommend to you our fellow believer whose name is Phoebe. She also serves the group of believers {that meets} in the city of Cenchrea. |
Sister Phoebe has become a helper of Paul and of many others.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| in order that you might welcome her in the Lord, in a manner worthy of the saints, and might stand by her in whatever matter she might have need of you. For she has also become a benefactor of many, and of myself as well. | {I recommend Phoebe to you} in order for you to accept her {as a fellow believer} in the Lord {Jesus}. {Accept her} in a way that is appropriate for God’s people. {I} also {recommend her to you in order for you} to help her in whatever way and with anything she might need from you. {Do this} because she has helped many people, including me personally. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, | Say hello to Priscilla and {her husband} Aquila. They have worked with me {to tell people} about the Messiah Jesus. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| who for the sake of my life laid down their own neck, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles; | They risked {the Romans} executing them in order to save my life. Both I and all the groups of believers among the nations are thankful for them. |
Prisca and Aquila have risked their lives for Paul in the past.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| and the church {based in} their house. Greet Epaenetus my beloved, who is the firstfruits of Asia for Christ. | Also, {say hello to} the group of believers {that meets} in the home of Priscilla and Aquila. Say hello to Epaenetus, whom I love. He is the first person from the province of Asia {Minor} to believe in the Messiah {Jesus}. |
The believers in Rome are meeting in the house of Prisca and Aquila.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. | Say hello to Mary. She has labored a lot for your sake. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners who are prominent among the apostles, who also have been in Christ before me. | Say hello to Andronicus and Junia. They are my fellow Jews, and we were in prison together. Those whom Jesus sent to represent him know them very well. God united them to the Messiah before {he did so to} me. |
Andronicus and Junias have been fellow prisoners with Paul in the past.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. | Say hello to Ampliatus. I love him {as a fellow believer} in the Lord {Jesus}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. | Say hello to Urbanus. He works with us {to tell people} about the Messiah {Jesus}. Also say hello to Stachys, whom I love. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet the ones from the {household} of Aristobulus. | Say hello to Apelles. The Messiah {Jesus} has approved him. Say hello to those {believers} who live in the household of Aristobulus. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet the ones from the household of Narcissus, the ones being in the Lord. | Say hello to my fellow Jew Herodion. Say hello to those whom God united to the Lord {Jesus} who live in the household of Narcissus. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, the ones working hard in the Lord. Greet Persis the beloved, who has worked much in the Lord. | Say hello to Tryphaena and Tryphosa. These ladies labor {to tell people} about the Lord {Jesus}. Say hello to Persis, whom I love. She has labored a lot {to tell people} about the Lord {Jesus}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Greet Rufus, the elect in the Lord, and his mother and mine. | Say hello to Rufus. The Lord {Jesus} chose him. Also {say hello to} his mother. She has been like a mother to me as well. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers {who are} with them. | Say hello to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and our fellow believers who {meet} together with them. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints {who are} with them. | Say hello to Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas. Also {say hello to} all God’s people who {meet} together with them. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. | Say hello to each other in a loving way. All of the groups of believers who belong to the Messiah {in this area} say hello to you! |
The believers greet one another with a holy kiss.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for the ones causing divisions and traps, contrary to the teaching that you have learned, and turn away from them. | My fellow believers, I exhort you to look out for the people who are causing {believers} to argue {with each other} and tempting {them} to sin, which contradicts what we have taught you. Stay away from them! |
Some are going beyond the teaching they have learned, deceiving the hearts of the innocent.
Paul tells the believers to turn away from those causing divisions and stumbling.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For ones such as these are not enslaved to our Lord Christ, but to their own stomach, and through their smooth speech and flattery they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting ones. | Indeed, people like this are not serving our Lord {Jesus} the Messiah! Rather, {they only serve} their own appetites. By speaking so eloquently and flatteringly, they trick the minds of people who do not suspect {them of teaching what is false}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For your obedience reaches to everyone. I rejoice, therefore, over you, but I want you to be wise as to the good, but innocent as to the evil. | {I tell you these things} because {believers} in many places have heard about how you obey {God}. As a result, I am overjoyed because of you! But I {also} desire that you act wisely with regard to what is good and remain innocent with regard to what is bad. |
Paul wants the believers to be wise to that which is good, and innocent to that which is evil.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet with haste. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ {be} with you. | The God who makes {us} peaceful will quickly {make you victorious over Satan, as if} you were trampling{him} under your feet! {I pray that} our Lord Jesus the Messiah {will} be gracious to you! |
The God of peace will soon be crushing Satan under the believers’ feet.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen, greet you. | Timothy, who works with me {to tell people about Jesus}, says hello to you. My fellow Jews, Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, also {say hello to you}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| I, Tertius, the one having written this epistle, greet you in the Lord. | I {am} Tertius, {and I am} writing this letter {as Paul dictates it to me}. I say hello to you {as a fellow believer} in the Lord {Jesus}. |
Tertius actually wrote down this epistle.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Gaius, the host for me and for the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the steward of the city, greets you, and Quartus the brother. | Gaius says hello to you. He hosts me and the whole group of believers {who meet here}. Erastus controls the money for this city. {He} and Quartus, {our} fellow believer, say hello to you. |
Erastus is the treasurer of the city.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| [The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ {be} with all of you. Amen.] | [{I pray that} our Lord Jesus the Messiah {will} be gracious to all of you! May it be so!] |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Now to the one being able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, kept secret for long ages, | {I pray that everyone will glorify God.} He is the one who can strengthen you {spiritually} based on the good news that I proclaim about Jesus the Messiah. {What I proclaim is} based on the mysterious {plan} that God revealed but {previously} concealed {from people} for a very long time. |
Paul is now preaching the revelation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| but now having been revealed, and through the prophetic writings, according to the command of the eternal God, to the obedience of faith, to all the nations, having been made known, | However, now God has revealed {that mysterious plan}. He has made it known through his prophets who wrote about it {in the Scriptures}. {They did this} according to what the God who lives forever commanded in order that all the nations would obey {God} by trusting {in Jesus the Messiah}. |
Paul is preaching for the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom {be} the glory to eternity. Amen. | God alone is wise. {I pray that everyone will} glorify him through Jesus the Messiah forever! May it be so! |