Romans 1:1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach His Good News.
2 God promised this Good News long ago through His prophets in the holy Scriptures.
3 The Good News is about His Son. In His earthly life He was born into King David's family line,
4 and He was shown to be the Son of God when He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.
5 Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey Him, bringing glory to His name.
6 And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ.
7 I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be His own holy people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
8 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in Him is being talked about all over the world.
9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about His Son.
10 One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you.
11 For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord.
12 When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.
13 I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles.
14 For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike.
15 So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.
16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes-the Jew first and also the Gentile.
17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life."
18 But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
19 They know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them.
20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities-His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.
22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.
23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies.
25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator Himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.
26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other.
27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.
28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.
29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.
30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents.
31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy.
32 They know God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
Rom. 2:1 You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things.
2 And we know that God, in His justice, will punish anyone who does such things.
3 Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God's judgment when you do the same things?
4 Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that His kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.
6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done.
7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.
8 But He will pour out His anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.
9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil-for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.
10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good-for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.
11 For God does not show favoritism.
12 When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God's written law. And the Jews, who do have God's law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it.
13 For merely listening to the law doesn't make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in His sight.
14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, show that they know His law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it.
15 They demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.
16 And this is the message I proclaim-that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone's secret life.
17 You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God's law, and you boast about your special relationship with Him.
18 You know what He wants; you know what is right because you have been taught His law.
19 You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness.
20 You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God's law gives you complete knowledge and truth.
21 Well then, if you teach others, why don't you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal?
22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples?
23 You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it.
24 No wonder the Scriptures say, "The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you."
25 The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God's law. But if you don't obey God's law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile.
26 And if the Gentiles obey God's law, won't God declare them to be His own people?
27 In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God's law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God's law but don't obey it.
28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision.
29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God's Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.
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Psalms 106:1 Praise the LORD! Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.
2 Who can list the glorious miracles of the LORD? Who can ever praise Him enough?
3 There is joy for those who deal justly with others and always do what is right.
4 Remember me, LORD, when You show favor to Your people; come near and rescue me.
5 Let me share in the prosperity of Your chosen ones. Let me rejoice in the joy of Your people; let me praise You with those who are Your heritage.
:6 Like our ancestors, we have sinned. We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!
7 Our ancestors in Egypt were not impressed by the LORD's miraculous deeds. They soon forgot His many acts of kindness to them. Instead, they rebelled against Him at the Red Sea.
8 Even so, He saved them-to defend the honor of His name and to demonstrate His mighty power.
9 He commanded the Red Sea to dry up. He led Israel across the sea as if it were a desert.
10 So He rescued them from their enemies and redeemed them from their foes.
11 Then the water returned and covered their enemies; not one of them survived.
12 Then His people believed His promises. Then they sang His praise.
13 Yet how quickly they forgot what He had done! They wouldn't wait for His counsel!
14 In the wilderness their desires ran wild, testing God's patience in that dry wasteland.
15 So He gave them what they asked for, but He sent a plague along with it.
16 The people in the camp were jealous of Moses and envious of Aaron, the LORD's holy priest.
17 Because of this, the earth opened up; it swallowed Dathan and buried Abiram and the other rebels.
18 Fire fell upon their followers; a flame consumed the wicked.
19 The people made a calf at Mount Sinai; they bowed before an image made of gold.
20 They traded their glorious God for a statue of a grass-eating bull.
21 They forgot God, their savior, who had done such great things in Egypt-
22 such wonderful things in the land of Ham, such awesome deeds at the Red Sea.
:23 So He declared He would destroy them. But Moses, His chosen one, stepped between the LORD and the people. He begged Him to turn from His anger and not destroy them.
24 The people refused to enter the pleasant land, for they wouldn't believe His promise to care for them.
25 Instead, they grumbled in their tents and refused to obey the LORD.
26 Therefore, He solemnly swore that He would kill them in the wilderness,
27 that He would scatter their descendants among the nations, exiling them to distant lands.
28 Then our ancestors joined in the worship of Baal at Peor; they even ate sacrifices offered to the dead!
29 They angered the LORD with all these things, so a plague broke out among them.
30 But Phinehas had the courage to intervene, and the plague was stopped.
31 So he has been regarded as a righteous man ever since that time.
32 At Meribah, too, they angered the LORD, causing Moses serious trouble.
33 They made Moses angry, and he spoke foolishly.
34 Israel failed to destroy the nations in the land, as the LORD had commanded them.
35 Instead, they mingled among the pagans and adopted their evil customs.
36 They worshiped their idols, which led to their downfall.
37 They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons.
38 They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters. By sacrificing them to the idols of Canaan, they polluted the land with murder.
39 They defiled themselves by their evil deeds, and their love of idols was adultery in the LORD's sight.
40 That is why the LORD's anger burned against His people, and He abhorred His own special possession.
41 He handed them over to pagan nations, and they were ruled by those who hated them.
42 Their enemies crushed them and brought them under their cruel power.
43 Again and again He rescued them, but they chose to rebel against Him, and they were finally destroyed by their sin.
44 Even so, He pitied them in their distress and listened to their cries.
45 He remembered His covenant with them and relented because of His unfailing love.
46 He even caused their captors to treat them with kindness.
47 Save us, O LORD our God! Gather us back from among the nations, so we can thank Your holy name and rejoice and praise You.
48 Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives from everlasting to everlasting! Let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD!
Ps. 107:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.
2 Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others He has redeemed you from your enemies.
3 For He has gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from north and south.
4 Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless.
5 Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died.
6 "LORD, help!" they cried in their trouble, and He rescued them from their distress.
7 He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live.
8 Let them praise the LORD for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
9 For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
10 Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains of misery.
11 They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Most High.
12 That is why He broke them with hard labor; they fell, and no one was there to help them.
13 "LORD, help!" they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.
14 He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; He snapped their chains.
15 Let them praise the LORD for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
16 For He broke down their prison gates of bronze; He cut apart their bars of iron.
17 Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins.
18 They couldn't stand the thought of food, and they were knocking on death's door.
19 "LORD, help!" they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out His word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.
21 Let them praise the LORD for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
:22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about His glorious acts.
23 Some went off to sea in ships, plying the trade routes of the world.
24 They, too, observed the LORD's power in action, His impressive works on the deepest seas.
25 He spoke, and the winds rose, stirring up the waves.
26 Their ships were tossed to the heavens and plunged again to the depths; the sailors cringed in terror.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits' end.
28 "LORD, help!" they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.
29 He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves.
30 What a blessing was that stillness as He brought them safely into harbor!
31 Let them praise the LORD for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
32 Let them exalt Him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the nation.
33 He changes rivers into deserts, and springs of water into dry, thirsty land.
34 He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands, because of the wickedness of those who live there.
35 But He also turns deserts into pools of water, the dry land into springs of water.
36 He brings the hungry to settle there and to build their cities.
37 They sow their fields, plant their vineyards, and harvest their bumper crops.
38 How He blesses them! They raise large families there, and their herds of livestock increase.
39 When they decrease in number and become impoverished through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
40 the LORD pours contempt on their princes, causing them to wander in trackless wastelands.
41 But He rescues the poor from trouble and increases their families like flocks of sheep.
42 The godly will see these things and be glad, while the wicked are struck silent.
43 Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the LORD.
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