CHAPTER ONE: 1 Hello! I'm Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, chosen to be an apostle and dedicated to sharing the good news from God. 2 This good news was promised long ago by God through His prophets, as recorded in the holy Scriptures. 3 It's about His Son, who is a descendant of David in the flesh, 4 but through the Spirit of holiness, He was declared the powerful Son of God by rising from the dead—Jesus Christ, our Lord. 5 Through Him, we have received grace and the role of apostleship to bring people from all nations to obey and have faith in His name. 6 This includes you, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 To everyone in Rome, loved by God and called to be holy: May you have grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because your faith is known throughout the world. 9 God, whom I serve with my spirit in spreading the gospel of His Son, is my witness that I constantly mention you in my prayers. 10 I always pray that, by God's will, I may finally visit you. 11 I really want to see you and share some spiritual gifts to strengthen you. 12 In other words, I hope that both you and I will be encouraged by each other's faith. 13 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I have often planned to come to you, but circumstances have prevented me. I want to harvest some results among you, as I have among other Gentiles. 14 I have an obligation to both Greeks and non-Greeks, to the wise and the foolish. 15 That's why I'm eager to preach the gospel to you in Rome as well. 16 I'm not ashamed of the gospel; it's God's power for everyone who believes, first for the Jew and then for the non-Jew. 17 In the gospel, God's way of making people right with Himself is revealed from faith to faith. It is written: "The righteous will live by faith." 18 God's anger is shown from heaven against all the evil and wrong things people do. They are against the truth in their evil ways. 19 What people can know about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them. 20 Since the world was made, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and His divinity. So, they have no excuse not to know God. 21 They knew God, but they did not give glory to God or thank Him. Their thinking became useless. Their foolish minds were filled with darkness. 22 They said they were wise, but they became fools. 23 They gave up the glory of God who lives forever, for idols made to look like humans, who get sick and die, and like birds, animals, and snakes. 24 So God gave them over to their own evil desires. They did sexually sinful things with their bodies themselves. 25 They traded the truth of God for a lie. They worshiped and served what had been created instead of the God who created those things, who should be praised forever. Amen. 26 Because people did those things, God left them and let them do the shameful things they wanted to do. Women stopped having natural sex and started having sex with other women. 27 In the same way, men stopped having natural sex and began wanting each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and in their bodies, they received the punishment for their wrongs. 28 People did not think it was important to have a true knowledge of God. So, God left them and allowed them to have their own worthless thinking and to do things they should not do. 29 They are full of every kind of sin, evil, greed, and hatred. They are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, lying, and thinking the worst things about each other. They gossip 30 and say evil things about each other. They hate God. They are rude, proud, and brag about themselves. They invent ways of doing evil. They don't obey their parents, 31 they are foolish, don't keep their promises, and show no kindness or mercy to others. 32 They know God's law says that those who live like this should die. But they themselves not only continue to do these evil things, but they also approve of others who do them.

CHAPTER THREE: 3 Do Jews have something others don't? Does being circumcised give them special benefits? 2 Yes, Jews have many benefits, especially because God trusted them with His teachings. 3 True, some Jews weren't faithful, but will that stop God from keeping His promises? No, even if everyone else lies, God always keeps His word. As the Scriptures say, "You will be proven right in what you say, and you will win when people accuse you." 5 When we do wrong, it shows that God is right. So, can we say God does wrong when He punishes us? 6 Absolutely not! If God couldn't punish us, how could He judge the world? 7 Someone might say, "When I lie, it actually brings glory to God because my lie makes His truth easier to see. So why am I judged as a sinner?" 8 Saying, "Let's do evil so that good will come," is wrong. Many people wrongly accuse us of teaching this. They should be condemned for saying that. 9 Are we Jews better than others? No, we've already said that Jews and non-Jews are the same—they're all guilty of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say, "No one is doing what is right, not even one. 11 No one understands. No one is trying to be with God. 12 They have all turned away, and they are of no use to anyone. No one is doing good, not even one." 13 "Their words are like open graves, and they use lying tongues to deceive." "Their words are like snake poison." 14 "Their mouths are full of cursing and angry words." 15 "They are always ready to kill someone. 16 Everywhere they go, they cause trouble and ruin. 17 They don't know how-to live-in peace." 18 "They have no fear or respect for God." 19 The law speaks to those under it, stopping excuses and bringing the world under God's judgment because following the law doesn't make anyone right with God—it only shows us our sins. 21 But God has a new way to make people right, unrelated to the law. He's revealed this new way, which the law and the prophets foretold. 22 People are made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ, and this applies to all who believe. Everyone is the same. 23 All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. 24 God makes people right with Himself by His grace, a free gift that frees them from sin through Jesus Christ. 25 God gave Jesus to forgive sins through faith in Him. Jesus' blood sacrifice pays for sins, showing that God always does what is right and fair. 26 He was patient in the past, not punishing people for their sins. In our time, He still does what is right. God worked it out to judge people fairly and make right anyone who has faith in Jesus. 27 So, do we have reason to boast? None at all. Why? Because we depend on faith, not what we have done to follow the law. 28 We're made right with God through faith, not by following the law. That's what we believe. 29 God is not only the God of the Jews but also of non-Jews. 30 There's only one God, making Jews right through their faith and non-Jews right through their faith. 31 Does faith destroy the law? Not at all! In fact, faith causes us to fulfill what the law truly desires.

CHAPTER SEVEN: 7 Brothers and sisters, you know the Law of Moses, right? It guides people only while they are alive. 2 Think of it like marriage rules: A woman must stay married as long as her husband is alive. If he dies, she's free from the marriage law. 3 But marrying someone else while he's alive is considered adultery. However, if he dies, she can marry again without guilt. 4 Similarly, when you believed in Christ, your old selves died, and you were freed from the law. 5 Now, you belong to Christ, raised from the dead, and are meant to serve God. In the past, our sinful desires controlled us, leading to spiritual death. 6 But now, through Christ, we serve God in a new way—with the Spirit, not just written rules. 7 You might think I'm saying sin and the law are the same. That's not true, but the law helped me understand what sin is. Without it, I wouldn't have known it's wrong to covet. 8 Yet, sin found a way to use that command to make me desire what was not mine. Sin used the law to its advantage. 9 Before the law, I was alive. But when the law came, sin revived, and I spiritually died. 10 -11 The law meant to bring life led to death because sin manipulated it. 12 The law is holy and good, but sin exploited it to produce a terrible outcome. 13 Sin can turn a good command into a display of its worst nature. 14 The law is spiritual, but I'm human. Sin controls me like a slave. 15 I do not do the good I want to do, but I do the evil I hate. 16 If I do not want to do evil, it means I agree the law is good. 17 But it's not really me doing evil; its sin living in me. 18 And I know that good itself does not dwell in me, because of my sinful nature, I desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do, but it is sin living in me that does it. 20 Although I want to do good, I end up doing what I do not want because of the sin in me. 21 I've learned this: When I want to do good, evil is there too. In my mind, I embrace God's law, but my body battles against it. 23 Another law in me, the law of sin, makes me its prisoner. 24 I'm miserable! Who will save me from this body that brings death? 25 Thank God for salvation through Jesus Christ! So, in my mind, I'm a servant of God's law, but in my sinful self, I'm a slave to the law of sin.

CHAPTER NINE: 9 I'm in Christ, speaking the truth without lying. The Holy Spirit confirms my words, and 2 I feel deep sorrow for my people, the Israelites, and my earthly family. 3 I wish I could help them so much that I'd be willing to be cursed and cut off from Christ if it meant their salvation. 4 They are God's chosen people, with the glory of God, the covenants, the Law of Moses, Temple worship, and promises. 5 They are descendants of the great fathers and the earthly family of the Messiah, who is God overall. Praise Him forever! 6 This doesn't mean God failed in His promise to the Jewish people, but not everyone in Israel is truly God's people. 7 Not all of Abraham's descendants are true children of Abraham. God said, "Your true descendants will come through Isaac." 8-9 This shows that Abraham's true children are those who become God's children through the promise, not by birth. 10 - 13 Even before Rebecca's sons were born, God chose Jacob over Esau, illustrating God's plan before their actions. As the Scriptures say, "I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau." 14 Does this mean God is unfair? No, 15 He said, "I'll show mercy to anyone I want, and I'll show pity to anyone I choose." 16 So, God's mercy depends on His will, not on human desires or efforts. 17 for scriptures says to Pharaoh: ‘I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. 19 You might ask, "If God controls us, why does He blame us for our sins?" 20 Don't question God; you're human. 21 A clay jar doesn't question its maker. God, the Creator, can shape clay as He wishes for different purposes. 22 God endures patiently with those He's angry with, showing His power to those ready for destruction. He patiently waits to reveal His glory to the chosen ones prepared to share in His glory, not just Jews but also non-Jews. 30 So, what does this mean? People who aren't Jews became right with God through faith, not by trying to make themselves right. But the Israelites, trying to be right by the law, failed because they didn't trust God. They stumbled over the stone made people fall. The Scriptures say, "Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disappointed."

CHAPTER ELEVEN: 11 So, I have a question: Did God force His people to abandon Him? Absolutely not! I'm an Israelite myself, from the family of Abraham and the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God chose the Israelites to be His people before they were even born, and He didn't compel them to leave. Remember what the Scriptures say about Elijah? He prayed against the people of Israel, saying, 3 "Lord, they've killed your prophets and destroyed your altars. I'm the only prophet left, and now they're trying to kill me. 4" But what did God say to Elijah? He replied, "I've kept for Myself seven thousand men who have never worshipped Baal." 5 It's the same today. God, by His grace, has chosen a few people. 6 And if it's by grace, it's not because of what they've done to earn it; otherwise, grace wouldn't be grace. 7 Here's what happened: The Israelites sought God's blessing, but not all of them received it. Those He chose received His blessing, but the rest became stubborn and refused to listen. 8 - 10 As the Scriptures say, "God caused the people to fall asleep, closed their eyes and ears, and this continues till now." David also says, "Let them be caught in their own traps, and let them be troubled forever." 11 Now, did the fall of the Jews lead to their destruction? No! Instead, their mistake brought salvation to non-Jews, making the Jews jealous. 12 Their loss brought blessings to the world, and the world will receive even richer blessings when more Jews become the kind of people God desires. 13 Speaking to you non-Jews, I am an apostle. While I have this role, 14 I'll do my best to make my own people jealous, hoping to save some of them. 15 When God turned away from the Jews, He became friends with others in the world. So, accepting the Jews back will be like bringing people back to life after death. 16 If the first piece of bread is offered to God, the whole loaf becomes holy. If the roots of a tree are holy, the branches are too. 17 It's like branches from an olive tree being broken off, and a wild olive branch is joined to the original tree. If you're not a Jew, you're like that wild branch, sharing the strength and life of the first tree. 18 But don't act superior; you don't give life to the root—the root gives life to you. 19 You might say, "Branches were broken off for me to be joined." 20 True, but those branches were broken off due to unbelief, and you're part of the tree because of faith. Don't be proud; be cautious. 21 If God cut off the natural branches, He won't hesitate to cut you off if you stop believing. 22 God is kind but strict. He punishes those who turn away but is kind if you keep trusting in His mercy. If you don't, you'll be cut off from the tree. 23 If the Jews believe again, God can graft them back. 24 It's unnatural for a wild branch to join a good tree, but you non-Jews are like branches from a wild olive tree joined to a good one. Jews, like branches from the good tree, can be re-grafted. 25 Let me share a secret: Israel has been made stubborn, but this will change as more non-Jews turn to God. 26 – 27 That’s how all Israel will be saved, as the Scriptures say, "The Saviour will come from Zion, taking away evil from Jacob's family." 28 The Jews might be God's enemies now, to help non-Jews, but they are still His chosen people due to His promises to their ancestors. 29 God doesn't change His mind about those He calls, and He won't take back the blessings He's given. 30 Once disobedient, you've now received mercy because the Jews disobeyed. 31 -32 The Jews are now disobedient so that they can also receive mercy. 33 God's wisdom and knowledge are vast, and no one can fully understand His decisions. As the Scriptures say, 34 "Who can know what is on the Lord's mind? Who can give Him advice?" 35 "Who has given God anything, making Him owe nothing to anyone?" 36 God created all things, and everything continues through Him and for Him. To God be the glory forever! Amen.

CHAPTER TWO: 2 Do you think you can judge others? Well, you're mistaken. You're just as guilty of sin as they are. When you judge them, you're actually condemning yourself because you do the same things. 2 God judges everyone for their actions, and His judgment is fair. 3 If you do the same things as those you judge, you should know that God will also punish you. Don't think you can escape His judgment. 4 God has been patient and kind, hoping you'd change. But it seems you have not realized that His kindness is meant to lead you to change your ways. 5 You have been stubborn, refusing to change, and in doing so, you're increasing the punishment awaiting you on the day when God reveals His anger. Everyone will see that God's judgment is right. 6 He will reward or punish each person based on their deeds. 7 Some live for God's glory, honour, and eternal life by consistently doing good. They will receive eternal life. 8 But those who are selfish, follow evil, and reject the truth will face God's anger and punishment. 9 Trouble and suffering await everyone who does evil, first for the Jews and also for non-Jews. 10 Glory, honour, and peace will be given to everyone who does good, first to the Jews and also to non-Jews. 11 God judges everyone the same; there is no partiality. 12 Whether you have the law or not, if you sin, you're in the same boat. Those without the law will be lost, and those with the law will be judged by it. 13 Just knowing the law won't make you right with God; you must consistently do what the law says. 14 non-Jews may not have the law, but if they naturally do what the law commands, they are, in a sense, their own law. 15 Even without the written law, their hearts know right from wrong, and their consciences bear witness. Sometimes they feel guilty when they do wrong, and sometimes they feel innocent when they do right. 16 God will judge people's secret thoughts through Jesus Christ, and this is part of the Good News. 17 Now, what about you? You call yourself a Jew, trust in the law, and boast about being close to God. 18 You know what God wants and have learned His law. 19 You see yourself as a guide, a light for those in the dark, and a teacher for the inexperienced. 20 You have the law, so you think you know everything. 21 You teach others but forget to teach yourself. You say not to steal, but you steal. 22 You condemn adultery but are guilty of it yourself. You hate idols but steal from them. 23 You take pride in having God's law, but by breaking it, you bring shame to God. 24 As the Scriptures say, "People from other nations insult God because of you." 25 If you follow the law, your circumcision has meaning. But if you break the law, it's as if you were never circumcised. 26 Those without circumcision, if they follow the law, are considered circumcised. 27 You may have the written law and circumcision, but if you break the law, those without circumcision who obey it will show you're guilty. 28 Being a true Jew isn't just about the physical body; it's about the heart. True circumcision happens in the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written law. 29 Anyone circumcised in the heart by the Spirit receives praise from God, not people.

CHAPTER FOUR: 4 Let's talk about Abraham, who is like the father of our people. What did he learn about having faith? 2 If Abraham became right with God because of what he did, then he could brag about it. But God didn't see it that way. 3 The Scriptures say, "Abraham believed God, and because of that, God accepted him as someone who is right with Him." 4 When people work, they earn their pay; it's not a gift. 5 But we can't do anything to make ourselves right with God. We have to trust Him. When we trust Him, He accepts our faith, making us right with Him. He even makes those who have done wrong things right. 6 David said the same thing, talking about the joy of being accepted by God without looking at our deeds: 7 "It's joyful when our wrongs are forgiven, when our sins are erased! 8 It's joyful when the Lord accepts us as if we have no sin!" 9 Is this joy only for those who are circumcised? Or is it also for those who aren't circumcised? We've said it's because of Abraham's faith that he was accepted by God. 10 So how did this happen? Did God accept Abraham before or after he was circumcised? It was before. 11 Abraham got circumcised later to show that God had already accepted him. His circumcision proved he was right with God through faith before he got circumcised. So, Abraham is the father of all who believe without being circumcised. They trust and are accepted as right with God. 12 Abraham is also the father of those who have been circumcised, but it's not their circumcision that makes him their father. He is their father only if they live by the faith Abraham had before he got circumcised. 13 Abraham and his descendants received the promise that they would inherit the whole world. But Abraham didn't get this promise because he followed the law; he got it because he was right with God through his faith. 14 If people could get God's promise by following the law, then faith wouldn't matter, and God's promise to Abraham would be useless. 15 The law only brings God's anger on those who break it. But where there is no law, there is nothing to disobey. 16 So people receive what God promised through faith. This happens so that the promise can be a free gift, and if it's a free gift, then all of Abraham's descendants will receive it. The promise isn't just for those under the Law of Moses; it's for everyone who lives with faith like Abraham did. He's the father of us all. 17 As the Scriptures say, "I have made you a father of many nations." This is true before God, the one Abraham believed, the God who gives life to the dead and speaks of things that don't exist as if they are real. 18 Abraham had no hope of having children because he and Sarah were too old. Yet, Abraham believed in God and continued to hope. That's why he became the father of many nations, just as God told him, "You will have many descendants." 19 Abraham was nearly a hundred years old, and Sarah couldn't have children. He knew this, but his faith in God never weakened. 20 He never doubted that God would do what He promised; he grew stronger in his faith and praised God. 21 Abraham was confident that God could do what He promised. That's why "he was accepted as someone who is right with God." 23 These words were not just for Abraham; they were written for us. God will also accept us because we believe in the One who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 Jesus was handed over to die for our sins, and He was raised from the dead to make us right with God.

CHAPTER SIX: 6 Should we keep doing wrong, thinking that God will keep forgiving us more and more? 2 No way! Our old, sinful life is over. It's like it's dead. So, why would we want to keep living in sin? 3 Remember when we were baptized? That was like joining in Christ's journey. 4 When we were baptized, it was as if we were buried with Christ and shared in His death. And just as Christ rose from death by God's amazing power, now we can live a new life too. 5 Christ died, and we joined in His death. So, we will also join in His life after rising from death. 6 Our old way of living was nailed to the cross with Christ. This happened so that sin would not control us anymore. We're not slaves to sin. 7 If someone dies, they are free from the control of sin. 8 If we die with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. 9 Christ rose from death, and He won't die again. Death has no power over Him. 10 When Christ died, He died to defeat the power of sin once and for all. Now He has a new life with God. 11 In the same way, see yourselves as no longer controlled by the power of sin but alive for God through Christ Jesus. 12 Don't let sin control your life on earth. Don't let your sinful desires rule over you. 13 Instead, offer yourself to God. Consider yourself as someone who has died to sin but now lives. Offer your body parts to God to do good. 14 Sin won't be your boss anymore because you're under God's grace, not the law. 15 So, what should we do? Keep sinning because we're under grace and not the law? Absolutely not! 16 You become a slave to whatever you choose to follow. If it's sin, it leads to spiritual death. If it's obeying God, it makes you right with Him. 17 In the past, you were slaves to sin, but thank God, you fully obeyed what you were taught. 18 Now, you're free from sin and are slaves to doing what's right. 19 I'm using everyday examples because they help you understand spiritual truths. In the past, you let your body parts serve your immoral and sinful thoughts. You lived only for sin. Now, offer yourself to be a servant of what's right. Then, you will live for God. 20 In the past, you were slaves to sin, not even thinking about doing what's right. 21 You did evil things, and now you're ashamed of them. Did it help you? No, it only brought death. 22 But now you are free from sin. You are servants of God, living only for Him. This leads to eternal life. 23 When people sin, they earn death. But God gives His people a free gift —eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

CHAPTER EIGHT: 8 So, if you are in Christ Jesus, you are not judged guilty. The Spirit's law of life 2 in Christ has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 The law could not make us right because our sinful selves weakened it. God sent His Son with a human life like ours to pay for sin and destroy it. 4 Now, we live by the Spirit, not by our sinful selves. 5 Those living according to sinful desires think about what they want. 6 Those following the Spirit think about what the Spirit wants. 7 If you let your sinful desires control you, it leads to spiritual death. But if the Spirit guides your thinking, there is life and peace. 8 Those controlled by sinful desires cannot please God. 9 You are not controlled by your sinful selves but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. Without the Spirit of Christ, you don't belong to Him. 19 Even though your body faces death because of sin, the Spirit gives life if Christ is in you. 11 God raised Jesus from death, and His Spirit will give life to your mortal bodies. 12 So, do not let sinful desires control you. 13 Do not live as they want. If you use the Spirit's help to resist doing wrong, you will have a true life. 14 God's children let His Spirit lead them. 15 The Spirit we receive does not make us slaves to fear but God's chosen children. With the Spirit, we cry out, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit assures us that we are God's children. 17 If we share in Christ's suffering, we will share in His glory. 18 Our present sufferings are nothing compared to the glory to come. 19 All creation waits eagerly for God to reveal His children. 20 The world longs for freedom and glory, just like God's children. 21 The creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 26 The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We don't know how to pray, but the Spirit speaks to God for us. God understands the Spirit's language, which aligns with His will. 28 Everything works for good for those who love God and are chosen according to His plan. 29 He predestined them to be like His Son and justified them. 30 After making them right, He glorified them. 31 If God is for us, no one can stand against us. 32 He gave His Son for us, and with Jesus, He will give us everything. 33 -34 No one can accuse or condemn those God has chosen. Christ died for us and is at God's right hand, speaking for us. 35 Nothing can separate us from Christ's love—no trouble, problem, persecution, lack, danger, or death. 36 As it is written,” For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God, we have complete victory through God, and nothing can separate us from His love in Christ Jesus our Lord.

CHAPTER TEN: 10 My dear friends, what I wish for the people of Israel, more than anything else, is for them to be saved. 2 That's my heartfelt prayer to God. They are genuinely trying to follow God, but they haven't found the right way. 3 They tried to make themselves right with God in their own way, not accepting God's way. 4 Christ brought an end to the law so that everyone who believes in Him can be made right with God. 5 Moses talks about being made right by obeying the law, saying, "Those who follow these laws will have life because of them." 6 But the Scriptures also say that being made right through faith is different: "Don't wonder who will go up to heaven to bring Christ down 7 or who will go down into the world below to bring Him up from death." 8 The Scripture tells us, "God's teaching is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart." This is the message of faith that we share. 9 If you openly declare, "Jesus is Lord," and truly believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 We believe in Jesus deep in our hearts, and by openly confessing our faith, we find salvation. 11 The Scriptures affirm, "Those who trust in Him will never be disappointed." 12 There's no distinction between Jews and non-Jews; the same Lord blesses everyone who turns to Him for help. 13 "Everyone who trusts in the Lord will be saved." 14 But before people can ask the Lord for help, they must believe in Him. 15 Before they can believe, they must hear about Him, and someone must tell them. The Scriptures celebrate, "How wonderful it is to see someone coming to share the good news!" 16 However, not everyone accepted this good news. Isaiah asked, "Lord, who believed our message?" 17 So, faith comes from hearing the Good News, and people hear it when others tell them about Christ. 18 I wonder, "Did these people do not hear the Good News?" Of course, they heard, as the Scriptures declare, "Their voices went out all around the world; their words went everywhere." 19 Yet I ask again, "Did the people of Israel not understand?" Yes, they did. Moses spoke for God, saying, "I will use those who are not a nation to make you jealous; I will provoke you with a nation that lacks understanding." 20 Isaiah boldly declared for God, "People who weren't seeking Me found Me; I revealed Myself to those who weren't asking." 21 But concerning Israel, God sadly says, "I was ready to welcome them all day long, but they were stubborn and refused to obey Me."

CHAPTER TWELVE: 12 I urge you, my friends, because of the great kindness God has shown us, to give your lives as a living gift to Him—a gift exclusively for God and one that pleases Him. Considering all He's done, it's only right to worship Him in this way. 2 Don't try to fit in with the ways of the world; let God transform you from within, changing the way you think. Then you'll understand and accept what God desires for you, knowing what is good and pleasing to Him and what is perfect. 3 God has given me a special ability, and that's why I have something to say to each of you. Don't think too highly of yourselves; see yourself just as you are. Decide your worth based on the faith God has given each of us. 4 We all make up one body, with many different parts that serve unique purposes. 5 In the same way, we may be many individuals, but in Christ, we form one body, and each part belongs to all the others. 6 We each have distinct gifts, given by God's grace. Those with the gift of prophecy should use it in line with their faith. 7 Those gifted in serving should serve, and those skilled in teaching should teach. 8 Those with the ability to comfort others should do so, and those blessed with resources should give generously. Those who lead should do so diligently, and those showing kindness should do it willingly. 9 Let your love be genuine. Detest what is evil and cling to what is good. 10 Love each other as if you were family, treating each other with honour, and placing others' needs above your own. 11 In your service to the Lord, be diligent and enthusiastic. 12 Rejoice in the hope you have, be patient during challenges, and pray continually. 13 Extend your help to those in God's family who are in need and be ready to welcome strangers into your homes. 14 Wish well for those who mistreat you. Ask God to bless them instead of cursing them. 15 Celebrate when others are joyful and grieve when they are sad. 16 Live in harmony with one another, avoiding pride and being open to friendships with those considered less important. Don't consider yourself wiser than everyone else. 17 If someone treats you unfairly, don't seek revenge. Instead, aim to do what everyone recognizes as right. 18 Do your best to live peacefully with everyone. 19 Friends don't try to get even with those who wrong you; let God be the one to bring justice. As the Scriptures say, "I am the one who punishes; I will pay people back." 20 However, you can do this: "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. By doing this, you will make them feel ashamed." 21 Don't let evil conquer you; overcome evil by doing good.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: 14 Be open-minded towards those who still have uncertainties about what believers can do. Avoid arguments over differing opinions. 2 Some people believe they can eat any kind of food, while others with doubts stick to vegetables. 3 Those who eat freely should not look down on those who restrict their diet, and vice versa. God has accepted them all. 4 You are not the judge of someone else's servants; their own master decides if they are right or wrong. And they will be right, for the Lord has the power to make them right. 5 Some may consider one day more important than another, while others think all days are the same. Each person should be sure about their own beliefs. 6 Those who observe special days do it for the Lord, and those who eat all kinds of food also do it for the Lord, giving thanks. Those who avoid certain foods also do it for the Lord, offering thanks. 7 Our lives are not just for ourselves. 8 Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 Christ died and rose again to be the Lord over both the living and the dead. 10 So, why judge your fellow believers? We will all stand before God, and He will judge us. 11 It is written: As surely as I live,” says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God. 12 Avoid causing others to stumble in their faith. 13 Do not judge each other; instead, decide not to do anything that might hinder someone's faith. 14 Even though there is no wrong food, if someone believes it is wrong, then for them, it is wrong. 15 If what you eat harms someone's faith, it's not following the way of love. 16 Don't let what is good for you become a stumbling block for others. 17 In God's kingdom, what we eat, and drink is not crucial; what matters is a righteous life, peace, and joy from the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever serves Christ in this way pleases God and gains acceptance from others. 19 Strive for peace and growth in faith. 20 Don't let food choices hinder God's work. 21 It's better not to eat meat drink wine or do anything that could harm someone's faith. 22 Keep your personal beliefs between you and God. Doing what you believe is right without feeling guilty is a blessing. 23 But if you do something without being sure it's right, it is a sin.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: 16 I want you to know that you can trust Phoebe, our sister in Christ. She serves the church in Cenchrea and has been a great help to me and many others. 2 Please welcome her and assist her in anything she needs. 3 Send my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, 4 who risked their lives for me, and 5 to the church that meets in their home. Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, the first believer in Asia. 6 6 – 7 Also, say hello to Mary, Andronicus, and Junia, my fellow prisoners for Christ, who were believers before I was. They are outstanding workers in Christ's mission. 8 – 12 Pass my greetings to Ampliatus and Urbanus, my fellow laborers, and to Stachys and Apelles, devoted followers of Christ. Say hello to Aristobulus' family, Herodion, and those in Narcissus' family who belong to the Lord. Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who work hard for the Lord, and my friend Persis, who has also served diligently. 13 Send my regards to Rufus, one of the chosen, and his mother, who has been like a mother to me. 14 - 16 Extend my greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and all the brothers and sisters in Christ with them. Give special greetings to Philologus, Julia, Nereus, his sister, Olympas, and all the saints with them. Share the holy greeting among yourselves. 17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to be cautious of those who spread false teachings, causing divisions and stumbling others. Stay away from them, 18 for they do not serve our Lord Christ but only seek their own interests with deceptive words. 19 I am pleased with your obedience, but I want you to be wise in discerning good from evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan, and His grace be with you. 21 Timothy, Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater send their greetings. 22 I, Tertius, the one writing this letter for Paul, also send my greetings. 23 Gaius, who opens his home to us, 24 Erastus, and Quartus, the city treasurer, extend their greetings. 25 Praise God! He strengthens you through the Good News about Jesus Christ. 26 This message, once hidden, has been revealed by the prophets and made known to all nations. 27 Glory forever to the only wise God through Jesus Christ. Amen.