THE BOOK OF ROMANS
King James Version
1 ¶ Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ,
called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy
scriptures,)
3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the
seed of David according to the flesh;
4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the
spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to
the faith among all nations, for his name:
6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God,
called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
8 ¶ First, I thank my God
through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the
whole world.
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel
of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a
prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual
gift, to the end ye may be established;
12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual
faith both of you and me.
13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I
purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit
among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians;
both to the wise, and to the unwise.
15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you
that are at Rome also.
16 ¶ For I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one
that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to
faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 ¶ Because that which may be
known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world
are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his
eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they
glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their
imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made
like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping
things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts
of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and
served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even
their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman,
burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is
unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was
meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God
in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things
which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness,
covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity;
whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors
of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural
affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such
things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them
that do them.
1 ¶ Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou
art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for
thou that judgest doest the same things.
2 But we are sure
that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such
things.
3 And thinkest
thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same,
that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
4 Or despisest
thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing
that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
5 But after thy hardness
and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath
and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6 Who will render
to every man according to his deeds:
7 To them who by patient continuance in well
doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
8 But unto them
that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness,
indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and
anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of
the Gentile;
10 But glory,
honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also
to the Gentile:
11 For there is
no respect of persons with God.
12 For as many as
have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have
sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 (For not the
hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be
justified.
14
For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature
the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto
themselves:
15 Which shew the
work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness,
and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
16 In the day
when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
17 ¶ Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the
law, and makest thy boast of God,
18 And knowest
his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed
out of the law;
19 And art
confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are
in darkness,
20 An instructor
of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the
truth in the law.
21 Thou therefore which teachest another,
teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost
thou steal?
22 Thou that
sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that
abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
23 Thou that makest
thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
24 For the name
of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
25 For
circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker
of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
26 Therefore if
the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his
uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
27 And shall not
uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the
letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly;
neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a
Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the
spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
1 ¶ What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is
there of circumcision?
2 Much every way:
chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
3 For what if
some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without
effect?
4 God forbid:
yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou
mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art
judged.
5 But if our
unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God
unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)
6 God forbid: for
then how shall God judge the world?
7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto
his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?
8 And not rather,
(as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do
evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.
9 What then? are
we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and
Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
10 As it is
written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none
that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all
gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that
doeth good, no, not one.
13 Their throat
is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of
asps is under their lips:
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and
bitterness:
15 Their feet are
swift to shed blood:
16 Destruction
and misery are in their ways:
17 And the way of
peace have they not known:
18 There is no
fear of God before their eyes.
19 ¶ Now we know that what things soever the law saith,
it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and
all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by
the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the
law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the
law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the
righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all
them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being
justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath
set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his
righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance
of God;
26 To declare, I
say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier
of him which believeth in Jesus.
27 Where is
boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of
faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified
by faith without the deeds of the law.
29 Is he the God
of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
30 Seeing it is
one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision
through faith.
31 Do we then
make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
1 ¶ What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as
pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2 For if Abraham
were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3 For what saith
the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for
righteousness.
4 Now to him that
worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that
worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is
counted for righteousness.
6 Even as David
also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth
righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose
sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the
man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
9 ¶ Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision
only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to
Abraham for righteousness.
10 How was it
then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in
circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11 And he
received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith
which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them
that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be
imputed unto them also:
12 And the father
of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk
in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet
uncircumcised.
13 For the
promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his
seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if they which are of the law be heirs,
faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
15 Because the
law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
16 Therefore it
is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to
all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is
of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
17 ¶ (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many
nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and
calleth those things which be not as though they were.
18 Who against
hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations,
according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
19 And being not
weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an
hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:
20 He staggered
not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving
glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had
promised, he was able also to perform.
22 And therefore
it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 ¶ Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it
was imputed to him;
24 But for us
also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus
our Lord from the dead;
25 Who was
delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
1 ¶ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we
have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of
the glory of God.
3 And not only
so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh
patience;
4 And patience,
experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh
not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
Ghost which is given unto us.
6 ¶ For when we were yet without strength, in due time
Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure
for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God
commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us.
9 Much more then,
being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when
we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more,
being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only
so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now
received the atonement.
12 Wherefore, as
by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed
upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 (For until the
law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to
Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's
transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15 But not as the
offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be
dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man,
Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not as it
was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to
condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one
man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of
grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus
Christ.)
18 Therefore as
by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by
the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of
life.
19 For as by one
man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall
many be made righteous.
20 Moreover the
law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did
much more abound:
21 That as sin
hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto
eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 ¶ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin,
that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How
shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not,
that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his
death?
4 Therefore we
are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life.
5 For if we have
been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the
likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this,
that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be
destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7
For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be
dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that
Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion
over him.
10 For in that he
died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin
therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts
thereof.
13 Neither yield
ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield
yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you:
for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then?
shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that
to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye
obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be
thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart
that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then
made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after
the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have
yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity;
even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye
were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things
whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being
made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto
holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages
of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
1 ¶ Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know
the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
2 For the woman
which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth;
but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
3 So then if,
while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an
adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she
is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
4 Wherefore, my
brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye
should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we
should bring forth fruit unto God.
5 For when we
were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our
members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6 But now we are
delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should
serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
7 ¶ What shall we say then?
Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had
not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
8 But sin, taking
occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For
without the law sin was dead.
9 For I was alive
without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
10 And the
commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
11 For sin,
taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
12 Wherefore the
law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
13 Was then that
which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear
sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment
might become exceeding sinful.
14 ¶ For we know that the
law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which
I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do
that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is
no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know
that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is
present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good
that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do
that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do
good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight
in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see
another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me
into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man
that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God
through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of
God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
1 ¶ There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are
in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death.
3 For what the
law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own
Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that
are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after
the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be
carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they
that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not
in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 ¶ And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of
sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the
Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up
Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that
dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore,
brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live
after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the
deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,
they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have
not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the
Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit
itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 ¶ And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and
joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also
glorified together.
18 For I reckon
that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the
earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons
of God.
20 For the
creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who
hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be
delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the
children of God.
22 For we know
that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only
they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we
ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the
redemption of our body.
24 For we are
saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why
doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we hope
for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
26 ¶ Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities:
for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself
maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that
searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh
intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together
for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose.
29 ¶ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among
many brethren.
30 Moreover whom
he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also
justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
31 ¶ What shall we then say to these things? If God be
for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared
not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him
also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay
any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that
condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is
even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is
written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep
for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all
these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded,
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love
of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.