| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. | 1We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves. |
| 2We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. | 2Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. |
| 3For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.” | 3For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.” |
| 4Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. | 4For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope. |
| 5May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. | 5Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you harmony with one another in Christ Jesus, |
| 6Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. | 6so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 7Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. | 7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring glory to God. |
| 8Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. | 8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs, |
| 9He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote: “For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to your name.” | 9so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to Your name.” |
| 10And in another place it is written, “Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles.” | 10Again, it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.” |
| 11And yet again, “Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles. Praise him, all you people of the earth.” | 11And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and extol Him, all you peoples.” |
| 12And in another place Isaiah said, “The heir to David’s throne will come, and he will rule over the Gentiles. They will place their hope on him.” | 12And once more, Isaiah says: “The Root of Jesse will appear, One who will arise to rule over the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles will put their hope.” |
| 13I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul’s Reason for Writing | 13Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. |
| 14I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them. | 14I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, brimming with knowledge, and able to instruct one another. |
| 15Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s grace, | 15However, I have written you a bold reminder on some points, because of the grace God has given me |
| 16I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit. | 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. |
| 17So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God. | 17Therefore I exult in Christ Jesus in my service to God. |
| 18Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. | 18I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, |
| 19They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum. | 19by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. |
| 20My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else. | 20In this way I have aspired to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. |
| 21I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says, “Those who have never been told about him will see, and those who have never heard of him will understand.” | 21Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about Him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” |
| 22In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places. Paul’s Travel Plans | 22That is why I have often been hindered from coming to you. |
| 23But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you. | 23But now that there are no further opportunities for me in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to visit you, |
| 24I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a little while, you can provide for my journey. | 24I hope to see you on my way to Spain. And after I have enjoyed your company for a while, you can equip me for my journey. |
| 25But before I come, I must go to Jerusalem to take a gift to the believers there. | 25Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem to serve the saints there. |
| 26For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. | 26For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. |
| 27They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially. | 27They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to minister to them with material blessings. |
| 28As soon as I have delivered this money and completed this good deed of theirs, I will come to see you on my way to Spain. | 28So after I have completed this service and have safely delivered this bounty to them, I will set off to Spain by way of you. |
| 29And I am sure that when I come, Christ will richly bless our time together. | 29I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. |
| 30Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. | 30Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. |
| 31Pray that I will be rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey God. Pray also that the believers there will be willing to accept the donation I am taking to Jerusalem. | 31Pray that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, |
| 32Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other. | 32so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. |
| 33And now may God, who gives us his peace, be with you all. Amen. | 33The God of peace be with all of you. Amen. |
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