The Folly of Trusting in Riches

491 Hear this, all ye peoples, Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world. 2 Both low and high, together rich and needy. 3 My mouth speaketh wise things, And the meditations of my heart 'are' things of understanding. 4 I incline to a simile mine ear, I open with a harp my riddle: 5 Why do I fear in days of evil? The iniquity of my supplanters doth compass me.

6 Those trusting on their wealth, And in the multitude of their riches, Do shew themselves foolish. 7 A brother doth no one at all ransom, He doth not give to God his atonement. 8 And precious 'is' the redemption of their soul, And it hath ceased—to the age. 9 And still he liveth for ever, He seeth not the pit. 10 For he seeth wise men die, Together the foolish and brutish perish, And have left to others their wealth. 11 Their heart 'is': Their houses 'are' to the age, Their tabernacles to all generations. They proclaimed their names over the lands. 12 And man in honour doth not remain, He hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off. 13 This their way 'is' folly for them, And their posterity with their sayings are pleased. Selah. 14 As sheep for Sheol they have set themselves, Death doth afflict them, And the upright rule over them in the morning, And their form 'is' for consumption. Sheol 'is' a dwelling for him.

15 Only, God doth ransom my soul from the hand of Sheol, For He doth receive me. Selah. 16 Fear not, when one maketh wealth, When the honour of his house is abundant, 17 For at his death he receiveth nothing, His honour goeth not down after him. 18 For his soul in his life he blesseth, (And they praise thee when thou dost well for thyself.) 19 It cometh to the generation of his fathers, For ever they see not the light. 20 Man in honour, who understandest not, Hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off!

God Is the Judge

501 The God of gods—Jehovah—hath spoken, And He calleth to the earth From the rising of the sun unto its going in. 2 From Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shone. 3 Our God cometh, and is not silent, Fire before Him doth devour, And round about him it hath been very tempestuous. 4 He doth call unto the heavens from above, And unto the earth, to judge His people. 5 Gather ye to Me My saints, Making covenant with Me over a sacrifice. 6 And the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself 'is' judge. Selah.

7 Hear, O My people, and I speak, O Israel, and I testify against thee, God, thy God 'am' I. 8 Not for thy sacrifices do I reprove thee, Yea, thy burnt-offerings 'Are' before Me continually. 9 I take not from thy house a bullock, From thy folds he goats. 10 For Mine 'is' every beast of the forest, The cattle on the hills of oxen. 11 I have known every fowl of the mountains, And the wild beast of the field 'is' with Me. 12 If I am hungry I tell not to thee, For Mine 'is' the world and its fulness. 13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls, And drink the blood of he-goats? 14 Sacrifice to God confession, And complete to the Most High thy vows. 15 And call Me in a day of adversity, I deliver thee, and thou honourest Me.

16 And to the wicked hath God said: What to thee—to recount My statutes? That thou liftest up My covenant on thy mouth? 17 Yea, thou hast hated instruction, And dost cast My words behind thee. 18 If thou hast seen a thief, Then thou art pleased with him, And with adulterers 'is' thy portion. 19 Thy mouth thou hast sent forth with evil, And thy tongue joineth deceit together, 20 Thou sittest, against thy brother thou speakest, Against a son of thy mother givest slander. 21 These thou didst, and I kept silent, Thou hast thought that I am like thee, I reprove thee, and set in array before thine eyes. 22 Understand this, I pray you, Ye who are forgetting God, Lest I tear, and there is no deliverer. 23 He who is sacrificing praise honoureth Me, As to him who maketh a way, I cause him to look on the salvation of God!

Salutation

11 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, having been separated to the good news of God— 2 which He announced before through His prophets in holy writings— 3 concerning His Son, (who is come of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 who is marked out Son of God in power, according to the Spirit of sanctification, by the rising again from the dead,) Jesus Christ our Lord; 5 through whom we did receive grace and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations, in behalf of his name; 6 among whom are also ye, the called of Jesus Christ; 7 to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called saints; Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and 'from' the Lord Jesus Christ!

Paul's Desire to Visit Rome

8 first, indeed, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is proclaimed in the whole world; 9 for God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the good news of His Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you, 10 always in my prayers beseeching, if by any means now at length I shall have a prosperous journey, by the will of God, to come unto you, 11 for I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, that ye may be established; 12 and that is, that I may be comforted together among you, through the faith in one another, both yours and mine. 13 And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, that many times I did purpose to come unto you—and was hindered till the present time—that some fruit I might have also among you, even as also among the other nations. 14 Both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to wise and to thoughtless, I am a debtor, 15 so, as much as in me is, I am ready also to you who 'are' in Rome to proclaim good news,

The Power of the Gospel

16 for I am not ashamed of the good news of the Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to every one who is believing, both to Jew first, and to Greek. 17 For the righteousness of God in it is revealed from faith to faith, according as it hath been written, 'And the righteous one by faith shall live,'

The Guilt of Mankind

18 for revealed is the wrath of God from heaven upon all impiety and unrighteousness of men, holding down the truth in unrighteousness.

19 Because that which is known of God is manifest among them, for God did manifest 'it' to them, 20 for the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world, by the things made being understood, are plainly seen, both His eternal power and Godhead—to their being inexcusable; 21 because, having known God they did not glorify 'Him' as God, nor gave thanks, but were made vain in their reasonings, and their unintelligent heart was darkened, 22 professing to be wise, they were made fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of fowls, and of quadrupeds, and of reptiles. 24 Wherefore also God did give them up, in the desires of their hearts, to uncleanness, to dishonour their bodies among themselves; 25 who did change the truth of God into a falsehood, and did honour and serve the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed to the ages. Amen. 26 Because of this did God give them up to dishonourable affections, for even their females did change the natural use into that against nature; 27 and in like manner also the males having left the natural use of the female, did burn in their longing toward one another; males with males working shame, and the recompense of their error that was fit, in themselves receiving. 28 And, according as they did not approve of having God in knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mind, to do the things not seemly; 29 having been filled with all unrighteousness, whoredom, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil dispositions; whisperers, 30 evil-speakers, God-haters, insulting, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 unintelligent, faithless, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful; 32 who the righteous judgment of God having known—that those practising such things are worthy of death—not only do them, but also have delight with those practising them.