7 To all in Rome who are loved by Godp and called to be his holy people:q

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.r

Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you,s because your faith is being reported all over the world.t 9 God, whom I serveu in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witnessv how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times;w and I pray that now at last by God’s willx the way may be opened for me to come to you.y

11 I long to see youz so that I may impart to you some spiritual gifta to make you strong—12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware,b brothers and sisters,d c that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now)d in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

14 I am obligatede both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.f

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel,g because it is the power of Godh that brings salvation to everyone who believes:i first to the Jew,j then to the Gentile.k 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealedl—a righteousness that is by faithm from first to last,e just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”f n