all that are at Rome, beloved of God, called saints, grace unto
you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(8)First then I give thanks to my God, through Jesus Christ, for you
all, because your faith is proclaimed through the whole world. (9)For
God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his
Son, how incessantly I make mention of you, (10)always in my prayers
entreating that haply now at last I may have a prosperous journey by
the will of God, to come to you. (11)For I long to see you, that I may
impart unto you some spiritual gift, in order that you may be
established; (12)and that so I may be comforted together with you, by
the mutual faith both of you and of me.

(13)But I would not that ye should be unacquainted, brethren, that
oftentimes I have been purposing to come to you (and have been
prevented until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, even
as among the other Gentile nations. (14)Both to the Greeks and
barbarians, both to the wise and the ignorant am I a debtor. (15)So, as
far as is in my power, I am desirous 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 for salvation to every one who believeth; to the
Jew first, and also to the Greek. (17)For the righteousness of God by
faith is therein revealed for belief; as it is written, "Now the just
by faith shall live[49]." (18)For the wrath of God is revealed from
heaven against all impiety and unrighteousness of men, holding back the
truth in unrighteousness. (19)Because that which is capable of being
known relative to God, is evident among them; for God hath manifested
it to them. (20)For from the creation of the world his invisible
perfections, discoverable in the works that are made, are clearly seen,
even his eternal power and deity; so that they are inexcusable:
(21)because though they knew _there was_ a God, they glorified him not
as God, nor gave him thanks, but became triflers in their disputations,
and their stupid heart was darkened. (22)Affecting to be sophists, they
turned idiots, (23)and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into
the likeness of an image of a corruptible man, and of birds, and of
quadrupeds, and of reptiles. (24)Wherefore God abandoned them, through
the lusts of their own hearts, unto impurity, to dishonour their own
bodies by themselves: (25)who perverted the truth of God by falsehood,
and worsh