13. My friends, I want you to know that I have often planned to come for a visit. But something has always kept me from doing it. I want to win followers to Christ in Rome, as I have done in many other places.
14-15. It doesn't matter if people are civilized and educated, or if they are uncivilized and uneducated. I must tell the good news to everyone. That's why I am eager to visit all of you in Rome.
16. I am proud of the good news! It is God's powerful way of saving all people who have faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.
17. The good news tells how God accepts everyone who has faith, but only those who have faith. It is just as the Scriptures say, “The people God accepts because of their faith will live.”
18. From heaven God shows how angry he is with all the wicked and evil things that sinful people do to crush the truth.
19. They know everything that can be known about God, because God has shown it all to them.
20. God's eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown what these are like by all he has made. That's why those people don't have any excuse.
21. They know about God, but they don't honour him or even thank him. Their thoughts are useless, and their stupid minds are in the dark.
22. They claim to be wise, but they are fools.
23. They don't worship the glorious and eternal God. Instead, they worship idols that are made to look like humans who cannot live for ever, and like birds, animals, and reptiles.
24. So God let these people go their own way. They did what they wanted to do, and their filthy thoughts made them do shameful things with their bodies.
25. They gave up the truth about God for a lie, and they worshipped God's creation instead of God, who will be praised for ever. Amen.