bwe - Romans:11-14

bwe@Romans:11:1 @ So I ask, has God left his people? No, he has not! I myself am a Jew. I was born in Abrahams family. I belong to the tribe of Benjamin.

bwe@Romans:11:2 @ God has not left his people whom he knew from the first. Do you not know what the holy writings say about the prophet Elijah? He talked to God against the people of Israel.

bwe@Romans:11:3 @ He said, Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have pulled down your holy places. I am the only one that is left, and they are trying to kill me.

bwe@Romans:11:4 @ But what did God answer him? He said, I have seven thousand men who have not kneeled down to the idol god Baal.

bwe@Romans:11:5 @ So now some are left because God was kind to them, and chose them.

bwe@Romans:11:6 @ But if it was a gift because he was kind to them, then it was no longer because of the things they did. Or else a gift would no longer be a gift.

bwe@Romans:11:7 @ So what does that mean? The Jews did not get what they tried to get. Only the people God chose got it. The hearts of the rest of the people became hard.

bwe@Romans:11:8 @ The holy writings say, God made them dull with sleep. He gave them eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear. They have been like that until today.

bwe@Romans:11:9 @ And David said long ago, May the table where they eat be like a net and like a trap. May it make them fall down. May it punish them.

bwe@Romans:11:10 @ Make their eyes become blind so that they cannot see. Make their backs bent all the time.

bwe@Romans:11:11 @ So I ask, Have their feet been caught so that they have really fallen down? No. But because they began to fall, the people who are not Jews were told how to be saved. That would make the Jews jealous.

bwe@Romans:11:12 @ The people who are not Jews have been richly blessed because the Jews failed. So it will be even better for them when the Jews no longer fail God.

bwe@Romans:11:13 @ Now I say this to you who are not Jews. I am an apostle to those who are not Jews, so I think highly of the work I have been sent to do.

bwe@Romans:11:14 @ I want the people of my own nation, the Jews, to be jealous. Then I may be able to save some of them.

bwe@Romans:11:15 @ God turned away from the Jews in order to bring the world back to himself. Then if that is true, when he takes the Jews back to himself, will not that be like making dead people live?

bwe@Romans:11:16 @ If the first piece of bread is holy, so is all the rest which came from the same bread mix. If the root of a tree is holy, the branches are holy also.

bwe@Romans:11:17 @ Maybe some of the trees branches were broken off. And you, a branch from a wild olive tree, were made to grow on the tree among the branches. You then have the good water that comes from the root of the olive tree.

bwe@Romans:11:18 @ But do not think that you are better than the trees own branches. If you do, remember it is not you that holds the root in place. But it is the root that holds you.

bwe@Romans:11:19 @ Then you will say, The branches were broken off so that I might be joined to the tree.

bwe@Romans:11:20 @ That is true. They were broken off because they did not believe. And you have your place only because you believe. So do not be proud, but fear.

bwe@Romans:11:21 @ If God punished the trees own branches, he will punish you also.

bwe@Romans:11:22 @ See how kind God is. And see how hard he is. He is hard on those who have fallen. But God is kind to you if you go on following in his ways. If you do not, you also will be broken off.

bwe@Romans:11:23 @ God will also put back the other branches if they believe. God is able to put the Jews back where they belong.

bwe@Romans:11:24 @ You were cut off from a wild olive tree. And you were put on a good olive tree. That is not the way trees grow. But it can be done. And so, even more, the Jewish branches will be put back on their own olive tree.

bwe@Romans:11:25 @ My brothers, I want you to know something that has been a secret. Then you will not be proud of yourselves. The secret is this. Some Jews will have hard hearts until the right number of other people have come in.

bwe@Romans:11:26 @ Then all the Jews will be saved. The holy writings say, Someone will come from Zion to save people. He will take away the wrong ways of our father Jacob.

bwe@Romans:11:27 @ This will be my agreement with them when I take away the wrong things they have done.

bwe@Romans:11:28 @ The Jews make themselves enemies of God because they do not want the good news of Jesus Christ. That helps you since the good news has then come to you. But God still loves the Jews because of the promise he made to their fathers long ago.

bwe@Romans:11:29 @ God does not change his gifts or his call to people.

bwe@Romans:11:30 @ At one time you did not obey God. But now he has been kind to you because the Jews did not obey him.

bwe@Romans:11:31 @ So now, they also have not obeyed him. But he will also be kind to them because he was kind to you.

bwe@Romans:11:32 @ God allowed people to disobey him. He did it so that he might be kind and forgive all people.

bwe@Romans:11:33 @ God is very kind. He is very wise. He knows much. No one can understand why he judges the way he does. No one can find out why he does the things he does.

bwe@Romans:11:34 @ The holy writings say, Who has known what the Lord thinks? Who has ever told him what to do?

bwe@Romans:11:35 @ Who has given a gift to God first, so that God would give him something also?

bwe@Romans:11:36 @ All things come from God, through God, and return to God. Praise him for ever! Yes, it is so!

bwe@Romans:12:1 @ God has been kind to you. So I ask you, brothers, give your bodies to him like a living sacrifice. That is, a holy sacrifice. It will please God. And it is what you should do for him.

bwe@Romans:12:2 @ Do not be like the people of this world, but have a new mind. Then you will prove for yourselves what God wants you to do. That will be good. It will please God. And it will be all right.

bwe@Romans:12:3 @ God has given me this gift. So I say this to every one of you. Do not think you are better than you really are. But think of yourself as you are. You are what you are because God has given you something when you believed.

bwe@Romans:12:4 @ In a body there are many parts, but all the parts do not do the same thing.

bwe@Romans:12:5 @ In the same way, we are many people. But we are one body because we are all joined together in Christ. Each one of us is a part of all the others.

bwe@Romans:12:6 @ We have different gifts because God has blessed us in different ways. If a person can speak words from God, he must say what he believes he should say.

bwe@Romans:12:7 @ If a person can help others, he must help others. If a person can teach, he must teach.

bwe@Romans:12:8 @ If a person can talk to others, he must talk to others. If a person can give something, he must give it gladly. If a person can be a leader, he must try to be a good leader. If a person can help someone, he must do it gladly.

bwe@Romans:12:9 @ Your love must be real love. Hate what is wrong. Hold to what is good.

bwe@Romans:12:10 @ Love one another very much, like brothers. Honour other people more than you honour yourself.

bwe@Romans:12:11 @ Do not hold back in what you do. Let the Spirit burn in you. Work hard for the Lord.

bwe@Romans:12:12 @ Be very happy because you have a hope. Be strong when you have trouble. Keep on talking with God.

bwe@Romans:12:13 @ Give to Gods people who need it. Be glad to take care of strangers in your house.

bwe@Romans:12:14 @ Bless those who do wrong things to you. Bless them. Do not curse them.

bwe@Romans:12:15 @ Be happy with people who are happy. Cry with people who cry.

bwe@Romans:12:16 @ Agree with one another. Do not be proud, but be friends with anybody. Do not think you are wiser than you are.

bwe@Romans:12:17 @ When people do wrong things to you, do not do wrong things to them also. But try to do good things for all people.

bwe@Romans:12:18 @ As much as you can, live in peace with everyone.

bwe@Romans:12:19 @ My dear brothers, do not punish people who do wrong to you. But let Gods anger punish them. In the holy writings the Lord says, I myself will punish people. If they have done wrong things, I will do wrong things to them also.

bwe@Romans:12:20 @ But, If your enemy is hungry, give him food. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. When you do that, it will be as if you put a pile of coals from the fire on his head.

bwe@Romans:12:21 @ Do not let wrong things win a victory over you. But win a victory over wrong things by the good things you do.

bwe@Romans:13:1 @ Every person must obey the rulers over him. Every ruler has his power from God. And the rulers are put there by God.

bwe@Romans:13:2 @ So anyone who fights against the ruler, fights against what God put there. And those who fight will be punished.

bwe@Romans:13:3 @ The rulers do not bring fear to a good man, but they bring fear to a bad man. If you do not want to be afraid of a ruler, do what is good and he will praise you.

bwe@Romans:13:4 @ Such a person is Gods servant and will do what is good for you. But if you do what is wrong, you should fear him. He has great power and he will use it. He is Gods servant and will punish those who do wrong.

bwe@Romans:13:5 @ So you must obey, not only because of the punishment, but because you know it is right.

bwe@Romans:13:6 @ That is why you also pay taxes. The rulers serve God and they give all their time to their work.

bwe@Romans:13:7 @ Pay them all that they should have. Pay taxes to the person who should have the taxes. Pay money to the person who should have the money. Respect the people who should be respected. Honour a person who should be honoured.

bwe@Romans:13:8 @ Do not have any debts, but love each other. Anyone who loves his neighbour has done all that the law says we should do.

bwe@Romans:13:9 @ The law says, Do not commit adultery. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not want things that belong to other people. These laws and others are all in this one law: Love your neighbour as you love yourself.

bwe@Romans:13:10 @ Anyone who loves his neighbour will do no wrong to him. So love does all that the law says to do.

bwe@Romans:13:11 @ In all this you know what a special time it is. It is time now for you to wake up from your sleep. The time when we will be saved is nearer to us now than when we first believed.

bwe@Romans:13:12 @ The night is almost past. Morning is near. Let us stop doing the wrong things people do in the dark. Let us do the good things that people do in the light.

bwe@Romans:13:13 @ Let us live in the right way like people who are in the light. We must not take part in noisy feasting with dancing, or get drunk. We must not do any kind of wrong thing with sex. We must not quarrel or be jealous.

bwe@Romans:13:14 @ But you must take the Lord Jesus Christ into your hearts. And do not plan to do the wrong things your bodies want to do.

bwe@Romans:14:1 @ Be ready to take a person into the church even if he does not know and believe all you believe. Do not judge what he thinks about things.

bwe@Romans:14:2 @ One person believes he may eat anything. Another person, who does not believe that, eats only things that grow in the garden.

bwe@Romans:14:3 @ The one who eats anything must not despise the one who does not eat everything. And the one who does not eat must not judge the person who does. God has accepted him as he is.

bwe@Romans:14:4 @ Why do you judge another persons servant? He stands or he falls before his own master. But he will stand because the Lord can give him power to stand.

bwe@Romans:14:5 @ One man thinks, This day is better than that day. But another man thinks, All days are alike. Every man should be sure in his own mind what he believes.

bwe@Romans:14:6 @ One man honours the day to honour the Lord; another man does not honour the day to honour the Lord. The person who eats everything, eats it because he honours the Lord. And he thanks God. And the person who will not eat every kind of food also does so to honour the Lord. And he still gives thanks to God.

bwe@Romans:14:7 @ Not one of us lives for himself. And not one of us dies for himself.

bwe@Romans:14:8 @ If we live, we live for the Lord. And if we die, we die for the Lord. So then, if we live or if we die we belong to the Lord.

bwe@Romans:14:9 @ Christ wanted to be Lord, both of dead people and of living people. That is why he died and lived again.

bwe@Romans:14:10 @ Why do you judge your brother? Or why do you despise your brother? We shall all stand before God to be judged.

bwe@Romans:14:11 @ The holy writings say, The Lord says, "As sure as I live, every knee will bow to me. Every tongue will praise God."

bwe@Romans:14:12 @ So each of us will tell God about what he has done.

bwe@Romans:14:13 @ So we must not judge each other any longer. But it is better for us to judge this. Never put anything in a brothers way that will hurt him or that will make him fall down.

bwe@Romans:14:14 @ As a Christian, I know and believe that nothing in itself is not right to eat. But it is not right for anyone to eat who thinks it is not right to eat.

bwe@Romans:14:15 @ Does what you eat trouble your brother? If it does, you are no longer living in love. Do not destroy the faith of someone because of what you eat. Christ died for him.

bwe@Romans:14:16 @ What is good for you must not be something that other people say is wrong.

bwe@Romans:14:17 @ The kingdom of God is not about what a person eats and drinks. But it is about living in a way which is right with God. It is peace. It is joy because a person has the Holy Spirit.

bwe@Romans:14:18 @ A person who does the work of Christ in this way pleases God. And people like him.

bwe@Romans:14:19 @ But we must do the things that make peace and that help each other to do better.

bwe@Romans:14:20 @ Do not spoil what God has done because you want some food. Everything is right. But it is wrong for anyone to eat anything if that will make his brother fall.

bwe@Romans:14:21 @ The right thing is to eat no meat, and drink no wine, and not do anything that makes your brother fall.

bwe@Romans:14:22 @ Keep to yourself and God what you believe about these things. God blesses a man who does not feel he has done wrong when he did what he thought was right.

bwe@Romans:14:23 @ But a man who is not sure that he should eat something, does wrong if he eats it. That is because he does not believe the thing he is doing is right to do. And it is wrong to do what you do not believe is right.

bwe@Romans:15:1 @ We who are strong must help those who are not strong. We must not do what pleases us.