1 En op ons wat sterk is, rus die verpligting om die swakhede te dra van die wat nie sterk is nie, en nie onsself te behaag nie.
2 Want elkeen van ons moet die naaste behaag met die oog op wat goed is tot stigting.
3 Want ook Christus het Homself nie behaag nie, maar soos geskrywe is: Die smaadhede van die wat U smaad, het op My geval.
4 Want alles wat tevore geskrywe is, is tot ons lering tevore geskrywe, sodat ons deur lydsaamheid en bemoediging van die Skrifte hoop kan hê.
5 En mag die God van lydsaamheid en bemoediging aan julle gee om eensgesind onder mekaar te wees ooreenkomstig die wil van Christus Jesus,
6 sodat julle die God en Vader van onse Here Jesus Christus eendragtiglik uit een mond kan verheerlik.
7 Neem daarom mekaar aan, soos Christus ons ook aangeneem het, tot heerlikheid van God.
8 En ek sê dat Jesus Christus 'n dienaar geword het van die besnydenis ter wille van die waaragtigheid van God, om die beloftes aan die vaders te bevestig;
9 en dat die heidene ter wille van sy barmhartigheid God kan verheerlik, soos geskrywe is: Daarom sal ek U loof onder die nasies en tot eer van u Naam psalmsing.
10 En ook sê Hy: Verbly julle, o nasies, saam met sy volk;
11 en ook: Loof die Here, alle nasies, en prys Hom, alle volke.
12 En Jesaja sê ook: Die wortel van Isai sal daar wees, en Hy wat opstaan om oor die nasies te heers, op Hom sal die nasies hoop.
13 En mag die God van die hoop julle vervul met alle blydskap en vrede deur die geloof, dat julle oorvloedig kan wees in die hoop deur die krag van die Heilige Gees!
14 Maar ek self ook, my broeders, is oortuig aangaande julle, dat julle self ook vol van goedheid is, vervuld met alle kennis, in staat om ook mekaar te vermaan.
15 Tog het ek ten dele taamlik gewaag om aan julle te skrywe, broeders, as een wat julle herinner, kragtens die genade wat my deur God gegee is
16 om 'n dienaar van Jesus Christus onder die heidene te wees, 'n dienaar van die evangelie van God, sodat die offer van die heidene welgevallig kan wees, geheilig deur die Heilige Gees.
17 Ek het dan rede om te roem in Christus Jesus, in die dinge aangaande God.
18 Want ek sal nie waag om iets te sê van dinge wat Christus nie deur my gewerk het nie om die heidene tot gehoorsaamheid te bring, met woord en daad,
19 deur die krag van tekens en wonders, deur die krag van die Gees van God, sodat ek die evangelieverkondiging van Christus volbring het van Jerusalem af en rondom tot by Ill¡rikum;
20 maar so, dat ek my eer daarin gestel het om die evangelie te verkondig, nie waar Christus alreeds bekend was nie om nie op die fondament van 'n ander te bou nie
21 maar soos geskrywe is: Hulle aan wie niks van Hom vertel is nie, sal dit sien; en hulle wat nie gehoor het nie, sal dit verstaan.
22 Daarom is ek ook elke keer verhinder om na julle te kom.
23 Maar nou dat ek geen plek meer het in hierdie streke nie en al baie jare die begeerte het om na julle te kom,
24 sal ek na julle kom wanneer ek na Spanje reis; want ek hoop om julle op my deurreis te sien en deur julle daarheen voortgehelp te word, as ek eers 'n tyd lank van julle geniet het.
25 Maar nou reis ek na Jerusalem in diens van die heiliges.
26 Want Macedonië en Ach je het dit goedgevind om iets by te dra vir die armes onder die heiliges in Jerusalem.
27 Hulle het dit goedgevind, sê ek, en hulle is ook hul skuldenaars; want as die heidene deel gekry het aan hulle geestelike voorregte, is hulle ook verskuldig om hulle met stoflike goedere te dien.
28 As ek dit volbring het en vir hulle hierdie vrug veilig oorgebring het, sal ek by julle langs na Spanje afreis.
29 En ek weet dat as ek na julle kom, ek met die volle seën van die evangelie van Christus sal kom.
30 Maar ek vermaan julle, broeders, by onse Here Jesus Christus en by die liefde van die Gees, om saam met my in die gebede te stry vir my by God,
31 dat ek verlos mag word van die ongehoorsame mense in Judia en dat my diensbetoning aan Jerusalem aanneemlik mag wees vir die heiliges,
32 sodat ek met blydskap deur die wil van God by julle kan kom en my saam met julle kan verkwik.
33 En die God van vrede sy met julle almal! Amen.
1 Now we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each one of us please his neighbor for that which is good, unto edifying. 3 For Christ also pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell upon me. 4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that through patience and through comfort of the scriptures we might have hope. 5 Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus: 6 that with one accord ye may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, even as Christ also received you, to the glory of God. 8 For I say that Christ hath been made a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given unto the fathers, 9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written,
Therefore will I give praise unto thee among the Gentiles,
And sing unto thy name.
10 And again he saith,
Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.
11 And again,
Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles;
And let all the peoples praise him.
12 And again, Isaiah saith,
There shall be the root of Jesse,
And he that ariseth to rule over the Gentiles;
On him shall the Gentiles hope.
13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. 15 But I write the more boldly unto you in some measure, as putting you again in remembrance, because of the grace that was given me of God, 16 that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus unto the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 I have therefore my glorying in Christ Jesus in things pertaining to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of any things save those which Christ wrought through me, for the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed, 19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Holy Spirit; so that from Jerusalem, and round about even unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ; 20 yea, making it my aim so to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build upon another man’s foundation; 21 but, as it is written,
They shall see, to whom no tidings of him came,
And they who have not heard shall understand.
22 Wherefore also I was hindered these many times from coming to you: 23 but now, having no more any place in these regions, and having these many years a longing to come unto you, 24 whensoever I go unto Spain (for I hope to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first in some measure I shall have been satisfied with your company)— 25 but now, I say, I go unto Jerusalem, ministering unto the saints. 26 For it hath been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints that are at Jerusalem. 27 Yea, it hath been their good pleasure; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they owe it to them also to minister unto them in carnal things. 28 When therefore I have accomplished this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will go on by you unto Spain. 29 And I know that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of Christ.
30 Now I beseech you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; 31 that I may be delivered from them that are disobedient in Judæa, and that my ministration which I have for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints; 32 that I may come unto you in joy through the will of God, and together with you find rest. 33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.