8 I’ll start by thanking my God through Yeshua Messiah for all of you, because the story about your faith has been told in many countries. 9 Yes, the God that I serve in my spirit in the good message about his son, is my witness about how I never stop mentioning all of you 10 in my prayers—asking that somehow God will favour me by allowing me to come to visit you 11 because I’m longing to see you all so that I can share a particular spiritual gift with you so that you’ll all be strengthened. 12 I want us to all be encouraged together by each other’s faith—both me and all of you.

13 [ref]Brothers and sisters, I don’t want you to be unaware that I had planned several times to come to you but I was vetoed until recently so that I’d also have a harvest among you similar to those among the other non-Jews. 14 Whether it’s Greeks or other foreigners, wise people or foolish, I have an obligation 15 and so I’m eager to also preach the good message to all of you there in Rome.

16 [ref]I’m not ashamed to preach the good message because it conveys God’s power to save everyone who believes it—to Jews first and then non-Jews. 17 [ref]It explains how God makes us guiltless—by faith leading to more faith—as it’s been written: Godly people will live by faith.