Romans 1:24

THE MESSAGE

So God said, in effect, "If that's what you want, that's what you get." It wasn't long before they were living in a pigpen, smeared with filth, filthy inside and out. And all this because they traded the true God for a fake god, and worshiped the god they made instead of the God who made them—the God we bless, the God who blesses us. Oh, yes!

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves.

King James Version (1611)
Wherefore God also gaue them vp to vncleannesse, through the lusts of their owne hearts, to dishonour their owne bodies betweene themselues:

King James Version
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

English Standard Version
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

New American Standard Bible
Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

New Century Version
Because they did these things, God left them and let them go their sinful way, wanting only to do evil. As a result, they became full of sexual sin, using their bodies wrongly with each other.

Amplified Bible
Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their own hearts to [sexual] impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin],

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

Berean Standard Bible
Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another.

Contemporary English Version
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.

Complete Jewish Bible
This is why God has given them up to the vileness of their hearts' lusts, to the shameful misuse of each other's bodies.

Darby Translation
Wherefore God gave them up [also] in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, to dishonour their bodies between themselves:

Easy-to-Read Version
People wanted only to do evil. So God left them and let them go their sinful way. And so they became completely immoral and used their bodies in shameful ways with each other.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Wherefore also God gaue them vp to their hearts lusts, vnto vncleannesse, to defile their owne bodies betweene themselues:

George Lamsa Translation
That is why God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:

Good News Translation
And so God has given those people over to do the filthy things their hearts desire, and they do shameful things with each other.

Lexham English Bible
Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to immorality, that their bodies would be dishonored among themselves,

Literal Translation
Because of this, God gave them up to impurity in the lusts of their hearts, their bodies to be dishonored among themselves,

American Standard Version
Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves:

Bible in Basic English
For this reason God gave them up to the evil desires of their hearts, working shame in their bodies with one another:

Hebrew Names Version
Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves,

International Standard Version
For this reason, God gave them over to impurity to follow the luststo impurity in the lusts">[fn] of their hearts and to dishonor their bodies with one another.Leviticus 18:22; Psalm 81:12; Acts 7:42; 1 Corinthians 6:18; Ephesians 4:18-19; 1 Thessalonians 4:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12; 1 Peter 4:3;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Because of this Aloha delivered them up to the unclean lusts of their hearts, that they would debase their bodies among them.

Murdock Translation
For this cause, God gave them up to the filthy lusts of their heart, to dishonor their bodies with them.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wherefore God gaue them vp to vncleanenesse, through the lustes of their owne heartes, to defyle their owne bodies among them selues.

English Revised Version
Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonoured among themselves:

World English Bible
Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves,

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness in the desires of their hearts, to dishonour their bodies among themselves;

Weymouth's New Testament
For this reason, in accordance with their own depraved cravings, God gave them up to uncleanness, allowing them to dishonour their bodies among themselves with impurity.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For which thing God bitook hem in to the desiris of her herte, in to vnclennesse, that thei punysche with wrongis her bodies in hem silf.

Update Bible Version
Therefore God gave them up in the desires of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies should be shamed among themselves:

Webster's Bible Translation
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:

New English Translation
Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves.

New King James Version
Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,

New Living Translation
So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies.

New Life Bible
So God let them follow the desires of their sinful hearts. They did sinful things among themselves with their bodies.

New Revised Standard
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Wherefore God gave them up in the covetings of their hearts unto impurity, so as to be dishonouring their bodies among them, -

Douay-Rheims Bible
Wherefore, God gave them up to the desires of their heart, unto uncleanness: to dishonour their own bodies among themselves.

Revised Standard Version
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Wherfore god lykewyse gave the vp vnto their hertes lustes vnto vnclennes to defyle their awne boddyes bitwene them selves:

Young's Literal Translation
Wherefore also God did give them up, in the desires of their hearts, to uncleanness, to dishonour their bodies among themselves;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wherfore God likewyse gaue them vp vnto their hertes lustes in to vnclennes, to defyle their awne bodies in them selues,

Mace New Testament (1729)
wherefore God abandon'd them to the impure passions of their own hearts, so that they themselves dishonour'd their own bodies;

Simplified Cowboy Version
And so God has let them throw their souls into the pig pen of their nasty desires. The wallow around on each other like flies on crap.

Contextual Overview

²⁴So God said, in effect, "If that's what you want, that's what you get." It wasn't long before they were living in a pigpen, smeared with filth, filthy inside and out. And all this because they traded the true God for a fake god, and worshiped the god they made instead of the God who made them—the God we bless, the God who blesses us. Oh, yes! ²⁶Worse followed. Refusing to know God, they soon didn't know how to be human either—women didn't know how to be women, men didn't know how to be men. Sexually confused, they abused and defiled one another, women with women, men with men—all lust, no love. And then they paid for it, oh, how they paid for it—emptied of God and love, godless and loveless wretches. ²⁸Since they didn't bother to acknowledge God, God quit bothering them and let them run loose. And then all hell broke loose: rampant evil, grabbing and grasping, vicious backstabbing. They made life hell on earth with their envy, wanton killing, bickering, and cheating. Look at them: mean-spirited, venomous, fork-tongued God-bashers. Bullies, swaggerers, insufferable windbags! They keep inventing new ways of wrecking lives. They ditch their parents when they get in the way. Stupid, slimy, cruel, cold-blooded. And it's not as if they don't know better. They know perfectly well they're spitting in God's face. And they don't care—worse, they hand out prizes to those who do the worst things best!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

God: Psalms 81:11, Psalms 81:12, Hosea 4:17, Hosea 4:18, Matthew 15:14, Acts 7:42, Acts 14:16, Acts 17:29, Acts 17:30, Ephesians 4:18, 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

through the lusts: Romans 6:12

to dishonour: 1 Corinthians 6:13, 1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Thessalonians 4:4, 2 Timothy 2:20-22

between: Romans 1:27, Leviticus 18:22

Reciprocal: Genesis 19:5 - General Genesis 19:7 - General 1 Kings 14:24 - And there Jeremiah 4:10 - surely Ezekiel 20:39 - Go ye Luke 15:15 - to feed Romans 1:26 - gave them Romans 9:18 - will he Ephesians 2:3 - in the Ephesians 4:19 - given Ephesians 5:12 - it 1 Thessalonians 4:5 - in the 2 Peter 2:10 - in the

Cross-References

Genesis 1:9
God spoke: "Separate! Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place; Land, appear!" And there it was. God named the land Earth. He named the pooled water Ocean. God saw that it was good.

Job 39:1
"Do you know the month when mountain goats give birth? Have you ever watched a doe bear her fawn? Do you know how many months she is pregnant? Do you know the season of her delivery, when she crouches down and drops her offspring? Her young ones flourish and are soon on their own; they leave and don't come back.

Job 39:5
"Who do you think set the wild donkey free, opened the corral gates and let him go? I gave him the whole wilderness to roam in, the rolling plains and wide-open places. He laughs at his city cousins, who are harnessed and harried. He's oblivious to the cries of teamsters. He grazes freely through the hills, nibbling anything that's green.

Job 39:9
"Will the wild buffalo condescend to serve you, volunteer to spend the night in your barn? Can you imagine hitching your plow to a buffalo and getting him to till your fields? He's hugely strong, yes, but could you trust him, would you dare turn the job over to him? You wouldn't for a minute depend on him, would you, to do what you said when you said it?

Job 39:19
"Are you the one who gave the horse his prowess and adorned him with a shimmering mane? Did you create him to prance proudly and strike terror with his royal snorts? He paws the ground fiercely, eager and spirited, then charges into the fray. He laughs at danger, fearless, doesn't shy away from the sword. The banging and clanging of quiver and lance don't faze him. He quivers with excitement, and at the trumpet blast races off at a gallop. At the sound of the trumpet he neighs mightily, smelling the excitement of battle from a long way off, catching the rolling thunder of the war cries.

Job 40:15
"Look at the land beast, Behemoth. I created him as well as you. Grazing on grass, docile as a cow— Just look at the strength of his back, the powerful muscles of his belly. His tail sways like a cedar in the wind; his huge legs are like beech trees. His skeleton is made of steel, every bone in his body hard as steel. Most magnificent of all my creatures, but I still lead him around like a lamb! The grass-covered hills serve him meals, while field mice frolic in his shadow. He takes afternoon naps under shade trees, cools himself in the reedy swamps, Lazily cool in the leafy shadows as the breeze moves through the willows. And when the river rages he doesn't budge, stolid and unperturbed even when the Jordan goes wild. But you'd never want him for a pet— you'd never be able to housebreak him!"

Psalms 104:18
class="poetry"> O my soul, bless God ! God , my God, how great you are! beautifully, gloriously robed, Dressed up in sunshine, and all heaven stretched out for your tent. You built your palace on the ocean deeps, made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind-wings. You commandeered winds as messengers, appointed fire and flame as ambassadors. You set earth on a firm foundation so that nothing can shake it, ever. You blanketed earth with ocean, covered the mountains with deep waters; Then you roared and the water ran away— your thunder crash put it to flight. Mountains pushed up, valleys spread out in the places you assigned them. You set boundaries between earth and sea; never again will earth be flooded. You started the springs and rivers, sent them flowing among the hills. All the wild animals now drink their fill, wild donkeys quench their thirst. Along the riverbanks the birds build nests, ravens make their voices heard. You water the mountains from your heavenly cisterns; earth is supplied with plenty of water. You make grass grow for the livestock, hay for the animals that plow the ground. Oh yes, God brings grain from the land, wine to make people happy, Their faces glowing with health, a people well-fed and hearty. God 's trees are well-watered— the Lebanon cedars he planted. Birds build their nests in those trees; look—the stork at home in the treetop. Mountain goats climb about the cliffs; badgers burrow among the rocks. The moon keeps track of the seasons, the sun is in charge of each day. When it's dark and night takes over, all the forest creatures come out. The young lions roar for their prey, clamoring to God for their supper. When the sun comes up, they vanish, lazily stretched out in their dens. Meanwhile, men and women go out to work, busy at their jobs until evening. What a wildly wonderful world, God ! You made it all, with Wisdom at your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations. Oh, look—the deep, wide sea, brimming with fish past counting, sardines and sharks and salmon. Ships plow those waters, and Leviathan, your pet dragon, romps in them. All the creatures look expectantly to you to give them their meals on time. You come, and they gather around; you open your hand and they eat from it. If you turned your back, they'd die in a minute— Take back your Spirit and they die, revert to original mud; Send out your Spirit and they spring to life— the whole countryside in bloom and blossom. The glory of God —let it last forever! Let God enjoy his creation! He takes one look at earth and triggers an earthquake, points a finger at the mountains, and volcanoes erupt. Oh, let me sing to God all my life long, sing hymns to my God as long as I live! Oh, let my song please him; I'm so pleased to be singing to God . But clear the ground of sinners— no more godless men and women! O my soul, bless God !

Psalms 104:23
class="poetry"> O my soul, bless God ! God , my God, how great you are! beautifully, gloriously robed, Dressed up in sunshine, and all heaven stretched out for your tent. You built your palace on the ocean deeps, made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind-wings. You commandeered winds as messengers, appointed fire and flame as ambassadors. You set earth on a firm foundation so that nothing can shake it, ever. You blanketed earth with ocean, covered the mountains with deep waters; Then you roared and the water ran away— your thunder crash put it to flight. Mountains pushed up, valleys spread out in the places you assigned them. You set boundaries between earth and sea; never again will earth be flooded. You started the springs and rivers, sent them flowing among the hills. All the wild animals now drink their fill, wild donkeys quench their thirst. Along the riverbanks the birds build nests, ravens make their voices heard. You water the mountains from your heavenly cisterns; earth is supplied with plenty of water. You make grass grow for the livestock, hay for the animals that plow the ground. Oh yes, God brings grain from the land, wine to make people happy, Their faces glowing with health, a people well-fed and hearty. God 's trees are well-watered— the Lebanon cedars he planted. Birds build their nests in those trees; look—the stork at home in the treetop. Mountain goats climb about the cliffs; badgers burrow among the rocks. The moon keeps track of the seasons, the sun is in charge of each day. When it's dark and night takes over, all the forest creatures come out. The young lions roar for their prey, clamoring to God for their supper. When the sun comes up, they vanish, lazily stretched out in their dens. Meanwhile, men and women go out to work, busy at their jobs until evening.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness,.... Not by putting any into them, but by leaving them to the pollution of their nature; by withdrawing his providential restraints from them, and by giving them up to judicial hardness:

through the lusts of their own hearts. The heart of man is the source of all wickedness; the lusts that dwell there are many, and these tend to uncleanness of one sort or another: by it here is meant particularly bodily uncleanness, since it is said they were given up

to dishonour their own bodies between themselves; either alone, or with others; so that as they changed the glory of God, and dishonoured him, he left them to dishonour themselves by doing these things which were reproachful and scandalous to human nature.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Wherefore - That is, because they were unwilling to retain him in their knowledge, and chose to worship idols. Here is traced the practical tendency of paganism; not as an innocent and harmless system, but as resulting in the most gross and shameless acts of depravity.

God gave them up - He abandoned them, or he ceased to restrain them, and suffered them to act out their sentiments, and to manifest them in their life. This does not imply, that he exerted any positive influence in inducing them to sin, any more than it would if we should seek, by argument and entreaty, to restrain a headstrong youth, and when neither would prevail, should leave him to act out his propensities. and to go as he chose to ruin. It is implied in this,

1. That the tendency of man was to these sins;
2. That the tendency of idolatry was to promote them; and,
3. That all that was needful, in order that people should commit them, was for God to leave him to follow the devices and desires of his own heart; compare Psalms 81:12; 2Th 2:10, 2 Thessalonians 2:12.

To uncleanness - To impurity, or moral defilement; particularly to those impurities which he proceeds to specify, Romans 1:26, etc.

Through the lusts of their own hearts - Or, in consequence of their own evil and depraved passions and desires. He left them to act out, or manifest, their depraved affections and inclinations.

To dishonour - To disgrace; Romans 1:26-27.

Between themselves - Among themselves; or mutually. They did it by unlawful and impure connections with one another.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 24. God-gave them up, c.] They had filled up the measure of their iniquities, and God, by permitting them to plunge into all manner of irregularities, thus, by one species of sin, inflicted punishment on another.

Dishonour their own bodies — Probably alluding here to what is more openly expressed, Romans 1:26-27.

Between themselves — ενεαυτοις, Of themselves, of their own free accord none inciting, none impelling.