Romans 1:20-25

1:20 For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people ¹  are without excuse. 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts ²  were darkened. 1:22 Although they claimed ³  to be wise, they became fools 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings ⁴  or birds or four-footed animals ⁵  or reptiles.

1:24 Therefore God gave them over ⁶  in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor ⁷  their bodies among themselves. ⁸  1:25 They ⁹  exchanged the truth of God for a lie ¹⁰  and worshiped and served the creation ¹¹  rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

¹ tn Grk “they”; the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Grk “heart.”

³ tn The participle φάσκοντες (faskonte") is used concessively here.

⁴ tn Grk “exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God in likeness of an image of corruptible man.” Here there is a wordplay on the Greek terms ἄφθαρτος (afqarto", “immortal, imperishable, incorruptible”) and φθαρτός (fqarto", “mortal, corruptible, subject to decay”).

⁵ sn Possibly an allusion to Ps 106:19-20.

⁶ sn Possibly an allusion to Ps 81:12.

⁷ tn The genitive articular infinitive τοῦ ἀτιμάζεσθαι (tou atimazesqai, “to dishonor”) has been taken as (1) an infinitive of purpose; (2) an infinitive of result; or (3) an epexegetical (i.e., explanatory) infinitive, expanding the previous clause.

⁸ tn Grk “among them.”

⁹ tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

¹⁰ tn Grk “the lie.”

¹¹ tn Or “creature, created things.”