Romans 9
1 I say the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience testifying to me in the Holy Spirit,
I am telling you the truth as a Christian man--it is no falsehood, for my conscience enlightened, as it is, by the Holy Spirit adds its testimony to mine--
2 that great distress is in me, and unceasing sorrow in my heart.
when I declare that I have deep grief and unceasing anguish of heart.
3 For I wished I myself to be accursed from the Christ, for my brothers, my kinsmen according to flesh,
For I could pray to be accursed from Christ on behalf of my brethren, my human kinsfolk--for such the Israelites are.
4 who are Israelites, of whom is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the divine service, and the promises,
To them belongs recognition as God's sons, and they have His glorious Presence and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the Temple service, and the ancient Promises.
5 of whom are the fathers, and from whom (according to flesh) is the Christ, God who is over all is blessed into the ages. Truly. (aiōn g165)
To them the Patriarchs belong, and from them in respect of His human lineage came the Christ, who is exalted above all, God blessed throughout the Ages. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 But it is not as that the word of God has failed. For all those from Israel, these are not Israel,
Not however that God's word has failed; for all who have sprung from Israel do not count as Israel,
7 nor, because they are Abraham's seed, are they all children, rather, In Isaac a seed will be called for thee.
nor because they are Abraham's true children. But the promise was "Through Isaac shall your posterity be reckoned."
8 That is, the children of the flesh, these are not children of God, instead, the children of the promise are reckoned for seed.
In other words, it is not the children by natural descent who count as God's children, but the children made such by the promise are regarded as Abraham's posterity.
9 For this is the word of promise: At this time I will come, and there will be a son by Sarah.
For the words are the language of promise and run thus, "About this time next year I will come, and Sarah shall have a son."
10 And not only so, but also Rebecca having bed from one man, our father Isaac
Nor is that all: later on there was Rebecca too. She was soon to bear two children to her husband, our forefather Isaac--
11 (for not yet having been born, nor having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to selection might remain, not from works, but from him who calls),
and even then, though they were not then born and had not done anything either good or evil, yet in order that God's electing purpose might not be frustrated, based, as it was, not on their actions but on the will of Him who called them, she was told,
12 it was said to her, The older will serve the younger.
"The elder of them will be bondservant to the younger."
13 As it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I regarded inferior.
This agrees with the other Scripture which says, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
14 What will we say then? Is there injustice from God? May it not happen!
What then are we to infer? That there is injustice in God?
15 For he says to Moses, I will be merciful to whom I may be merciful, and I will be compassionate to whomever I may be compassionate.
No, indeed; the solution is found in His words to Moses, "Wherever I show mercy it shall be nothing but mercy, and wherever I show compassion it shall be simply compassion."
16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who is merciful.
And from this we learn that everything is dependent not on man's will or endeavour, but upon God who has mercy. For the Scripture said to Pharaoh,
17 For the scripture says to Pharaoh, For this same thing I raised thee up, that I might display in thee my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
"It is for this very purpose that I have lifted you so high--that I may make manifest in you My power, and that My name may be proclaimed far and wide in all the earth."
18 So then he is merciful to whom he will, and whom he will he hardens.
This is a proof that wherever He chooses He shows mercy, and wherever he chooses He hardens the heart.
19 Thou will say to me therefore, Why does he still find fault? For who has resisted his purpose?
"Why then does God still find fault?" you will ask; "for who is resisting His will?"
20 Rather, O man, who are thou answering back to God? No, will the thing formed say to him who formed it, Why did thou make me this way?
Nay, but who are you, a mere man, that you should cavil against GOD? Shall the thing moulded say to him who moulded it, "Why have you made me thus?"
21 Or has the potter no right over the clay, from the same lump certainly to make this vessel for esteem, and that for disesteem?
Or has not the potter rightful power over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for more honourable and another for less honourable uses?
22 And if God, wanting to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
And what if God, while choosing to make manifest the terrors of His anger and to show what is possible with Him, has yet borne with long-forbearing patience with the subjects of His anger who stand ready for destruction,
23 even that he might make known the wealth of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he previously prepared for glory,
in order to make known His infinite goodness towards the subjects of His mercy whom He has prepared beforehand for glory,
24 namely us whom he called, not only from Jews but also from Gentiles.
even towards us whom He has called not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles?
25 As also he says in Hosea, I will call those not my people, my people, and her who was not beloved, beloved.
So also in Hosea He says, "I will call that nation My People which was not My People, and I will call her beloved who was not beloved.
26 And it will be in the place where it was said to them, Ye are not my people, there they will be called, sons of the living God.
And in the place where it was said to them, 'No people of Mine are you,' there shall they be called sons of the everliving God."
27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, If the number of the sons of Israel may be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved.
And Isaiah cries aloud concerning Israel, "Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sands of the sea, only a remnant of them shall be saved;
28 Since he is completing and finishing quickly a matter in righteousness, because a matter that has been cut short upon the earth, the Lord will perform.
for the Lord will hold a reckoning upon the earth, making it efficacious and brief."
29 And just as Isaiah has foretold, Unless the Lord of hosts had left us a seed, we would have become as Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah.
Even as Isaiah says in an earlier place, "Were it not that the Lord, the God of Hosts, had left us some few descendants, we should have become like Sodom, and have come to resemble Gomorrah."
30 What will we say then? That the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness from faith.
To what conclusion does this bring us? Why, that the Gentiles, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have overtaken it--a righteousness, however, which arises from faith;
31 But Israel who pursued a law of righteousness, did not arrive to a law of righteousness.
while the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a Law that could give righteousness, have not arrived at one.
32 Why? Because it was not from faith but as from works of law. For they stumbled at the stone of stumbling,
And why? Because they were pursuing a righteousness which should arise not from faith, but from what they regarded as merit. They stuck their foot against the stone which lay in their way;
33 just as it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. And every man who believes in him will not be shamed.
in agreement with the statement of Scripture, "See, I am placing on Mount Zion a stone for people to stumble at, and a rock for them to trip over, and yet he whose faith rests upon it shall never have reason to feel ashamed."
