Romans 9
1 I speak the truth in Christ; I am not lying, as confirmed by my conscience in the Holy Spirit.
I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience is testifying with me in the Holy Spirit—
2 I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
I have great sorrow and unceasing distress in my heart.
3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own flesh and blood,
For I keep wishing that I myself could be accursed away from the Messiah for the sake of my brothers, my physical relatives,
4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory and the covenants; theirs the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises.
the Israelites. To them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises.
5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them proceeds the human descent of Christ, who is God over all, forever worthy of praise! Amen. (aiōn g165)
The patriarchs are theirs, and from them came the Christ (the physical part), who is over all, God forever blessed. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 It is not as though God’s word has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.
However, it is not as though the Word of God has failed! For not all who have descended from Israel are ‘Israel’.
7 Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
Neither are they all ‘children’ because they are Abraham's descendants; but, “in Isaac will your seed be called.”
8 So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring.
That is, it is not the physical children who are God's ‘children’, but the children of the promise are regarded as ‘seed’.
9 For this is what the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”
For this is the word of promise: “At this season I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”
10 Not only that, but Rebecca’s children were conceived by one man, our father Isaac.
Not only that, but also when Rebecca had conceived twins by our forefather Isaac
11 Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand,
(though they had not yet been born, not having done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls),
12 not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”
it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.”
13 So it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
As it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Certainly not!
So what shall we say, there is no injustice with God, is there? Of course not!
15 For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I have compassion.”
16 So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
So then, it is not of him who wills nor of him who strives, but of God who shows mercy.
17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
18 Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.
So then, He has mercy on whom He wishes, and He hardens whom He wishes.
19 One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?”
You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has ever resisted His will?”
20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”
Really now, just who are you, O man, to talk back to God? What is formed will not say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?
21 Does not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and another for common use?
Or has the potter no right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
22 What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction?
What if God, wishing to display His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
23 What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory—
just in order to make known the riches of His glory on vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,
24 including us, whom He has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles?
even us whom He called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
25 As He says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘My People’ who are not My people, and I will call her ‘My Beloved’ who is not My beloved,”
As He also says in Hosea: “I will call the ‘not my people’, ‘my people’, and the ‘not loved’ (f), ‘loved’.”
26 and, “It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”
“And it will be in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called sons of the living God.”
27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites is like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved;
28 For the Lord will carry out His sentence on the earth thoroughly and decisively.”
because He is finishing and cutting short an accounting in righteousness; yes, the Lord will impose a condensed accounting upon the earth.”
29 It is just as Isaiah foretold: “Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.”
And as Isaiah had said previously: “Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah.”
30 What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
So what shall we say? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained to righteousness, namely the righteousness that comes from faith;
31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.
while Israel, pursuing a standard of righteousness, did not attain to that standard.
32 Why not? Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
Why not? Because it was not from faith, but as from works of the law. They stumbled over the ‘stumbling stone’;
33 as it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”
as it is written: “Look! I am placing in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense, and no one who believes on Him will be put to shame.”
