Romans 9
1 I am speaking the truth in Christ; I am not lying. My conscience offers testimony to me in the Holy Spirit,
I am speaking the truth as one in union with Christ; it is no lie; and my conscience, enlightened by the Holy Spirit,
2 because the sadness within me is great, and there is a continuous sorrow in my heart.
bears me out when I say that there is a great weight of sorrow on me and that my heart is never free from pain.
3 For I was desiring that I myself might be anathemized from Christ, for the sake of my brothers, who are my kinsmen according to the flesh.
I could wish that I were myself accursed and severed from the Christ, for the sake of my people – my own flesh and blood.
4 These are the Israelites, to whom belongs adoption as sons, and the glory and the testament, and the giving and following of the law, and the promises.
For they are Israelites, and theirs are the adoption as children, the visible presence, the covenants, the revealed Law, the Temple worship, and the promises.
5 Theirs are the fathers, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is over all things, blessed God, for all eternity. Amen. (aiōn g165)
They are descended from the patriarchs, and, as far as his human nature was concerned, from them came the Christ – he who is supreme over all things, God for ever blessed. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 But it is not that the Word of God has perished. For not all those who are Israelites are of Israel.
Not that God’s Word has failed. For it is not all who are descended from Israel who are true Israelites;
7 And not all sons are the offspring of Abraham: “For your offspring will be invoked in Isaac.”
nor, because they are Abraham’s descendants, are they all his children; but – “It is Isaac’s children who will be called your descendants.”
8 In other words, those who are the sons of God are not those who are sons of the flesh, but those who are sons of the Promise; these are considered to be the offspring.
This means that it is not the children born in the course of nature who are God’s children, but it is the children born in fulfilment of the promise who are to be regarded as Abraham’s descendants.
9 For the word of promise is this: “I will return at the proper time. And there shall be a son for Sarah.”
For these words are the words of a promise – “About this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”
10 And she was not alone. For Rebecca also, having conceived by Isaac our father, from one act,
Nor is that all. There is also the case of Rebecca, when she was about to bear children to our ancestor Isaac.
11 when the children had not yet been born, and had not yet done anything good or bad (such that the purpose of God might be based on their choice),
For in order that the purpose of God, working through selection, might not fail – a selection depending, not on obedience, but on his call – Rebecca was told, before her children were born and before they had done anything either right or wrong,
12 and not because of deeds, but because of a calling, it was said to her: “The elder shall serve the younger.”
that the elder would be a servant to the younger.
13 So also it was written: “I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.”
The words of scripture are – “I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.”
14 What should we say next? Is there unfairness with God? Let it not be so!
What are we to say, then? Is God guilty of injustice? Heaven forbid!
15 For to Moses he says: “I will pity whomever I pity. And I will offer mercy to whomever I will pity.”
For his words to Moses are – “I will take pity on whom I take pity, and be merciful to whom I am merciful.”
16 Therefore, it is not based on those who choose, nor on those who excel, but on God who takes pity.
So, then, all depends, not on human wishes or human efforts, but on God’s mercy.
17 For Scripture says to the Pharaoh: “I have raised you up for this purpose, so that I may reveal my power by you, and so that my name may be announced to all the earth.”
In scripture, again, it is said to Pharaoh – “It was for this purpose that I raised you to the throne, to show my power by my dealings with you, and to make my name known throughout the world.”
18 Therefore, he takes pity on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
So, then, where God wills, he takes pity, and where he wills, he hardens the heart.
19 And so, you would say to me: “Then why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”
Perhaps you will say to me – “How can anyone still be blamed? For who withstands his purpose?”
20 O man, who are you to question God? How can the thing that has been formed say to the One who formed him: “Why have you made me this way?”
I might rather ask “Who are you who are arguing with God?” Does a thing which a person has moulded say to the person who has moulded it “Why did you make me like this?”
21 And does not the potter have the authority over the clay to make, from the same material, indeed, one vessel unto honor, yet truly another unto disgrace?
Has not the potter absolute power over their clay, so that out of the same lump they make one thing for better, and another for common, use?
22 What if God, wanting to reveal his wrath and to make his power known, endured, with much patience, vessels deserving wrath, fit to be destroyed,
And what if God, intending to reveal his displeasure and make his power known, bore most patiently with the objects of his displeasure, though they were fit only to be destroyed,
23 so that he might reveal the wealth of his glory, within these vessels of mercy, which he has prepared unto glory?
so as to make known his surpassing glory in dealing with the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared beforehand for glory,
24 And so it is with those of us whom he has also called, not only from among the Jews, but even from among the Gentiles,
and whom he called – even us – not only from among the Jews but from among the Gentiles also!
25 just as he says in Hosea: “I will call those who were not my people, ‘my people,’ and she who was not beloved, ‘beloved,’ and she who had not obtained mercy, ‘one who has obtained mercy.’
This, indeed, is what he says in the book of Hosea – “Those who were not my people, I will call my people, and those who were unloved I will love.
26 And this shall be: in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they shall be called the sons of the living God.”
And in the place where it was said to them – ‘You are not my people’, they will be called sons of the living God.”
27 And Isaiah cried out on behalf of Israel: “When the number of the sons of Israel is like the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.
And Isaiah cries aloud over Israel – “Though the sons of Israel are like the sand of the sea in number, only a remnant of them will escape!
28 For he shall complete his word, while abbreviating it out of equity. For the Lord shall accomplish a brief word upon the earth.”
For the Lord will execute his sentence on the world, fully and without delay.”
29 And it is just as Isaiah predicted: “Unless the Lord of hosts had bequeathed offspring, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made similar to Gomorrah.”
It is as Isaiah foretold – “Had not the Lord of Hosts spared some few of our people to us, we should have become like Sodom and been made to resemble Gomorrah.”
30 What should we say next? That the Gentiles who did not follow justice have attained justice, even the justice that is of faith.
What are we to say, then? Why, that Gentiles, who were not in search of righteousness, secured it – a righteousness which was the result of faith;
31 Yet truly, Israel, though following the law of justice, has not arrived at the law of justice.
while Israel, which was in search of a Law which would ensure righteousness, failed to discover one.
32 Why is this? Because they did not seek it from faith, but as if it were from works. For they stumbled over a stumbling block,
And why? Because they looked to obedience, and not to faith, to secure it. They stumbled over the stumbling-block.
33 just as it was written: “Behold, I am placing a stumbling block in Zion, and a rock of scandal. But whoever believes in him shall not be confounded.”
As scripture says – “See, I place a stumbling-block in Zion – a rock which will prove a hindrance; and he who believes in him will have no cause for shame.”
