Romans 9
1 I am in Christ, and what I say is true. I'm not lying! My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm
I tell the truth in Christ. I do not lie, and my conscience bears witness with me in the Holy Spirit,
2 how terribly sad I am, how I have never-ending pain in my heart,
that for me there is great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.
3 for my own people, my brothers and sisters. I would rather be cursed myself, separated from Christ, if that would help them.
For I could wish that I myself would be cursed and set apart from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race according to the flesh.
4 They are my fellow-Israelites, God's chosen people. God revealed to them his glory and made agreements with them, giving them the law, true worship, and his promises.
They are Israelites. They have adoption, the glory, the covenants, the gift of the law, the worship of God, and the promises.
5 They are our forefathers—ancestors of Christ, humanly-speaking, the one who rules over everything, the eternally-blessed God. Amen. (aiōn g165)
Theirs are the ancestors from whom Christ has come with respect to the flesh—he who is God over all. May he be praised forever. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 It's not that God's promise has failed. For not every Israelite is a true Israelite,
But it is not as though the promises of God have failed. For it is not everyone in Israel who truly belongs to Israel.
7 and all those who are descended from Abraham are not his true children. For Scripture says, “Your descendants will be counted through Isaac,”
Neither are all Abraham's descendants truly his children. But, “It is through Isaac that your descendants will be called.”
8 so it's not Abraham's actual children who are counted as God's children, but only those children of God's promise who are considered his true descendants.
That is, the children of the flesh are not the children of God. But the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.
9 This is what the promise was: “I will return next year and Sarah will have a son.”
For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come, and a son will be given to Sarah.”
10 In addition Rebecca's twin sons had the same father, our forefather Isaac.
Not only this, but after Rebekah also had conceived by one man, our father Isaac—
11 But even before the children were born, and before they'd done anything right or wrong, (so that God's purpose could continue, proving God's calling of people is not based on human performance),
for the children were not yet born and had not yet done anything good or bad, so that the purpose of God according to choice might stand, not because of actions, but because of him who calls—
12 she was told, “The older brother will serve the younger one.”
it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.”
13 As Scripture says, “I chose Jacob, but rejected Esau.”
It is just as had been written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 So what should we conclude? That God was unjust? Certainly not!
What then will we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be.
15 As he said to Moses, “I will be merciful to whoever I should show mercy, and I will have compassion on whoever I should show compassion.”
For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”
16 So it does not depend on what we want, or our own efforts, but the merciful nature of God.
So then, it is not because of him who wills, nor because of him who runs, but because of God, who shows mercy.
17 Scripture records God saying to Pharaoh: “I put you here for a reason—so that through you I could demonstrate my power, and so that my name could be made known throughout the earth.”
For the scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, so that I might demonstrate my power in you, and so that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
18 So God is merciful to those he wishes to be, and hardens the attitude of those he wants to.
So then, God has mercy on whom he wishes, and whom he wishes, he makes stubborn.
19 Now you'll argue with me and ask, “So why does he still blame us then? Who can resist the will of God?”
You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who has ever withstood his will?”
20 That's no way to speak, for who are you—a mere mortal—to contradict God? Can something that is created say to its creator, “Why did you make me like this?”
On the contrary, man, who are you who answers against God? Will what has been molded say to the one who molds it, “Why did you make me this way?”
21 Doesn't a potter have the right to use the same batch of clay to make both a decorative bowl and an everyday pot?
Does the potter not have the right over the clay to make from the same lump a container for special use, and another container for daily use?
22 It's as if God, wanting to demonstrate his opposition to sin and to reveal his power, bears patiently with these “pots destined for destruction,”
What if God, who is willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience containers of wrath prepared for destruction?
23 so that he might reveal the greatness of his glory through these “pots of mercy” which he has prepared in advance for glory.
What if he did this in order that he might make known the riches of his glory upon containers of mercy, which he had previously prepared for glory?
24 This is who we are—people he has called, not just from among the Jews, but from among the foreigners too...
What if he did this also for us, whom he also called, not only from among the Jews, but also from among the Gentiles?
25 As God said in the book of Hosea, “Those who are not my people I will call my people, and those who are not loved I will call the ones I love,”
As he says also in Hosea: “I will call my people who were not my people, and her beloved who was not beloved.
26 and, “It will happen that at the place where they were told, ‘You're not my people,’ there they will be called the children of the living God.”
Then it will be that 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 regarding Israel: “Even if the children of Israel have become as numerous as the sands of the sea, only a small number will be saved.
Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the children of Israel were as the sand of the sea, it will be a remnant that will be saved,
28 For the Lord is going to quickly and completely finish his work of judgment on the earth.”
for the Lord will carry out his sentence on the earth, completely and without delay.”
29 As Isaiah previously said, “If the Lord Almighty had not left us some descendants, we would have become just like Sodom and Gomorrah.”
As Isaiah had said previously, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us descendants, we would be like Sodom, and we would have become like Gomorrah.”
30 What shall we conclude, then? That even though the foreigners were not even looking to do right, they did grasp what is right, and through their trust in God did what was morally right.
What will we say then? That the Gentiles, who were not pursuing righteousness, obtained righteousness, the righteousness by faith.
31 But the people of Israel, who looked to the law to make them right with God, never succeeded.
But Israel, who did pursue a law of righteousness, did not arrive at it.
32 Why not? Because they relied on what they did rather than trusting in God. They tripped on the stumbling-block,
Why not? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but by works. They stumbled over the stone of stumbling,
33 just as Scripture predicted: “Look, I'm placing in Zion a stumbling-block, a rock that will offend people. But those who trust in him won't be disappointed.”
as it has been written, “Look, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. He who believes in it will not be ashamed.”
