Romans 9
1 I SPEAK the truth in Christ, I lie not, (my conscience also bearing witness to me in the Holy Ghost, )
I say what is true in Christ, and not what is false, my mind giving witness with me in the Holy Spirit,
2 that great is my sorrow and unceasing the anguish in my heart.
That I am full of sorrow and pain without end.
3 For could I myself wish that an anathema should be from Christ upon my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh?
For I have a desire to take on myself the curse for my brothers, my family in the flesh:
4 who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the gift of the law, and the sacred service, and the promises;
Who are Israelites: who have the place of sons, and the glory, and the agreements with God, and the giving of the law, and the worship, and the hope offered by God:
5 of whom are the fathers, and from whom as respecting the flesh Christ sprung, who is over all, the blessed God for evermore. Amen. (aiōn g165)
Whose are the fathers, and of whom came Christ in the flesh, who is over all, God, to whom be blessing for ever. So be it. (aiōn g165)
6 Now it is not supposable that the word of God hath failed. For these are not all Israel, who are of Israel:
But it is not as if the word of God was without effect. For they are not all Israel, who are of Israel:
7 nor, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
And they are not all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, In Isaac will your seed be named.
8 That is, not the children of the flesh, these are the children of God: but the children of the promise are accounted for the seed.
That is, it is not the children of the flesh, but the children of God's undertaking, who are named as the seed.
9 For the word of promise is this, At that time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
For this is the word of God's undertaking, At this time will I come, and Sarah will have a son.
10 And not only so; but when Rebecca also had conception by one, even Isaac our father;
And not only so, but Rebecca being about to have a child by our father Isaac —
11 (though the children were not yet born, nor had done any thing good or evil, that according to the election of God the purpose might abide, not from works, but from him who called; )
Before the children had come into existence, or had done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose and his selection might be effected, not by works, but by him whose purpose it is,
12 it was said unto her, “That the elder shall be servant to the younger.”
It was said to her, The older will be the servant of the younger.
13 As it is written, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”
Even as it is said, I had love for Jacob, but for Esau I had hate.
14 What shall we say therefore? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
What may we say then? is God not upright? let it not be said.
15 For he saith to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”
For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and pity on whom I will have pity.
16 Well then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God who sheweth mercy.
So then, it is not by the desire or by the attempt of man, but by the mercy of God.
17 For the scripture saith to Pharaoh, “That for this very end have I raised thee up, that I might display in thee my power, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”
For the holy Writings say to Pharaoh, For this same purpose did I put you on high, so that I might make my power seen in you, and that there might be knowledge of my name through all the earth.
18 Well then, he hath mercy on whom he will, but whom he will he hardeneth.
So then, at his pleasure he has mercy on a man, and at his pleasure he makes the heart hard.
19 Wilt thou then say to me, Why yet doth he blame us? Who hath resisted his will?
But you will say to me, Why does he still make us responsible? who is able to go against his purpose?
20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that disputest against God? Shall the thing fashioned say to him that fashioned it, Why hast thou made me thus?
But, O man, who are you, to make answer against God? May the thing which is made say to him who made it, Why did you make me so?
21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, from the same mass to make one vessel for an honourable use, and another for a dishonourable?
Or has not the potter the right to make out of one part of his earth a vessel for honour, and out of another a vessel for shame?
22 But what if God, willing to display his wrath, and to make known what is possible with him, hath borne with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for perdition:
What if God, desiring to let his wrath and his power be seen, for a long time put up with the vessels of wrath which were ready for destruction:
23 and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon the vessels of mercy which he had before prepared for glory:
And to make clear the wealth of his glory to vessels of mercy, which he had before made ready for glory,
24 even us, whom he hath called, not only out of the Jews, but out of the Gentiles?
Even us, who were marked out by him, not only from the Jews, but from the Gentiles?
25 As also he saith in Hosea, “I will call her which was not my people, my people; and her which was not beloved, beloved.
As he says in Hosea, They will be named my people who were not my people, and she will be loved who was not loved.
26 And it shall be in the place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people; there shall they be called the sons of the living God.”
And in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people, there they will be named the sons of the living God.
27 But Isaiah crieth concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
And Isaiah says about Israel, Even if the number of the children of Israel is as the sand of the sea, only a small part will get salvation:
28 for he will finish the account, and cut it short in righteousness: because a concise account will the Lord make on the earth.”
For the Lord will give effect to his word on the earth, putting an end to it and cutting it short.
29 Even as Isaiah had said before, “Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left unto us a seed, we should have become as Sodom, and been made like unto Gomorrha.”
And, as Isaiah had said before, If the Lord of armies had not given us a seed, we would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah.
30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who pursued not after righteousness, have attained unto righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith.
What then may we say? That the nations who did not go after righteousness have got righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith:
31 But Israel, pursuing after the law of righteousness, hath not come up to the law of righteousness.
But Israel, going after a law of righteousness, did not get it.
32 And why? Because they sought it not by faith, but as by the works of the law. For they stumbled against that stone of stumbling;
Why? Because they were not searching for it by faith, but by works. They came up against the stone which was in the way;
33 as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence: and every one that believeth in him shall not be confounded.”
As it is said, See, I am putting in Zion a stone causing a fall, and a rock in the way: but he who has faith in him will not be put to shame.
