< Romans 9 >
1 Truth I say in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience bearing testimony with me in the Holy Spirit,
I am speaking the truth in Christ, it is no lie. My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have deep sorrow
2 that I have great grief and unceasing pain in my heart—
and incessant anguish in my heart.
3 for I was wishing, I myself, to be accursed from the Christ—for my brothers, my relatives, according to the flesh,
For I was on the point of praying to be accursed from Christ on behalf of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
4 who are Israelites, whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises,
For they are Israelites; to them belong the sonship, the Shekinah glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law; the service of the temple, and the promises;
5 whose [are] the fathers, and of whom [is] the Christ, according to the flesh, who is God over all, blessed for all ages. Amen. (aiōn )
theirs are the patriarchs, and of them, as concerning the flesh, is Christ, who is over all, God, blessed forever, Amen. (aiōn )
6 And it is not possible that the word of God has failed; for not all who [are] of Israel are these of Israel;
It is not, however, as though God’s word had failed! For they are not all Israel who have sprung from Israel;
7 nor because they are seed of Abraham [are] all children, but, “in Isaac will a seed be called to you”;
they are not all children of Abraham because they are Abraham’s descendants. The promise was, In Isaac shall thy posterity be called.
8 that is, the children of the flesh—these [are] not children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for seed;
That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as his posterity.
9 for the word of promise [is] this: “According to this time I will come, and there will be to Sarah a son.”
For thus is the word of promise, According to this season I will come, and Sarah shall bear a son.
10 And not only [so], but also Rebecca, having conceived by one—our father Isaac
And not only so, but when Rebecca was pregnant by our forefather Isaac, though one man was the father of both children,
11 (for they being not yet born, neither having done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to [divine] selection, might remain; not of works, but of Him who is calling),
and even though they were still unborn, and had done nothing either good or bad, in order that the purpose of God might stand according to election, not of works, but of Him who called,
12 it was said to her, “The greater will serve the less”;
it was said to her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 according as it has been written: “Jacob I loved, and Esau I hated.”
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14 What, then, will we say? Unrighteousness [is] with God? Let it not be!
What shall we say then? that there is injustice with God? No indeed.
15 For to Moses He says, “I will do kindness to whom I do kindness, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion”;
His words to Moses are. I will have mercy on whom I choose to have mercy; I will have compassion on whom I choose to have compassion.
16 so then—not of him who is willing, nor of him who is running, but of God who is doing kindness;
So then it is not a question of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.
17 for the Writing says to Pharaoh, “For this very thing I raised you up, that I might show in you My power, and that My Name might be declared in all the land”;
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, It is for this very purpose that I have raised you up, To show in you my power, And to proclaim my name far and wide, in all the earth.
18 so then, to whom He wills, He does kindness, and to whom He wills, He hardens.
So then he has mercy on whom he will, and whom he will, he hardens.
19 You will say, then, to me, “Why does He yet find fault? For who has resisted His counsel?”
Then you will say to me. "Why does he still go on finding fault? Who can withstand his will?"
20 No, but, O man, who are you that are answering again to God? Will the thing formed say to Him who formed [it], Why did you make me thus?
"Nay, but who are you, O man, that replies to God? Shall the thing formed say unto him who formed it, "Why did you do me like this?"
21 Does the potter not have authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make one vessel to honor and one to dishonor?
Or has not the potter power over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for noble, and another for ignoble uses?
22 And if God, willing to show the wrath and to make known His power, endured, in much long suffering, vessels of wrath fitted for destruction,
But what if God, while intending to show forth his wrath, and to make known his power, yet endured, with much long-suffering, vessels of wrath, fitted to destruction?
23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on vessels of kindness, that He before prepared for glory, whom also He called—us—
And what if he thus purposed to make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he had before prepared for glory?
24 not only out of Jews, but also out of nations,
Now such are we whom he has called, not only from among the Jews, but also from among the Gentiles.
25 as also in Hosea He says, “I will call what [is] not My people—My people; and her not beloved—Beloved,
As he also said in Hosea. Those who were not my people I will call "my people," And her "beloved" who was not beloved;
26 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.”
And in that very spot where it was told them, "You are not my people," There they shall be called "Sons of the living God."
27 And Isaiah cries concerning Israel, “If the number of the sons of Israel may be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved;
And in regard to Israel, Isaiah exclaims. Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sands of the sea, it is but a remnant of those who shall be saved;
28 for a matter He is finishing, and is cutting short in righteousness, because a matter cut short will the LORD do on the land.”
for the Lord will execute his word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short.
29 And according as Isaiah says before, “Except the LORD of Hosts left to us a seed, we had become as Sodom, and we had been made like Gomorrah.”
Even as in an earlier passage, Isaiah says, Except the Lord of Sabbath had us some few descendants, we should have become like Sodom, and should have fared like Gomorrah.
30 What, then, will we say? That nations who are not pursuing righteousness attained to righteousness, and righteousness that [is] of faith,
What then shall we say? That Gentiles who never pursed righteousness have overtaken it, even the righteousness of faith?
31 and Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at a law of righteousness;
But that the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law?
32 why? Because—not by faith, but as by works of law; for they stumbled at the stone of stumbling,
And why? Because they sought it not by faith, but thought to gain it by works. They stumbled at the stone of stumbling;
33 according as it has been written: “Behold, I place in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and everyone who is believing thereon will not be ashamed.”
even as it is written. Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; but he that believes on Him shall not be put to shame.