Romans 9
1 I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit,
I say what is true in Christ, and not what is false, my mind giving witness with me in the Holy Spirit,
2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
That I am full of sorrow and pain without end.
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers' sake, my physical relatives 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 giving of the law, and the 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 patriarchs, and from whom is the Christ, as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. 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 But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel, that 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 Neither, because they are Abraham's descendants, are they all children. But, "In Isaac will your descendants 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, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants.
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 this is what the promise said, "At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will 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 that, but Rebekah also had conceived by one, our father Isaac.
And not only so, but Rebecca being about to have a child by our father Isaac —
11 For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls,
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 to her, "The elder will serve the younger."
It was said to her, The older will be the servant of the younger.
13 Even as it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
Even as it is said, I had love for Jacob, but for Esau I had hate.
14 What should we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Absolutely not.
What may we say then? is God not upright? let it not be said.
15 For he said 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 whom I will have mercy, and pity on whom I will have pity.
16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has 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 says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might 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 So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.
So then, at his pleasure he has mercy on a man, and at his pleasure he makes the heart hard.
19 You will say then to me, "Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?"
But you will say to me, Why does he still make us responsible? who is able to go against his purpose?
20 But who indeed are you, a human being, to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?"
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 Or hasn't the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?
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 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath made for destruction,
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 on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory,
And to make clear the wealth of his glory to vessels of mercy, which he had before made ready for glory,
24 us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the non-Jews?
Even us, who were marked out by him, not only from the Jews, but from the Gentiles?
25 As he says also in Hosea, "I will call them which were not my people 'my people,' and her who was not loved, 'loved.'"
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 "It will be that in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' There they will be called 'children 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 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, "Though the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be kept safe.
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 fulfill the word and decisively in righteousness; because the Lord will carry out the word decisively in the midst of the earth."
For the Lord will give effect to his word on the earth, putting an end to it and cutting it short.
29 As Isaiah has said before, "Unless the Lord of hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah."
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 should we say then? That the non-Jews, who did not follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of 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, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
But Israel, going after a law of righteousness, did not get it.
32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone;
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 even as it is written, "Look, I am laying in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock to trip over; and the one who believes in him will not be put to shame."
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.
