Romans 9
1 I am speaking the truth as one in union with Christ; it is no lie; and my conscience, enlightened by the Holy Spirit,
I say the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience testifying to me in the Holy Spirit,
2 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.
that great distress is in me, and unceasing sorrow in my heart.
3 I could wish that I were myself accursed and severed from the Christ, for the sake of my people – my own flesh and blood.
For I wished I myself to be accursed from the Christ, for my brothers, my kinsmen according to flesh,
4 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.
who are Israelites, of whom is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the divine service, and the promises,
5 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)
of whom are the fathers, and from whom (according to flesh) is the Christ, God who is over all is blessed into the ages. Truly. (aiōn g165)
6 Not that God’s Word has failed. For it is not all who are descended from Israel who are true Israelites;
But it is not as that the word of God has failed. For all those from Israel, these are not Israel,
7 nor, because they are Abraham’s descendants, are they all his children; but – “It is Isaac’s children who will be called your descendants.”
nor, because they are Abraham's seed, are they all children, rather, In Isaac a seed will be called for thee.
8 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.
That is, the children of the flesh, these are not children of God, instead, the children of the promise are reckoned for seed.
9 For these words are the words of a promise – “About this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”
For this is the word of promise: At this time I will come, and there will be a son by Sarah.
10 Nor is that all. There is also the case of Rebecca, when she was about to bear children to our ancestor Isaac.
And not only so, but also Rebecca having bed from one man, our father Isaac
11 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,
(for not yet having been born, nor having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to selection might remain, not from works, but from him who calls),
12 that the elder would be a servant to the younger.
it was said to her, The older will serve the younger.
13 The words of scripture are – “I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.”
As it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I regarded inferior.
14 What are we to say, then? Is God guilty of injustice? Heaven forbid!
What will we say then? Is there injustice from God? May it not happen!
15 For his words to Moses are – “I will take pity on whom I take pity, and be merciful to whom I am merciful.”
For he says to Moses, I will be merciful to whom I may be merciful, and I will be compassionate to whomever I may be compassionate.
16 So, then, all depends, not on human wishes or human efforts, but on God’s mercy.
So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who is merciful.
17 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.”
For the scripture says to Pharaoh, For this same thing I raised thee up, that I might display in thee my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
18 So, then, where God wills, he takes pity, and where he wills, he hardens the heart.
So then he is merciful to whom he will, and whom he will he hardens.
19 Perhaps you will say to me – “How can anyone still be blamed? For who withstands his purpose?”
Thou will say to me therefore, Why does he still find fault? For who has resisted his purpose?
20 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?”
Rather, O man, who are thou answering back to God? No, will the thing formed say to him who formed it, Why did thou make me this way?
21 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?
Or has the potter no right over the clay, from the same lump certainly to make this vessel for esteem, and that for disesteem?
22 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,
And if God, wanting to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
23 so as to make known his surpassing glory in dealing with the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared beforehand for glory,
even that he might make known the wealth of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he previously prepared for glory,
24 and whom he called – even us – not only from among the Jews but from among the Gentiles also!
namely us whom he called, not only from Jews but also from Gentiles.
25 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.
As also he says in Hosea, I will call those not my people, my people, and her who was not beloved, beloved.
26 And in the place where it was said to them – ‘You are not my people’, they will be called sons of the living God.”
And it will be in the place where it was said to them, Ye are not my people, there they will be called, sons of the living God.
27 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!
And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, If the number of the sons of Israel may be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved.
28 For the Lord will execute his sentence on the world, fully and without delay.”
Since he is completing and finishing quickly a matter in righteousness, because a matter that has been cut short upon the earth, the Lord will perform.
29 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.”
And just as Isaiah has foretold, Unless the Lord of hosts had left us a seed, we would have become as Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah.
30 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;
What will we say then? That the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness from faith.
31 while Israel, which was in search of a Law which would ensure righteousness, failed to discover one.
But Israel who pursued a law of righteousness, did not arrive to a law of righteousness.
32 And why? Because they looked to obedience, and not to faith, to secure it. They stumbled over the stumbling-block.
Why? Because it was not from faith but as from works of law. For they stumbled at the stone of stumbling,
33 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.”
just as it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. And every man who believes in him will not be shamed.
