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 SPEAK the truth in Christ, I lie not, (my conscience also bearing witness to me in the Holy Ghost, )
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 is my sorrow and unceasing the anguish 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 could I myself wish that an anathema should be from Christ upon my brethren, my kinsmen according to the 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; whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the gift of the law, and the sacred 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 as respecting the flesh Christ sprung, who is over all, the blessed God for evermore. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 Not that God’s Word has failed. For it is not all who are descended from Israel who are true Israelites;
Now it is not supposable that the word of God hath failed. For these are not all Israel, who are of 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 the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
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, not the children of the flesh, these are the children of God: but the children of the promise are accounted for the seed.
9 For these words are the words of a promise – “About this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”
For the word of promise is this, At that time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
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 when Rebecca also had conception by one, even Isaac our father;
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,
(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; )
12 that the elder would be a servant to the younger.
it was said unto her, “That the elder shall be servant to the younger.”
13 The words of scripture are – “I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.”
As it is written, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”
14 What are we to say, then? Is God guilty of injustice? Heaven forbid!
What shall we say therefore? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
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 saith 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, then, all depends, not on human wishes or human efforts, but on God’s mercy.
Well then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God who sheweth mercy.
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 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.”
18 So, then, where God wills, he takes pity, and where he wills, he hardens the heart.
Well then, he hath mercy on whom he will, but whom he will he hardeneth.
19 Perhaps you will say to me – “How can anyone still be blamed? For who withstands his purpose?”
Wilt thou then say to me, Why yet doth he blame us? Who hath resisted his will?
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?”
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?
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?
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?
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,
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:
23 so as to make known his surpassing glory in dealing with the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared beforehand for glory,
and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon the vessels of mercy which he had before prepared for glory:
24 and whom he called – even us – not only from among the Jews but from among the Gentiles also!
even us, whom he hath called, not only out of the Jews, but out of the 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 saith in Hosea, “I will call her which was not my people, my people; and her which 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 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.”
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!
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:
28 For the Lord will execute his sentence on the world, fully and without delay.”
for he will finish the account, and cut it short in righteousness: because a concise account will the Lord make on the earth.”
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.”
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.”
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 then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who pursued not after righteousness, have attained unto righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith.
31 while Israel, which was in search of a Law which would ensure righteousness, failed to discover one.
But Israel, pursuing after the law of righteousness, hath not come up to the law of righteousness.
32 And why? Because they looked to obedience, and not to faith, to secure it. They stumbled over the stumbling-block.
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;
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.”
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.”
