Romans 9
1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Ghost,
I am telling you the truth as a Christian man--it is no falsehood, for my conscience enlightened, as it is, by the Holy Spirit adds its testimony to mine--
2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.
when I declare that I have deep grief and unceasing anguish of heart.
3 For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren’s sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
For I could pray to be accursed from Christ on behalf of my brethren, my human kinsfolk--for such the Israelites are.
4 who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service [of God], and the promises;
To them belongs recognition as God's sons, and they have His glorious Presence and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the Temple service, and the ancient Promises.
5 whose are the fathers, and of whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. (aiōn g165)
To them the Patriarchs belong, and from them in respect of His human lineage came the Christ, who is exalted above all, God blessed throughout the Ages. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 But [it is] not as though the word of God hath come to nought. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
Not however that God's word has failed; for all who have sprung from Israel do not count as Israel,
7 neither, because they are Abraham’s seed, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
nor because they are Abraham's true children. But the promise was "Through Isaac shall your posterity be reckoned."
8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed.
In other words, it is not the children by natural descent who count as God's children, but the children made such by the promise are regarded as Abraham's posterity.
9 For this is a word of promise, According to this season will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
For the words are the language of promise and run thus, "About this time next year I will come, and Sarah shall have a son."
10 And not only so; but Rebecca also having conceived by one, [even] by our father Isaac—
Nor is that all: later on there was Rebecca too. She was soon to bear two children to her husband, our forefather Isaac--
11 for [the children] 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 that calleth,
and even then, though they were not then born and had not done anything either good or evil, yet in order that God's electing purpose might not be frustrated, based, as it was, not on their actions but on the will of Him who called them, she was told,
12 it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
"The elder of them will be bondservant to the younger."
13 Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.
This agrees with the other Scripture which says, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
What then are we to infer? That there is injustice in God?
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.
No, indeed; the solution is found in His words to Moses, "Wherever I show mercy it shall be nothing but mercy, and wherever I show compassion it shall be simply compassion."
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy.
And from this we learn that everything is dependent not on man's will or endeavour, but upon God who has mercy. For the Scripture said to Pharaoh,
17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might shew in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth.
"It is for this very purpose that I have lifted you so high--that I may make manifest in you My power, and that My name may be proclaimed far and wide in all the earth."
18 So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth.
This is a proof that wherever He chooses He shows mercy, and wherever he chooses He hardens the heart.
19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will?
"Why then does God still find fault?" you will ask; "for who is resisting His will?"
20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus?
Nay, but who are you, a mere man, that you should cavil against GOD? Shall the thing moulded say to him who moulded it, "Why have you made me thus?"
21 Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
Or has not the potter rightful power over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for more honourable and another for less honourable uses?
22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction:
And what if God, while choosing to make manifest the terrors of His anger and to show what is possible with Him, has yet borne with long-forbearing patience with the subjects of His anger who stand ready for destruction,
23 and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory,
in order to make known His infinite goodness towards the subjects of His mercy whom He has prepared beforehand for glory,
24 [even] us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?
even towards us whom He has called not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles?
25 As he saith also in Hosea, I will call that my people, which was not my people; And her beloved, which was not beloved.
So also in Hosea He says, "I will call that nation My People which was not My People, and I will call her beloved who was not beloved.
26 And it shall be, [that] in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, There shall they be called sons of the living God.
And in the place where it was said to them, 'No people of Mine are you,' there shall they be called sons of the everliving God."
27 And Isaiah crieth concerning Israel, If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved:
And Isaiah cries aloud concerning Israel, "Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sands of the sea, only a remnant of them shall be saved;
28 for the Lord will execute [his] word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short.
for the Lord will hold a reckoning upon the earth, making it efficacious and brief."
29 And, as Isaiah hath said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We had become as Sodom, and had been made like unto Gomorrah.
Even as Isaiah says in an earlier place, "Were it not that the Lord, the God of Hosts, had left us some few descendants, we should have become like Sodom, and have come to resemble Gomorrah."
30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith:
To what conclusion does this bring us? Why, that the Gentiles, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have overtaken it--a righteousness, however, which arises from faith;
31 but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at [that] law.
while the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a Law that could give righteousness, have not arrived at one.
32 Wherefore? Because [they sought it] not by faith, but as it were by works. They stumbled at the stone of stumbling;
And why? Because they were pursuing a righteousness which should arise not from faith, but from what they regarded as merit. They stuck their foot against the stone which lay in their way;
33 even as it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame.
in agreement with the statement of Scripture, "See, I am placing on Mount Zion a stone for people to stumble at, and a rock for them to trip over, and yet he whose faith rests upon it shall never have reason to feel ashamed."
