Romans 9
1 Truth, say I, in Christ, I utter no falsehood, —my conscience bearing witness 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 incessant travail in my heart;
and incessant anguish in my heart.
3 For I could have wished to be accursed, even I myself, from the Christ, in behalf of my brethren my kinsmen 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, indeed, are Israelites, whose are the sonship, and the glory, and the covenants, and the legislation, and the divine 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—he who is over all, God, blessed unto the ages. Amen. (aiōn g165)
theirs are the patriarchs, and of them, as concerning the flesh, is Christ, who is over all, God, blessed forever, Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 It is not, however, as though the word of God had failed; for, not all they who are of Israel, the same are Israel.
It is not, however, as though God’s word had failed! For they are not all Israel who have sprung from Israel;
7 Neither, because they are seed of Abraham, are all children, —but, In Isaac, shall there be called unto thee a seed.
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—not the children of the flesh, the same are children of God; but, the children of the promise, are reckoned as a 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, of promise, is this word—According to this season, will I come, and Sarah shall have 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, when, Rebekah also, was with child, of one—Isaac our father, —
And not only so, but when Rebecca was pregnant by our forefather Isaac, though one man was the father of both children,
11 They, in fact, not being yet born, nor having practised anything good or bad, —in order that the purpose of God by way of election might stand, —not by works but by him that was 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 unto her—The elder, shall serve the younger;
it was said to her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 Even as it is written—Jacob, have I loved, but, Esau, have I hated.
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14 What, then, shall we say? Is there injustice with God? Far be it!
What shall we say then? that there is injustice with God? No indeed.
15 For, unto Moses, he saith—I will have mercy upon whomsoever I can have mercy, and I will have compassion upon whomsoever I can 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 Hence, then, it is nor of him that wisheth nor of him that runneth, but of the mercy-shewing God.
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 Scripture saith unto Pharaoh—Unto this end, have I raised thee up, that I may thus shew in thee my power, and that I may declare my name in all the earth.
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 Hence, then, —on whom he pleaseth, he hath mercy, and, whom he pleaseth, he doth harden.
So then he has mercy on whom he will, and whom he will, he hardens.
19 Thou wilt say to me, then—Why longer findeth he fault? For, his purpose, who hath withstood?
Then you will say to me. "Why does he still go on finding fault? Who can withstand his will?"
20 O man! Who, nevertheless, art, thou, that art answering again unto God? Shall the thing formed say unto him that formed it—Why didst thou 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 Or hath not the potter a right over the clay—out of the same lump, to make some, indeed, into a vessel for honour, and some for dishonour?
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—wishing to shew his anger and to make known his power—bare, in much patience, with vessels of anger already 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 In order that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy which he prepared beforehand for glory, —
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 Whom he also called, even us, not only from among Jews, but also from among the nations, [what then?]
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 saith—I will call the not-my-people, My people, and the 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 shall be—in the place where it was said [to them]—not my people are, ye! there, shall they be called—Sons of a 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 Isaiah, moreover, exclaimeth over Israel—Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant, shall 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 complete and concise account, will the Lord make upon the earth.
for the Lord will execute his word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short.
29 And, even as Isaiah hath before said, —If, the Lord of hosts, had not left us a seed, as Sodom, had we become, and, as Gomorrha, had we been made like.
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, shall we say? That, they of the nations, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have laid hold of righteousness, —a righteousness, however, which is by faith;
What then shall we say? That Gentiles who never pursed righteousness have overtaken it, even the righteousness of faith?
31 Whereas, Israel, though in pursuit of a law of righteousness, unto a law, have not attained.
But that the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law?
32 Wherefore? Because, not by faith but as by works, [have they sought it]: they have 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 Even as it is written—Lo! I lay in Zion, a stone to strike against and a rock to stumble over, and, he that resteth faith thereupon, shall not be put to shame.
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.
