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 lie not, my conscience bearing witness with me in [the] Holy Spirit,
2 bears me out when I say that there is a great weight of sorrow upon me and that my heart is never free from pain.
that I have great grief and uninterrupted pain in my heart,
3 I could wish that I were myself accursed and severed from the Christ, for the sake of my Brothers — my own countrymen.
for I have wished, I myself, to be a curse from the Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to flesh;
4 For they are Israelites, and theirs are the adoption as Sons, 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 law-giving, and the 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)
whose [are] the fathers; and of whom, as according to flesh, [is] the Christ, who is over all, God blessed for ever. 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;
Not however as though the word of God had failed; for not all [are] Israel which [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 thy descendants.’
nor because they are seed of Abraham [are] all children: but, In Isaac shall a seed be called to 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, [they that are] the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned as seed.
9 For these words are the words of a promise — ‘About this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.’
For this word [is] of promise, According to this time I will come, and there shall be a son to 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 [that], but Rebecca having conceived by one, 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,
[the children] indeed being not yet born, or having done anything good or worthless (that the purpose of God according to election might abide, not of works, but of him that calls),
12 that ‘the elder would be a servant to the younger.’
it was said to her, The greater shall serve the less:
13 The words of Scripture are — ‘I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.’
according as it is written, I have loved Jacob, and I have hated Esau.
14 What are we to say, then? Is God guilty of injustice? Heaven forbid!
What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? Far be the thought.
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 shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy, and I will feel compassion for whom I will feel compassion.
16 So, then, all depends, not on human wishes or human efforts, but on God’s mercy.
So then [it is] not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shews mercy.
17 In Scripture, again, it is said to Pharaoh — ‘It was for this very purpose that I raised thee to the throne, to show my power by my dealings with thee, and to make my name known throughout the world.’
For the scripture says to Pharaoh, For this very thing I have raised thee up from amongst [men], that I might thus shew in thee my power, and so that my name should be declared in all the earth.
18 So, then, where God wills, he takes pity, and where he wills, he hardens the heart.
So then, to whom he will he shews mercy, and whom he will he hardens.
19 Perhaps you will say to me — ‘How can any one still be blamed? For who withstands his purpose?’
Thou wilt say to me then, Why does he yet find fault? for who resists his purpose?
20 I might rather ask ‘Who are you who are arguing with God?’ Does a thing which a man has moulded say to him who has moulded it ‘Why did you make me like this?’
Aye, but thou, O man, who art thou that answerest again to God? Shall the thing formed say to him that has formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
21 Has not the potter absolute power over his clay, so that out of the same lump he makes one thing for better, and another for common, use?
Or has not the potter authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make one vessel to honour, and another to dishonour?
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, minded to shew his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering vessels of wrath fitted 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,
and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon 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!
us, whom he has also called, not only from amongst [the] Jews, but also from amongst [the] nations?
25 This, indeed, is what he says in the Book of Hosea — ‘I will call those my People who were not my People, and her my beloved who was not beloved.
As he says also in Hosea, I will call not-my-people My people; and the-not-beloved Beloved.
26 And in the very place where it was said to them — “Ye are not my People”, they shall be called Sons of the Living God.’
And it shall be, in the place where it was said to them, Ye [are] not my people, there shall they 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 shall escape!
But Esaias cries concerning Israel, Should the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved:
28 For the Lord will execute his sentence upon the world, fully and without delay.’
for [he] is bringing the matter to an end, and [cutting [it] short in righteousness; because] a cutting short of the matter will [the] Lord accomplish upon the earth.
29 It is as Isaiah foretold — ‘Had not the Lord of Hosts spared some few of our race to us, we should have become like Sodom and been made to resemble Gomorrah.’
And according as Esaias said before, Unless [the] Lord of hosts had left us a seed, we had been as Sodom, and made like even as 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 [they of the] nations, who did not follow after righteousness, have attained righteousness, but [the] righteousness that is on the principle of faith.
31 while Israel, which was in search of a Law which would ensure righteousness, failed to discover one.
But Israel, pursuing after a law of righteousness, has not attained to [that] law.
32 And why? Because they looked to obedience, and not to faith, to secure it. They stumbled over ‘the Stumbling-block.’
Wherefore? Because [it was] not on the principle of faith, but as of works. They have stumbled at the stumblingstone,
33 As Scripture says — ‘See, I place a Stumbling-block in Zion — a Rock which shall prove a hindrance; and he who believes in him shall have no cause for shame.’
according as it is written, Behold, I place in Zion a stone of stumbling and rock of offence: and he that believes on him shall not be ashamed.
