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 tell the truth in Christ. I do not lie, and my conscience bears 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 for me there is great sorrow and unceasing 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 could wish that I myself would be cursed and set apart from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race according to the 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.
They are Israelites. They have adoption, the glory, the covenants, the gift of the law, the worship of God, 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)
Theirs are the ancestors from whom Christ has come with respect to the flesh—he who is God over all. May he be praised forever. 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;
But it is not as though the promises of God have failed. For it is not everyone in Israel who truly belongs to 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.’
Neither are all Abraham's descendants truly his children. But, “It is through Isaac that your descendants will 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, the children of the flesh are not the children of God. But the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.
9 For these words are the words of a promise — ‘About this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.’
For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come, and a son will be given 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.
Not only this, but after Rebekah also had conceived by 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 the children were not yet born and had not yet done anything good or bad, so that the purpose of God according to choice might stand, not because of actions, but because of 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.’
It is just as had been written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 What are we to say, then? Is God guilty of injustice? Heaven forbid!
What then will we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be.
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 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.
So then, it is not because of him who wills, nor because of him who runs, but because of God, who shows 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 purpose I raised you up, so that I might demonstrate my power in you, and so 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, God has mercy on whom he wishes, and whom he wishes, he makes stubborn.
19 Perhaps you will say to me — ‘How can any one still be blamed? For who withstands his purpose?’
You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who has ever withstood his will?”
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?’
On the contrary, man, who are you who answers against God? Will what has been molded say to the one who molds it, “Why did you make me this way?”
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?
Does the potter not have the right over the clay to make from the same lump a container for special use, and another container for daily use?
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,
What if God, who is willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience containers 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,
What if he did this in order that he might make known the riches of his glory upon containers of mercy, which he had previously prepared for glory?
24 and whom he called — even us — Not only from among the Jews but from among the Gentiles also!
What if he did this also for us, whom he also called, not only from among the Jews, but also from among the Gentiles?
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 my people who were not my people, and her beloved who was not 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.’
Then it will be that where it was said to them, 'You 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 shall escape!
Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the children of Israel were as the sand of the sea, it will be a remnant that will be saved,
28 For the Lord will execute his sentence upon the world, fully and without delay.’
for the Lord will carry out his sentence on the earth, completely and without delay.”
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.’
As Isaiah had said previously, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us descendants, we would be like Sodom, and we would have become 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 were not pursuing righteousness, obtained righteousness, the righteousness by faith.
31 while Israel, which was in search of a Law which would ensure righteousness, failed to discover one.
But Israel, who did pursue a law of righteousness, did not arrive at it.
32 And why? Because they looked to obedience, and not to faith, to secure it. They stumbled over ‘the Stumbling-block.’
Why not? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but by works. They stumbled over the stone of stumbling,
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.’
as it has been written, “Look, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. He who believes in it will not be ashamed.”
