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 also bearing me witness 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 heaviness and continual sorrow 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 myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen 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.
Who are Israelites; to whom pertain the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service 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)
Whose are the fathers, and from whom according to the flesh Christ came, 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 as though the word of God hath taken no effect. For they are not all Israel, who are descended from 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, 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, They who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the 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 is the word of promise, At this 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 this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by 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 being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; )
12 that ‘the elder would be a servant to the younger.’
It was said to her, The elder shall serve 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 then? Is there unrighteousness with God? By no means.
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.
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth 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 saith to Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18 So, then, where God wills, he takes pity, and where he wills, he hardens the heart.
Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
19 Perhaps you will say to me — ‘How can any one still be blamed? For who withstands his purpose?’
Thou wilt say then to me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted 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?’
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that 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?
Hath not the potter power over the clay, 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,
What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to 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 on 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 of the Jews only, but also of 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 saith also in Hosea, I will call them 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.’
And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said to them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children 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 also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
28 For the Lord will execute his sentence upon the world, fully and without delay.’
For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make 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 as Isaiah said before, Except the Lord of Hosts had left us a seed, we had been as Sodom, and been made 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 shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who followed not after righteousness, have attained to 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, who followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained 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.’
Why? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that 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.’
As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
