Romans 9
1 I tell the truth in Christ. I do not lie, and my conscience bears witness with me in the Holy Spirit,
我与基督同在，我所说为真相！我的良心和圣灵可以证明
2 that for me there is great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.
我心中的彻骨悲伤，证明我心中从未终结的痛苦，
3 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.
这苦痛是为了与我相同之人，我的兄弟姐妹。只要能够帮助他们，我宁愿自己被诅咒，宁愿与基督分离。
4 They are Israelites. They have adoption, the glory, the covenants, the gift of the law, the worship of God, and the promises.
他们就是我的以色列同胞，是上帝所选之人。上帝向他们彰显其荣耀，认可接纳他们，赐予他们律法、真正的敬拜和上帝的承诺。
5 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)
他们就是我们的祖先，从人类角度来说就是基督的祖先，是掌管一切、永远受祝福的上帝。阿门。 (aiōn g165)
6 But it is not as though the promises of God have failed. For it is not everyone in Israel who truly belongs to Israel.
上帝的承诺并未落空。因为并非每一位以色列人都是真正的以色列人，
7 Neither are all Abraham's descendants truly his children. But, “It is through Isaac that your descendants will be called.”
并且所有亚伯拉罕的后裔都是他真正的孩子。正如经文所说：“以撒所生才算作你的后裔。”
8 That is, the children of the flesh are not the children of God. But the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.
所以并非亚伯拉罕的血缘之子即可被视为上帝之子，只有获得上帝承诺方为他的真正后裔。
9 For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come, and a son will be given to Sarah.”
上帝如此承诺：“明年我会回归，撒拉必生一子。”
10 Not only this, but after Rebekah also had conceived by one man, our father Isaac—
不仅如此，我们的祖先以撒也是利百加双胞胎儿子的父亲。
11 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—
但就在双胞胎出生之前，在他们做出任何正义或错误行为之前，（这样上帝的旨意才能延续，证明上帝并非根据人的行为而对其进行召唤）
12 it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.”
她就已被告知，“哥哥将会为弟弟服务。”
13 It is just as had been written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
正如经文所记：“我选择雅各，放弃以扫。”
14 What then will we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be.
那么我们应该得出怎样的结论？上帝不公？当然不是！
15 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.”
正如上帝对摩西所说：“我应该向谁施以怜悯，我应该向谁施以慈悲，由我决定。”
16 So then, it is not because of him who wills, nor because of him who runs, but because of God, who shows mercy.
因此，这并不取决于我们想要什么，也不取决于我们自身的努力，而是取决于上帝的慈悲本性。
17 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.”
经文中记载上帝对法老说：“我将你置于这个地位自有原因，我通过你彰显我的力量，让我的名字传遍世界。”
18 So then, God has mercy on whom he wishes, and whom he wishes, he makes stubborn.
所以，上帝以怜悯或强硬的态度对待谁，都是他想要这么做。
19 You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who has ever withstood his will?”
你们可能会争辩：“那他为什么还要责怪我们？谁能抗拒上帝的旨意？”
20 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?”
不能这么说，你又是谁？一介凡人而已，怎能反驳上帝？被创造的万物怎能对造物主说：“你为什么将我造成这个样子？”
21 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?
陶艺家用同一批粘土制作漂亮的碗和常用的锅，他难道没有权利使用吗？
22 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?
好比上帝要表明他反对罪恶，彰显他的能力，容忍这些“注定毁灭之罐”，
23 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?
这样才能通过这些“怜悯之罐”彰显他的伟大荣耀，提前为荣耀做好准备。
24 What if he did this also for us, whom he also called, not only from among the Jews, but also from among the Gentiles?
这就是我们——他所召唤之人，不仅来自犹太人，也来自外族人……
25 As he says also in Hosea: “I will call my people who were not my people, and her beloved who was not beloved.
上帝在《何西阿书》中说道：“他们并非我的子民，但我会称其为我的子民，他们并非蒙我所爱，我要称其为蒙我所爱。”
26 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.'”
并且，“如果他们在身处之地被告知：‘你们并非我的子民，’就是在那里，他们将被称为永生上帝之子。”
27 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,
以赛亚向以色列人呼喊：“尽管以色列子孙多如海沙，但得救者却只有少数。
28 for the Lord will carry out his sentence on the earth, completely and without delay.”
因为主将快速而彻底地完成他在人世的审判。”
29 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.”
正如以赛亚之前所说：“如果至高之主未给我们留下后裔，我们的结局就和所多玛和蛾摩拉别无二致。”
30 What will we say then? That the Gentiles, who were not pursuing righteousness, obtained righteousness, the righteousness by faith.
那么我们应该得出怎样的结论？外族人可能从未想过要正义行事，但却深知何为正义，然后通过他们对上帝的信任，做出道德正确之事。
31 But Israel, who did pursue a law of righteousness, did not arrive at it.
但以色列人却盯着律法行上帝之正义，却从未成功。
32 Why not? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but by works. They stumbled over the stone of stumbling,
为什么？因为他们只根据行为决定正义，而不是通过相信上帝。他们就像被绊脚石绊倒，
33 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.”
正如经文所预言：“看，我在锡安放了一块绊脚石，一块会绊倒世人的磐石。但相信他的人绝不会失望。”
