Romans 9
1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me testimony in the Holy Spirit,
I am speaking the truth as one in union with Christ; it is no lie; and my conscience, enlightened by the Holy Spirit,
2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
bears me out when I say that there is a great weight of sorrow on me and that my heart is never free from pain.
3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ, for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
I could wish that I were myself accursed and severed from the Christ, for the sake of my people – my own flesh and blood.
4 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;
For they are Israelites, and theirs are the adoption as children, the visible presence, the covenants, the revealed Law, the Temple worship, and the promises.
5 Whose [are] the fathers, and from whom according to the flesh, Christ [came], who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. (aiōn g165)
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)
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken no effect. For they [are] not all Israel, who are [descendants] from Israel?
Not that God’s Word has failed. For it is not all who are descended from Israel who are true Israelites;
7 Neither because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
nor, because they are Abraham’s descendants, are they all his children; but – “It is Isaac’s children who will be called your descendants.”
8 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.
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.
9 For this [is] the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
For these words are the words of a promise – “About this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”
10 And not only [this]; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, [even] by our father Isaac,
Nor is that all. There is also the case of Rebecca, when she was about to bear children to our ancestor Isaac.
11 (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)
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,
12 It was said to her, The elder shall serve the younger.
that the elder would be a servant to the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
The words of scripture are – “I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.”
14 What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? By no means.
What are we to say, then? Is God guilty of injustice? Heaven forbid!
15 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.
For his words to Moses are – “I will take pity on whom I take pity, and be merciful to whom I am merciful.”
16 So then, [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
So, then, all depends, not on human wishes or human efforts, but on God’s mercy.
17 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.
In scripture, again, it is said to Pharaoh – “It was for this purpose that I raised you to the throne, to show my power by my dealings with you, and to make my name known throughout the world.”
18 Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth.
So, then, where God wills, he takes pity, and where he wills, he hardens the heart.
19 Thou wilt say then to me, Why doth he yet find fault? for who hath resisted his will?
Perhaps you will say to me – “How can anyone still be blamed? For who withstands his purpose?”
20 No, 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?
I might rather ask “Who are you who are arguing with God?” Does a thing which a person has moulded say to the person who has moulded it “Why did you make me like this?”
21 Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel to honor, and another to dishonor?
Has not the potter absolute power over their clay, so that out of the same lump they make one thing for better, and another for common, use?
22 [What] if God, willing to show [his] wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
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,
23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had before prepared for glory,
so as to make known his surpassing glory in dealing with the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared beforehand for glory,
24 Even us whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles.
and whom he called – even us – not only from among the Jews but from among the Gentiles also!
25 As he saith also in Hosea, I will call them My people, who were not my people; and her Beloved, who was not beloved.
This, indeed, is what he says in the book of Hosea – “Those who were not my people, I will call my people, and those who were unloved I will love.
26 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.
And in the place where it was said to them – ‘You are not my people’, they will be called sons of the living God.”
27 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:
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 will escape!
28 For he will finish the work, and cut [it] short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
For the Lord will execute his sentence on the world, fully and without delay.”
29 And as Isaiah said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodom, and been made like Gomorrah.
It is as Isaiah foretold – “Had not the Lord of Hosts spared some few of our people to us, we should have become like Sodom and been made to resemble Gomorrah.”
30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles who followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith:
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;
31 But Israel, who followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
while Israel, which was in search of a Law which would ensure righteousness, failed to discover one.
32 Why? Because [they sought it] not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling-stone;
And why? Because they looked to obedience, and not to faith, to secure it. They stumbled over the stumbling-block.
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone, and rock of offense: and whoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
As scripture says – “See, I place a stumbling-block in Zion – a rock which will prove a hindrance; and he who believes in him will have no cause for shame.”
