Romans 9
1 I am telling you the truth as a Christian man--it is no falsehood, for my conscience enlightened, as it is, by the Holy Spirit adds its testimony to mine--
I SPEAK the truth in Christ, I lie not, (my conscience also bearing witness to me in the Holy Ghost, )
2 when I declare that I have deep grief and unceasing anguish of heart.
that great is my sorrow and unceasing the anguish in my heart.
3 For I could pray to be accursed from Christ on behalf of my brethren, my human kinsfolk--for such the Israelites are.
For could I myself wish that an anathema should be from Christ upon my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh?
4 To them belongs recognition as God's sons, and they have His glorious Presence and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the Temple service, and the ancient Promises.
who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the gift of the law, and the sacred service, and the promises;
5 To them the Patriarchs belong, and from them in respect of His human lineage came the Christ, who is exalted above all, God blessed throughout the Ages. Amen. (aiōn g165)
of whom are the fathers, and from whom as respecting the flesh Christ sprung, who is over all, the blessed God for evermore. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 Not however that God's word has failed; for all who have sprung from Israel do not count as Israel,
Now it is not supposable that the word of God hath failed. For these are not all Israel, who are of Israel:
7 nor because they are Abraham's true children. But the promise was "Through Isaac shall your posterity be reckoned."
nor, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 In other words, it is not the children by natural descent who count as God's children, but the children made such by the promise are regarded as Abraham's posterity.
That is, not the children of the flesh, these are the children of God: but the children of the promise are accounted for the seed.
9 For the words are the language of promise and run thus, "About this time next year I will come, and Sarah shall have a son."
For the word of promise is this, At that time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
10 Nor is that all: later on there was Rebecca too. She was soon to bear two children to her husband, our forefather Isaac--
And not only so; but when Rebecca also had conception by one, even Isaac our father;
11 and even then, though they were not then born and had not done anything either good or evil, yet in order that God's electing purpose might not be frustrated, based, as it was, not on their actions but on the will of Him who called them, she was told,
(though the children were not yet born, nor had done any thing good or evil, that according to the election of God the purpose might abide, not from works, but from him who called; )
12 "The elder of them will be bondservant to the younger."
it was said unto her, “That the elder shall be servant to the younger.”
13 This agrees with the other Scripture which says, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
As it is written, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”
14 What then are we to infer? That there is injustice in God?
What shall we say therefore? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 No, indeed; the solution is found in His words to Moses, "Wherever I show mercy it shall be nothing but mercy, and wherever I show compassion it shall be simply compassion."
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 And from this we learn that everything is dependent not on man's will or endeavour, but upon God who has mercy. For the Scripture said to Pharaoh,
Well then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God who sheweth mercy.
17 "It is for this very purpose that I have lifted you so high--that I may make manifest in you My power, and that My name may be proclaimed far and wide in all the earth."
For the scripture saith to Pharaoh, “That for this very end have I raised thee up, that I might display in thee my power, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”
18 This is a proof that wherever He chooses He shows mercy, and wherever he chooses He hardens the heart.
Well then, he hath mercy on whom he will, but whom he will he hardeneth.
19 "Why then does God still find fault?" you will ask; "for who is resisting His will?"
Wilt thou then say to me, Why yet doth he blame us? Who hath resisted his will?
20 Nay, but who are you, a mere man, that you should cavil against GOD? Shall the thing moulded say to him who moulded it, "Why have you made me thus?"
Nay but, O man, who art thou that disputest against God? Shall the thing fashioned say to him that fashioned it, Why hast thou made me thus?
21 Or has not the potter rightful power over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for more honourable and another for less honourable uses?
Hath not the potter power over the clay, from the same mass to make one vessel for an honourable use, and another for a dishonourable?
22 And what if God, while choosing to make manifest the terrors of His anger and to show what is possible with Him, has yet borne with long-forbearing patience with the subjects of His anger who stand ready for destruction,
But what if God, willing to display his wrath, and to make known what is possible with him, hath borne with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for perdition:
23 in order to make known His infinite goodness towards the subjects of His mercy whom He has prepared beforehand for glory,
and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon the vessels of mercy which he had before prepared for glory:
24 even towards us whom He has called not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles?
even us, whom he hath called, not only out of the Jews, but out of the Gentiles?
25 So also in Hosea He says, "I will call that nation My People which was not My People, and I will call her beloved who was not beloved.
As also he saith in Hosea, “I will call her which was not my people, my people; and her which was not beloved, beloved.
26 And in the place where it was said to them, 'No people of Mine are you,' there shall they be called sons of the everliving God."
And it shall be in the place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people; there shall they be called the sons of the living God.”
27 And Isaiah cries aloud concerning Israel, "Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sands of the sea, only a remnant of them shall be saved;
But Isaiah crieth concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
28 for the Lord will hold a reckoning upon the earth, making it efficacious and brief."
for he will finish the account, and cut it short in righteousness: because a concise account will the Lord make on the earth.”
29 Even as Isaiah says in an earlier place, "Were it not that the Lord, the God of Hosts, had left us some few descendants, we should have become like Sodom, and have come to resemble Gomorrah."
Even as Isaiah had said before, “Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left unto us a seed, we should have become as Sodom, and been made like unto Gomorrha.”
30 To what conclusion does this bring us? Why, that the Gentiles, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have overtaken it--a righteousness, however, which arises from faith;
What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who pursued not after righteousness, have attained unto righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith.
31 while the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a Law that could give righteousness, have not arrived at one.
But Israel, pursuing after the law of righteousness, hath not come up to the law of righteousness.
32 And why? Because they were pursuing a righteousness which should arise not from faith, but from what they regarded as merit. They stuck their foot against the stone which lay in their way;
And why? Because they sought it not by faith, but as by the works of the law. For they stumbled against that stone of stumbling;
33 in agreement with the statement of Scripture, "See, I am placing on Mount Zion a stone for people to stumble at, and a rock for them to trip over, and yet he whose faith rests upon it shall never have reason to feel ashamed."
as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence: and every one that believeth in him shall not be confounded.”
