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 say the truth in Messiah, and do not misrepresent; and my conscience beareth me witness in the Holy Spirit;
2 when I declare that I have deep grief and unceasing anguish of heart.
that I have great sorrow, and the sadness of my heart is unceasing.
3 For I could pray to be accursed from Christ on behalf of my brethren, my human kinsfolk--for such the Israelites are.
For I have prayed, that I myself might be accursed from Messiah, for my brethren and my kinsmen in 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 sons of Israel, to whom belonged the adoption of sons, and the glory, and the covenants, and the law, and the ministration, and the promises, and the fathers;
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)
and from among whom, Messiah appeared in the flesh, who is God over all; to whom be praises and benediction, for ever and ever; Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 Not however that God's word has failed; for all who have sprung from Israel do not count as Israel,
Not, however, that the word of God hath actually failed. For all are not 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."
Neither are they all sons, because they are of the seed of Abraham: for it was said, 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, it is not the children of the flesh, who 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 was 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--
Nor this only; but Rebecca also, when she had cohabited with one man, our father Isaac,
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,
before her children were born, or: had done good or evil, the choice of God was predeclared; that it might stand, not of works, but of him who called.
12 "The elder of them will be bondservant to the younger."
For it was said: 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, and Esau have I hated.
14 What then are we to infer? That there is injustice in God?
What shall we say then? Is there iniquity with God? Far be it.
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."
Behold, to Moses also he said: I will have pity, on whom I will have pity; and I will be merciful, to whom I will be merciful.
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,
Therefore, it is not of him who is willing, nor of him who runneth, but of the merciful God.
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 in the scripture, he said to Pharaoh: For this very thing, have I raised thee up; that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might 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.
Wherefore, he hath pity upon whom he pleaseth; and whom he pleaseth, he hardeneth.
19 "Why then does God still find fault?" you will ask; "for who is resisting His will?"
But, perhaps thou wilt say: Of what then doth he complain? For, who hath resisted his pleasure?
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?"
Thou, thus! Who art thou? O man; that thou repliest against God! Shall the potter's vessel say to the former of it, Why hast thou formed me so?
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 dominion over his clay out of the same mass to make vessels, one for honor, and another for dishonor?
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,
And if God, being disposed to exhibit his wrath and to make known his power, in abundance of long-suffering, brought wrath upon the vessels of wrath which were complete for destruction;
23 in order to make known His infinite goodness towards the subjects of His mercy whom He has prepared beforehand for glory,
and made his mercy flow forth upon the vessels of mercy, which were prepared by God for glory;
24 even towards us whom He has called not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles?
namely, upon us who are called, not of the Jews only, but also 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 said in Hosea: I will call them my people, who were not my people; and will pity, whom I have not pitied:
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."
For it shall be, that in the place where they were called: Not my people, there shall they be called: The children 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;
And Isaiah proclaimed concerning the children of Israel: Though the number of the children of Israel should be as the sand on the sea, a remnant of them will live.
28 for the Lord will hold a reckoning upon the earth, making it efficacious and brief."
He hath finished and cut short the matter: and the Lord will do it 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."
And according to what Isaiah had before said: If the Lord of hosts had not favored us with a residue, we had been as Sodom, and had been like 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 shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who ran not after righteousness, have found 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, who ran after the law of righteousness, hath not found 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 by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling-stone:
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 stumbling-stone, and a stone of offence: and he who believeth in him, shall not be ashamed.
