Romans 9
1 Truth I say in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing testimony with me 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 grief and unceasing pain 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 was wishing, I myself, to be anathema from the Christ — for my brethren, my kindred, 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, whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, 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 of whom [is] the Christ, according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed to the ages. 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 And it is not possible that the word of God hath failed; for not all who [are] of Israel are these Israel;
Not that God’s Word has failed. For it is not all who are descended from Israel who are true Israelites;
7 nor because they are seed of Abraham [are] all children, but — 'in Isaac shall a seed be called to thee;'
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, the children of the flesh — these [are] not children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for 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 fulfillment of the promise who are to be regarded as Abraham’s descendants.
9 for the word of promise [is] this; 'According to this time I will come, and there shall be to Sarah 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 [so], but also Rebecca, having conceived by one — Isaac our father —
Nor is that all. There is also the case of Rebecca, when she was about to bear children to our ancestor Isaac.
11 (for they being not yet born, neither having done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to choice, might remain; not of works, but of Him who is calling, ) it was said to her —
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 'The greater shall serve the less;'
that the elder would be a servant to the younger.
13 according as it hath been written, 'Jacob I did love, and Esau I did hate.'
The words of scripture are – ‘I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.’
14 What, then, shall we say? unrighteousness [is] with God? let it not be!
What are we to say, then? Is God guilty of injustice? Heaven forbid!
15 for to Moses He saith, 'I will do kindness to whom I do kindness, and I will have compassion on whom I 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 — not of him who is willing, nor of him who is running, but of God who is doing kindness:
So, then, all depends, not on human wishes or human efforts, but on God’s mercy.
17 for the Writing saith to Pharaoh — 'For this very thing I did raise thee up, that I might shew in thee My power, and that My name might be declared in all the land;'
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 so, then, to whom He willeth, He doth kindness, and to whom He willeth, He doth harden.
So, then, where God wills, he takes pity, and where he wills, he hardens the heart.
19 Thou wilt say, then, to me, 'Why yet doth He find fault? for His counsel who hath resisted?'
Perhaps you will say to me – ‘How can anyone still be blamed? For who withstands his purpose?’
20 nay, but, O man, who art thou that art answering again to God? shall the thing formed say to Him who did form [it], Why me didst thou make 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 authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make the one vessel to honour, and the one to dishonour?
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 And if God, willing to shew the wrath and to make known His power, did endure, in much long suffering, vessels of wrath fitted for 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 vessels of kindness, that He before prepared for glory, whom also He did call — us —
so as to make known his surpassing glory in dealing with the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared beforehand for glory,
24 not only out of Jews, but also out of nations,
and whom he called – even us – not only from among the Jews but from among the Gentiles also!
25 as also in Hosea He saith, 'I will call what [is] not My people — My people; and her not beloved — 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 be — in the place where it was said to them, Ye [are] not My people; there they shall be called sons 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 And Isaiah doth cry concerning Israel, 'If the number of the sons of Israel may be as the sand of the sea, the 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 a matter He is finishing, and is cutting short in righteousness, because a matter cut short will the Lord do upon the land.
For the Lord will execute his sentence on the world, fully and without delay.’
29 and according as Isaiah saith before, 'Except the Lord of Sabaoth did leave to us a seed, as Sodom we had become, and as Gomorrah we had been made like.'
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, then, shall we say? that nations who are not pursuing righteousness did attain to righteousness, and righteousness that [is] of 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 and Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, at a law of righteousness did not arrive;
while Israel, which was in search of a Law which would ensure righteousness, failed to discover one.
32 wherefore? because — not by faith, but as by works of law; for they did stumble at the stone of stumbling,
And why? Because they looked to obedience, and not to faith, to secure it. They stumbled over the stumbling-block.
33 according as it hath been written, 'Lo, I place in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; and every one who is believing thereon 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.’
