Προς Ρωμαιους 9
1 αληθειαν λεγω εν χριστω ου ψευδομαι συμμαρτυρουσης μοι της συνειδησεως μου εν πνευματι αγιω
I am in Christ, and what I say is true. I'm not lying! My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm
2 οτι λυπη μοι εστιν μεγαλη και αδιαλειπτος οδυνη τη καρδια μου
how terribly sad I am, how I have never-ending pain in my heart,
3 ηυχομην γαρ αυτος εγω αναθεμα ειναι απο του χριστου υπερ των αδελφων μου των συγγενων μου κατα σαρκα
for my own people, my brothers and sisters. I would rather be cursed myself, separated from Christ, if that would help them.
4 οιτινες εισιν ισραηλιται ων η υιοθεσια και η δοξα και αι διαθηκαι και η νομοθεσια και η λατρεια και αι επαγγελιαι
They are my fellow-Israelites, God's chosen people. God revealed to them his glory and made agreements with them, giving them the law, true worship, and his promises.
5 ων οι πατερες και εξ ων ο χριστος το κατα σαρκα ο ων επι παντων θεος ευλογητος εις τους αιωνας αμην (aiōn g165)
They are our forefathers—ancestors of Christ, humanly-speaking, the one who rules over everything, the eternally-blessed God. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 ουχ οιον δε οτι εκπεπτωκεν ο λογος του θεου ου γαρ παντες οι εξ ισραηλ ουτοι ισραηλ
It's not that God's promise has failed. For not every Israelite is a true Israelite,
7 ουδ οτι εισιν σπερμα αβρααμ παντες τεκνα αλλ εν ισαακ κληθησεται σοι σπερμα
and all those who are descended from Abraham are not his true children. For Scripture says, “Your descendants will be counted through Isaac,”
8 τουτ εστιν ου τα τεκνα της σαρκος ταυτα τεκνα του θεου αλλα τα τεκνα της επαγγελιας λογιζεται εις σπερμα
so it's not Abraham's actual children who are counted as God's children, but only those children of God's promise who are considered his true descendants.
9 επαγγελιας γαρ ο λογος ουτος κατα τον καιρον τουτον ελευσομαι και εσται τη σαρρα υιος
This is what the promise was: “I will return next year and Sarah will have a son.”
10 ου μονον δε αλλα και ρεβεκκα εξ ενος κοιτην εχουσα ισαακ του πατρος ημων
In addition Rebecca's twin sons had the same father, our forefather Isaac.
11 μηπω γαρ γεννηθεντων μηδε πραξαντων τι αγαθον η κακον ινα η κατ εκλογην του θεου προθεσις μενη ουκ εξ εργων αλλ εκ του καλουντος
But even before the children were born, and before they'd done anything right or wrong, (so that God's purpose could continue, proving God's calling of people is not based on human performance),
12 ερρηθη αυτη οτι ο μειζων δουλευσει τω ελασσονι
she was told, “The older brother will serve the younger one.”
13 καθως γεγραπται τον ιακωβ ηγαπησα τον δε ησαυ εμισησα
As Scripture says, “I chose Jacob, but rejected Esau.”
14 τι ουν ερουμεν μη αδικια παρα τω θεω μη γενοιτο
So what should we conclude? That God was unjust? Certainly not!
15 τω γαρ μωση λεγει ελεησω ον αν ελεω και οικτειρησω ον αν οικτειρω
As he said to Moses, “I will be merciful to whoever I should show mercy, and I will have compassion on whoever I should show compassion.”
16 αρα ουν ου του θελοντος ουδε του τρεχοντος αλλα του ελεουντος θεου
So it does not depend on what we want, or our own efforts, but the merciful nature of God.
17 λεγει γαρ η γραφη τω φαραω οτι εις αυτο τουτο εξηγειρα σε οπως ενδειξωμαι εν σοι την δυναμιν μου και οπως διαγγελη το ονομα μου εν παση τη γη
Scripture records God saying to Pharaoh: “I put you here for a reason—so that through you I could demonstrate my power, and so that my name could be made known throughout the earth.”
18 αρα ουν ον θελει ελεει ον δε θελει σκληρυνει
So God is merciful to those he wishes to be, and hardens the attitude of those he wants to.
19 ερεις ουν μοι τι ετι μεμφεται τω γαρ βουληματι αυτου τις ανθεστηκεν
Now you'll argue with me and ask, “So why does he still blame us then? Who can resist the will of God?”
20 μενουνγε ω ανθρωπε συ τις ει ο ανταποκρινομενος τω θεω μη ερει το πλασμα τω πλασαντι τι με εποιησας ουτως
That's no way to speak, for who are you—a mere mortal—to contradict God? Can something that is created say to its creator, “Why did you make me like this?”
21 η ουκ εχει εξουσιαν ο κεραμευς του πηλου εκ του αυτου φυραματος ποιησαι ο μεν εις τιμην σκευος ο δε εις ατιμιαν
Doesn't a potter have the right to use the same batch of clay to make both a decorative bowl and an everyday pot?
22 ει δε θελων ο θεος ενδειξασθαι την οργην και γνωρισαι το δυνατον αυτου ηνεγκεν εν πολλη μακροθυμια σκευη οργης κατηρτισμενα εις απωλειαν
It's as if God, wanting to demonstrate his opposition to sin and to reveal his power, bears patiently with these “pots destined for destruction,”
23 και ινα γνωριση τον πλουτον της δοξης αυτου επι σκευη ελεους α προητοιμασεν εις δοξαν
so that he might reveal the greatness of his glory through these “pots of mercy” which he has prepared in advance for glory.
24 ους και εκαλεσεν ημας ου μονον εξ ιουδαιων αλλα και εξ εθνων
This is who we are—people he has called, not just from among the Jews, but from among the foreigners too...
25 ως και εν τω ωσηε λεγει καλεσω τον ου λαον μου λαον μου και την ουκ ηγαπημενην ηγαπημενην
As God said in the book of Hosea, “Those who are not my people I will call my people, and those who are not loved I will call the ones I love,”
26 και εσται εν τω τοπω ου ερρηθη αυτοις ου λαος μου υμεις εκει κληθησονται υιοι θεου ζωντος
and, “It will happen that at the place where they were told, ‘You're not my people,’ there they will be called the children of the living God.”
27 ησαιας δε κραζει υπερ του ισραηλ εαν η ο αριθμος των υιων ισραηλ ως η αμμος της θαλασσης το καταλειμμα σωθησεται
Isaiah cries out regarding Israel: “Even if the children of Israel have become as numerous as the sands of the sea, only a small number will be saved.
28 λογον γαρ συντελων και συντεμνων εν δικαιοσυνη οτι λογον συντετμημενον ποιησει κυριος επι της γης
For the Lord is going to quickly and completely finish his work of judgment on the earth.”
29 και καθως προειρηκεν ησαιας ει μη κυριος σαβαωθ εγκατελιπεν ημιν σπερμα ως σοδομα αν εγενηθημεν και ως γομορρα αν ωμοιωθημεν
As Isaiah previously said, “If the Lord Almighty had not left us some descendants, we would have become just like Sodom and Gomorrah.”
30 τι ουν ερουμεν οτι εθνη τα μη διωκοντα δικαιοσυνην κατελαβεν δικαιοσυνην δικαιοσυνην δε την εκ πιστεως
What shall we conclude, then? That even though the foreigners were not even looking to do right, they did grasp what is right, and through their trust in God did what was morally right.
31 ισραηλ δε διωκων νομον δικαιοσυνης εις νομον δικαιοσυνης ουκ εφθασεν
But the people of Israel, who looked to the law to make them right with God, never succeeded.
32 δια τι οτι ουκ εκ πιστεως αλλ ως εξ εργων νομου προσεκοψαν γαρ τω λιθω του προσκομματος
Why not? Because they relied on what they did rather than trusting in God. They tripped on the stumbling-block,
33 καθως γεγραπται ιδου τιθημι εν σιων λιθον προσκομματος και πετραν σκανδαλου και πας ο πιστευων επ αυτω ου καταισχυνθησεται
just as Scripture predicted: “Look, I'm placing in Zion a stumbling-block, a rock that will offend people. But those who trust in him won't be disappointed.”
