Romans 9
1 I say what is true in Christ, and not what is false, my mind giving witness with me in the Holy Spirit,
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--
2 That I am full of sorrow and pain without end.
when I declare that I have deep grief and unceasing anguish of heart.
3 For I have a desire to take on myself the curse for my brothers, my family in the flesh:
For I could pray to be accursed from Christ on behalf of my brethren, my human kinsfolk--for such the Israelites are.
4 Who are Israelites: who have the place of sons, and the glory, and the agreements with God, and the giving of the law, and the worship, and the hope offered by God:
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.
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom came Christ in the flesh, who is over all, God, to whom be blessing for ever. So be it. (aiōn g165)
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)
6 But it is not as if the word of God was without effect. For they are not all Israel, who are of Israel:
Not however that God's word has failed; for all who have sprung from Israel do not count as Israel,
7 And they are not all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, In Isaac will your seed be named.
nor because they are Abraham's true children. But the promise was "Through Isaac shall your posterity be reckoned."
8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh, but the children of God's undertaking, who are named as the seed.
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.
9 For this is the word of God's undertaking, At this time will I come, and Sarah will have a son.
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."
10 And not only so, but Rebecca being about to have a child by our father Isaac —
Nor is that all: later on there was Rebecca too. She was soon to bear two children to her husband, our forefather Isaac--
11 Before the children had come into existence, or had done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose and his selection might be effected, not by works, but by him whose purpose it is,
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,
12 It was said to her, The older will be the servant of the younger.
"The elder of them will be bondservant to the younger."
13 Even as it is said, I had love for Jacob, but for Esau I had hate.
This agrees with the other Scripture which says, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
14 What may we say then? is God not upright? let it not be said.
What then are we to infer? That there is injustice in God?
15 For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and pity on whom I will have pity.
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."
16 So then, it is not by the desire or by the attempt of man, but by the mercy of God.
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,
17 For the holy Writings say to Pharaoh, For this same purpose did I put you on high, so that I might make my power seen in you, and that there might be knowledge of my name through all the earth.
"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."
18 So then, at his pleasure he has mercy on a man, and at his pleasure he makes the heart hard.
This is a proof that wherever He chooses He shows mercy, and wherever he chooses He hardens the heart.
19 But you will say to me, Why does he still make us responsible? who is able to go against his purpose?
"Why then does God still find fault?" you will ask; "for who is resisting His will?"
20 But, O man, who are you, to make answer against God? May the thing which is made say to him who made it, Why did you make me so?
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?"
21 Or has not the potter the right to make out of one part of his earth a vessel for honour, and out of another a vessel for shame?
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?
22 What if God, desiring to let his wrath and his power be seen, for a long time put up with the vessels of wrath which were ready for destruction:
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,
23 And to make clear the wealth of his glory to vessels of mercy, which he had before made ready for glory,
in order to make known His infinite goodness towards the subjects of His mercy whom He has prepared beforehand for glory,
24 Even us, who were marked out by him, not only from the Jews, but from the Gentiles?
even towards us whom He has called not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles?
25 As he says in Hosea, They will be named my people who were not my people, and she will be loved who was not loved.
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.
26 And in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people, there they will be named the sons of the living God.
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."
27 And Isaiah says about Israel, Even if the number of the children of Israel is as the sand of the sea, only a small part will get salvation:
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;
28 For the Lord will give effect to his word on the earth, putting an end to it and cutting it short.
for the Lord will hold a reckoning upon the earth, making it efficacious and brief."
29 And, as Isaiah had said before, If the Lord of armies had not given us a seed, we would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah.
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."
30 What then may we say? That the nations who did not go after righteousness have got righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith:
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;
31 But Israel, going after a law of righteousness, did not get it.
while the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a Law that could give righteousness, have not arrived at one.
32 Why? Because they were not searching for it by faith, but by works. They came up against the stone which was in the way;
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;
33 As it is said, See, I am putting in Zion a stone causing a fall, and a rock in the way: but he who has faith in him will not be put to shame.
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."
