Romans 9
1 I am speaking the truth in Christ; I am not lying. My conscience offers testimony to me in the Holy Spirit,
I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit
2 because the sadness within me is great, and there is a continuous sorrow in my heart.
that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.
3 For I was desiring that I myself might be anathemized from Christ, for the sake of my brothers, who are my kinsmen according to the flesh.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers’ sake, my relatives according to the flesh
4 These are the Israelites, to whom belongs adoption as sons, and the glory and the testament, and the giving and following of the law, and the promises.
who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises;
5 Theirs are the fathers, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is over all things, blessed God, for all eternity. Amen. (aiōn g165)
of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 But it is not that the Word of God has perished. For not all those who are Israelites are of Israel.
But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel that are of Israel.
7 And not all sons are the offspring of Abraham: “For your offspring will be invoked in Isaac.”
Neither, because they are Abraham’s offspring, are they all children. But, “your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac.”
8 In other words, those who are the sons of God are not those who are sons of the flesh, but those who are sons of the Promise; these are considered to be the offspring.
That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as heirs.
9 For the word of promise is this: “I will return at the proper time. And there shall be a son for Sarah.”
For this is a word of promise: “At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”
10 And she was not alone. For Rebecca also, having conceived by Isaac our father, from one act,
Not only so, but Rebekah also conceived by one, by our father Isaac.
11 when the children had not yet been born, and had not yet done anything good or bad (such that the purpose of God might be based on their choice),
For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls,
12 and not because of deeds, but because of a calling, it was said to her: “The elder shall serve the younger.”
it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.”
13 So also it was written: “I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.”
Even as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 What should we say next? Is there unfairness with God? Let it not be so!
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be!
15 For to Moses he says: “I will pity whomever I pity. And I will offer mercy to whomever I will pity.”
For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
16 Therefore, it is not based on those who choose, nor on those who excel, but on God who takes pity.
So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.
17 For Scripture says to the Pharaoh: “I have raised you up for this purpose, so that I may reveal my power by you, and so that my name may be announced to all the earth.”
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
18 Therefore, he takes pity on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.
19 And so, you would say to me: “Then why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”
You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?”
20 O man, who are you to question God? How can the thing that has been formed say to the One who formed him: “Why have you made me this way?”
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”
21 And does not the potter have the authority over the clay to make, from the same material, indeed, one vessel unto honor, yet truly another unto disgrace?
Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?
22 What if God, wanting to reveal his wrath and to make his power known, endured, with much patience, vessels deserving wrath, fit to be destroyed,
What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
23 so that he might reveal the wealth of his glory, within these vessels of mercy, which he has prepared unto glory?
and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory—
24 And so it is with those of us whom he has also called, not only from among the Jews, but even from among the Gentiles,
us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?
25 just as he says in Hosea: “I will call those who were not my people, ‘my people,’ and she who was not beloved, ‘beloved,’ and she who had not obtained mercy, ‘one who has obtained mercy.’
As he says also in Hosea, “I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people; and her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.”
26 And this shall be: in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they shall be called the sons of the living God.”
“It will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”
27 And Isaiah cried out on behalf of Israel: “When the number of the sons of Israel is like the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.
Isaiah cries concerning Israel, “If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant who will be saved;
28 For he shall complete his word, while abbreviating it out of equity. For the Lord shall accomplish a brief word upon the earth.”
for he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”
29 And it is just as Isaiah predicted: “Unless the Lord of hosts had bequeathed offspring, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made similar to Gomorrah.”
As Isaiah has said before, “Unless the Lord of Armies had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah.”
30 What should we say next? That the Gentiles who did not follow justice have attained justice, even the justice that is of faith.
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;
31 Yet truly, Israel, though following the law of justice, has not arrived at the law of justice.
but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness.
32 Why is this? Because they did not seek it from faith, but as if it were from works. For they stumbled over a stumbling block,
Why? Because they didn’t seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
33 just as it was written: “Behold, I am placing a stumbling block in Zion, and a rock of scandal. But whoever believes in him shall not be confounded.”
even as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense; and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.”
